Education Commons^™

Piano Study And Gender Associations: A Query Into The Perceptions Of Children Ages Five To Fourteen, Richard C. Winfree

Music Theses & Dissertations

From its inception, male composers and performers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Cliburn, and Kempffhad dominated piano performance. Recent research suggests, however, that the piano has been designated with a feminine gender stereotype. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of public school children ages five to fourteen years old relative to gender association and piano study to determine if a gender stereotype existed and at what age, if any, the stereotype stabilized.

To achieve this purpose, two surveys were created and implemented by the researcher. The first survey was administered to 879 students in …

South Mississippi Public Elementary School Teachers' Implementation Of And Attitudes Toward Inquiry-Based Science, Thomas Franklin Sumrall

Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine the relationship between the dependent variables of K-5 elementary teachers' attitudes toward inquiry-based science, implementation of National Science Education Standards concerning inquiry-based science, and the number of inquiry-based lessons taught with the predictor variables of gender, school district teaching, ethnic group, educational level, experience, grade level teaching, and number of science courses taken. Four hundred thirty teachers of grades K through 5 from seven school districts in south Mississippi were surveyed using the Revised Science Attitude Scale (Bitner, 1994), Inquiry Beliefs and Practices survey (Jeanpierre, 2006), and a demographic questionnaire. A total of …

Ash Cans & Corn Fed Hares: Book One Of The Ny Explorer's Club, Corinne Flax

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Ash Cans & Corn Fed Hares is a work of semi-historical fiction (set in the present, dealing with facts of the past), which can be used in a classroom or in a home to help students/children forge connections with past and present. The book also helps students find and use some of the research resources available in New York. Ash Cans showcases alternative methods of information gathering in the context of adventure and mystery, while focusing on the importance of individual meaning-making.

A Survey Of Elementary School Technology Needs: A Needs Assessment, Shaun Kellogg

Masters Theses

Given the potential of technology to enhance teaching and learning, there is little surprise that schools have been investing in technology. Unfortunately, technology has been and continues to be an expensive and ongoing investment. Recent federal mandates and public demand have led to increasing pressures on schools to show results and to justify such heavy expenses as technology. Sandy Grove Elementary has followed national trends in its recognition of technology's potential, its increasing investment, and its need to justify this expense with hard evidence. Sandy Grove is still in the early stages of its evaluation process and currently there is …

Identifying Preschool Students In Need Of Early Intervention, Cassie Delso Wells

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate a screening instrument targeting identification of preschool students in need of early intervention in order to determine the screening instrument's predictive validity. This study specifically examined the relationship between student scores on the DIALS and student achievement in reading at the end of first grade. All participants in the study were residing on Alaska's North Slope and the majority were Alaska Natives. The remote geographic location of the North Slope along with the ancient traditions of the Inupiat Eskimos, including the Inupiaq language that is still spoken among the residents of the …

The Effects Of The Accelerated Reader Program On Third Grade Elementary Students, Larry M. James

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Larry James on May 7, 2008.

Effects Of Nonfiction Guided Interactive Read-Alouds And Think-Alouds On Fourth Grader's Depth Of Content Area Science Vocabulary Knowledge And Comprehension, Tania Tamara Henderson Hanna

Dissertations

Effects of nonfiction guided interactive read-alouds and think-alouds as a supplement to basal science textbooks on three vocabulary measures, definitions, examples, and characteristics, and one multiple-choice comprehension measure were assessed for 127 fourth graders over three time periods: pretest, posttest, and a 2-week delayed posttest. Two of three fourth grade elementary science teachers implemented a series of 12 content enhanced guided interactive scripted lessons. Two of these teachers implemented two treatments each. The first condition employed basal science textbooks as the text for guided interactive read-alouds and think-alouds while the second treatment employed basal science textbooks in conjunction with nonfiction …

Student Achievement And Teacher Perception In Small Schools And Large Schools, Frances Irene Dearman

Dissertations

The study analyzed student achievement in various school sizes and teachers' perceptions of relationships and interactions with colleagues, students, and parents depending on the size of the school in which teachers work. The purpose was to assist school leaders when they are faced with decisions about school size.

