Education Commons^™

Argument Construction, Argument Evaluation, And Decision-Making: A Content Analysis Of Argumentation And Debate Textbooks, Neil Stuart Butt

Wayne State University Dissertations

Critical thinking abilities, especially the advanced critical thinking abilities required for decision-making, are important to both individuals and democratic policy making processes. Previous studies have indicated that argumentation and debate instruction can improve critical thinking abilities, but there are reasons to believe that current approaches are not as effective at developing decision-making ability as they could be, in part because they focus too heavily on argument construction, rather than argument evaluation and decision-making. In order to test which approaches to teaching argumentation and debate best encourage decision-making abilities, researchers need to know which elements are included in current argumentation and …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Diversity Educational Program, Sonya Annette Berkley

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A DIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

by

SONYA A. BERKLEY

May 2010

Advisor: Mary Cay Sengstock

Major: Sociology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Administrators and educators have been given the responsibility of working towards improving racial and social interactions in their school settings. It is important to note that most of the literature on diversity programming suggests that the perception held by a school's administration of what constitutes an all encompassing racially and culturally diverse program plays an important role in its implementation and success.

With the continual growth of minority populations in the United States, …

The Relationship Between Formal Education In Arabic And Students'attitudes Towards Langauges And English And Mathematic Proficiency, Alfadley A. Anam

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the following the relationships between: 1) formal education (adequate and limited) in the Arabic language and English language proficiency and academic achievement in mathematics of Arabic-speaking students and 2) their attitudes towards L1 (Arabic) and L2 (English) and English language proficiency and academic achievement in mathematics. Eighty-six Arabic speaking third graders through eighth graders in the Midwestern state were selected on non-random sampling to participate in this study. Four main measures were used to collected data: (1) Parent Demographic Survey, (2) students' attitudes survey, (3) Math component of the Michigan Educational Assessment …

Looking At A More Comprehensive Picture Of Reading As Enacted By Second-Grade Readers, Glorianne Lopata-Prosperi

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the reading of fiction and nonfiction text by second grade readers. A comparison of their reading processes, comprehension, and perceptions are highlighted. The study was conducted given the changing demands of reading in the 21st century and the current literacy experiences typically presented in elementary schools.

The study investigated three questions: For second-grade readers, some with more exposure to nonfiction text and some with less: 1) What are the differences, if any, in their reading processes? 2) What differences, if any, occur in their comprehension? and 3) What differences, if any, are there in participant's perceptions of …

An Inquiry Into Situational Interest In A Tenth Grade History Class: Lesson Design And Implementation From Berlyne And Bergin Perspectives, Christine Louise Morgan

Wayne State University Dissertations

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