Simple linear regression was used to analyze the relationship of achievement and school size of fourth-grade students. The variables mathematics achievement and size and language arts achievement and size were positively correlated. These findings suggest that as the size of a school increases, achievement increases. After holding the variables socioeconomic status and …

The Impact Of Animals With Struggling Readers, Jennifer Heyer

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the impact that dogs have with students that struggle with reading. Several programs have been implemented where students spend time reading books to dogs. During these reading sessions, students tend to be more relaxed and confident with their reading. For this thesis, the researcher collected evidence from six students to assess if reading to a dog assists student's reading achievement. Three students met with the researcher for sixteen weeks and worked on their reading skills. The other three students worked with a dog-reading team. Research was collected by using reading assessments, field …

A Guide To Balanced Literacy—Pertaining To Reading—For The Intermediate Elementary Teacher, Meghann Finn Mcdonald Martin

All Graduate Projects

This project is a resource that offers information on how to implement, plan, and assess reading using the instructional strategies of balanced literacy. A review of the literature on all four instructional strategies of balance literacy is included. This guide will aid intermediate elementary teachers in planning effective instruction. The intent of this project is to provide a realistic and useful source for classroom teachers to utilize when planning and assessing reading instruction. Finally in addition to the sample lesson plans are examples of texts used for each lesson.

A Model For The Integration Of Writing Across Fourth Reading Curriculum, Barbara Mae Truchon

All Graduate Projects

The evidence from the literature review points to the challenge students of Washington State face today. Reading and writing are the key components in all content areas students are required to learn in today's schools. The challenge for educators is to provide reading and writing instruction that will enable our students to become proficient in the skills they need to pass high stakes assessments like the WASL and become productive members of our ever changing global society. This project presents a model of integrating writing to learn strategies into the reading curriculum. A discussion of the rationale supporting this model …

The Assistant Principal's Role In Special Education: An Inquiry Into The Supervision Of Special Education At The Building Level, Valerie Walton

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the roles and responsibilities of elementary level assistant principals in the supervision of special education at the building level. Elementary assistant principals in Virginia (N = 219) were surveyed to identify delegated roles and responsibilities, perceptions of level of preparedness to perform assigned duties, and formal preparation for these duties. The survey addressed five leadership domains---Organization, Collaboration, Instruction, Program Evaluation, and Professional Development. Findings indicate that assistant principals fulfill organization duties more often than duties in the other domains, and felt more prepared for this area of responsibility as well. Knowledge and …

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Mathematics And Reading Achievement Of Students With Disabilities And Inclusive Practice In Elementary Schools, Sharon E. Siler

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) provision of NCLB requires schools to close the achievement gap so that students with disabilities perform at the same proficiency level as students without disabilities in mathematics and reading. This stringent requirement challenges school leaders to examine traditional exclusionary delivery practices and their outcomes and replace them with inclusive practices that hold promise for improving the academic performance of students with disabilities. This study examined the relationship between inclusive education in Virginia elementary schools and the attainment of No Child Left Behind's AYP performance targets in mathematics and reading for students with disabilities.;A quantitative research …

The Principal's Workday: A Comparative Analysis Of Performance Standards And Principal Practice, Holly Elizabeth Baker Richard

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The 101s: A Guide To Positive Discipline Training On Teacher Interaction Practices, Attitudes, And Prosocial Skill Outcomes In Preschool Classrooms, Marie Louise Talayco Masterson

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

This study investigated the impact of The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline on teachers of preschool Title 1 children. Current research supports the impact of responsive social emotional support and positive teacher-child interactions on both short and long term social and academic outcomes, with specific remediating benefits for children most at risk of school failure. The 101s training and materials evaluated in this study included ten principles/skills to support respectful, responsive interactions hypothesized to support positive prosocial skill responding. Training was provided to 34 teachers with control and experimental groups. Analysis of quantitative pre and post observation data found …

The Impact Of The “Universal Voyager Literacy” Reading Program On Reading Achievement And Instructional Practices In An Urban School District, Shanika L. Hope

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

Founded in 1994, Voyager Expanded Learning is a provider of K-3 in-school reading programs, as well as K-8 reading intervention programs for school districts throughout the United States. Voyager Universal Literacy's systematic, precise framework fully addresses the five elements of reading instruction, through an explicit succession of ability growth. Voyager Universal Literacy was developed to be a comprehensive program encompassing the subsequent requisites: in-school broad reading program, progress monitoring methods, extensive-day and summer activities, home learning syllabus, implementation monitoring, and on-going professional development. Voyager Universal Literacy Program activities are organized to provide a thorough range and progression for reading instruction. …

Teachers' Attitudes And Practices Toward Differentiating For Gifted Learners In K--5 General Education Classrooms, J. Denise Drain

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

“She Called Me A Mexican!”: A Study Of Ethnic Identity, Simona Florentina Boroianu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Ethnic identity is a dynamic construct whose conceptualization has raised ongoing controversy among researchers. It has been suggested that ethnic identity includes several components that can be examined individually or in combination.

The purpose of this paper is to study ethnic identity in Mexican-origin children, as one of the multifaceted aspects of the adaptation process that immigrant children experience in their transition to becoming a part of the United States' mainstream culture.

No formal assessment of ethnic identity in Mexican-origin children in Iowa has been conducted yet, therefore this study is meant to fill a gap and bring in knowledge …