Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Using Technology To Improve Equity Of Curriculum Access For Students In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Herbert L. Harroun

Dissertations

In this study, the curriculum offerings available to students attending 50 of the 54 high schools in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U .P .) that responded to the survey were compared to the offerings identified as requisites of a modern comprehensive Michigan high school, particularly in the areas of English and communications skills , social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign languages. Upper Peninsula student enrollment levels in those core curriculum areas in 1989-90 were analyzed to determine the impact the adoption of the course study recommendations in the Michigan K-12 Program Standards of Quality (Michigan State Board of Education, 1987) throughout …

Standardized Testing Practices: A Comparison Of Michigan Public School Districts From 1976 To 1986, Richard J. Syrek

Dissertations

In 1976 and again in 1986, surveys were completed by participating school districts in the state of Michigan pertaining to the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) (developed by the Michigan Department of Education and published annually) testing. The findings of these two surveys are compared in this study.

A comparison of testing practices over a 10-year period can reflect educational changes in Michigan. The purposes of this study were to compare changes, if any, which occurred between 1976 and 1986 in the areas of the uses of MEAP data; personnel involved in testing programs; personnel involved in the development, review, …

The Effects Of Audiotape Self-Monitoring On Direct Instruction Teacher Presentation Techniques, Kay D. Simon Brynildson

Masters Theses

Prior research has shown that several Direct Instruction teacher presentation techniques are functionally related to student academic achievement. Unfortunately, variability exists in the implementation of Direct Instruction programs with regard to these critical teaching skills. Monitoring of Direct Instruction teachers appears necessary to ensure program effectiveness. The present study employed a multiple baseline across subjects experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of audiotape self-monitoring in improving and maintaining five Direct Instruction teacher presentation techniques: clear signalling, pacing, corrections, contingent reinforcement and student accuracy. The subjects were two middle school special education teachers who taught Direct Instruction corrective reading programs. Both …

The Role Of Socialization In The Process Of Political Life: An Analysis Of Gender Roles In Elementary School Textbooks On Taiwan, Chien-Hong Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis contains both theoretical and applied research. In the theoretical part, political socialization is the main theme to be studied; and an incorporated model is designed to examine how political socialization can be viewed in the process of political life. In the applied part, three sets of elementary school textbooks have been examined and we have found that those textbooks contain clear sex-typed images of adult behavior; and male characters are emphasized more than female characters, which might contribute to the understanding why women are rarely seen in any positions of power in any realm on Taiwan.

A Study Of The Relationship Of Class Size And Student Achievement On The Michigan Educational Assessment Program Fourth Grade Test, Ralph Burde

Dissertations

In this study the relationship and differences in student achievement and class size were investigated. The population of the study was the 111,199 students who completed the fall 1988 Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP, Michigan State Board of Education, 1988) fourth grade test. The MEAP is a criterion referenced test and is the state of Michigan's only achievement test.

The independent variable of the study was class size. The dependent variables of the study were student achievement as measured by the students' fall 1988 MEAP reading, mathematics, and combined reading and mathematics test scores. The hypothesis of the study, supported …

Education For Employment: An Update Of Kalamazoo County's Career Education Model, Wendy French

Masters Theses

The major accomplishment of this project was the creation of career education goals that have been accepted by the nine Kalamazoo County school districts involved in Education for Employment. These broad goals are infusable into all the local districts as they review each curricula.

The essential skills of problem solving, group responsibilities, and basic skills are not subject specific and can therefore be addressed in all curriculum areas. Abilities and indicators are listed with the goals to help local districts specifically address student needs.

The Education for Managing the Future (Career Education K-6) committee, as a sub-group of Education for …

The Effectiveness Of Video Tape Monitoring Of Direct Instruction Procedures Across Teachers, John H. Cottrell

Masters Theses

A multiple baseline across subjects experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of monitoring subject performance and providing feedback regarding the implementation of Direct Instruction (DI) procedures from video taped recordings of the subject's presentations of the DI lessons upon the implementation of those DI procedures. The subjects were two junior high school special education teachers who teach reading using the SRA Corrective Reading; Decoding B program. The DI lessons were recorded on VHS video tape and observational data were recorded during baseline. During intervention, a monitor also provided feedback on the subjects performance using examples from the video …

Summary And Analysis Of. Scores On The Michigan Educational Assessment Tests For The Portage Public Schools (1980-1984), Jim Migliaccio

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to identify the specific areas of weakness and strength in the mathematics and reading programs of the Portage Public Schools in grades 4, 7, and 10, by isolating each of the skill areas and the specific objectives within each of those skill areas by comparing the scores of students in the Portage Public Schools with the scores of all other students in the State of Michigan for five (5) years (1980-1984). After identifying areas of strength and weakness, the intent was to recommend possible remedies for those areas determined to be in need of …

Cognitive Levels Of Thinking For Religious Training Materials And Infusion Across The Curriculum, Patrick Low

Masters Theses

The major accomplishment of this project was the creation of cognitive levels of questions spanning Bloom's (1964) taxonomy of learning, fostering religious training in nontraditional class settings at Kalamazoo Christian High School, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Classes involved were business mathematics, health, and physical education.

Descriptors, i.e., key terms, were developed from teachers' goals and objectives. Descriptors were then checked in a concordance to help develop Scripture reference for question development. Weekly or biweekly, participating teachers and the curriculum committee were supplied draft sections of the project; they gave feedback relative to usefulness and acceptability.

The results have been termed "very useful" …

A Report Of An Internship At Western Michigan University In The Office Of Instructional Development And Project Excite, Leslie K. Scofield

Masters Theses

The objective of this internship was to develop instructional development skills with microcomputers. The Office of Instructional Development at Western Michigan University agreed to provide the following opportunities: teach inservice Project EXCITE (EXpanding with Computers and Information TEchnology) Computer Literacy workshops; develop new course materials for the Continuing Literacy workshops; develop new course materials for the Continuing Education Computer Literacy workshops; develop a computerized bulletin board, and an interactive (video and microcomputer) training program demo.

The intern worked as a teaching assistant during a fifth; developed new course materials for computer literacy workshops; reviewed computer bulletin boards that operate on …

To Establish The Degree Of Interest For New Technical Instructional Programs At Taif Junior College, Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Said Sulayman Derbas

Dissertations

At the present time, junior colleges do not have technical programs that would provide trained Saudis to assume responsibility in technical and middle management fields. The purpose of this study was to establish the degree of interest for new technical instructional programs at Taif Junior College to meet those needs.

The population of this study consisted of all students attending the college for the academic school year 1984-85. A sample of 255 was selected by using a simple random method. Data were collected utilizing a two-section questionnaire which has been developed by the researcher. The first section focused on demographic …

A Computer Aided Instructional System And Its Application Towards A Course On Snobol4 Programming Language, Abtin Edelji

Masters Theses

Computers are rapidly replacing humans in many tasks. Computer Aided Instructional System is an application of the computer in the teaching of a subject. Currently, a large number of educational Institutes use Computer Aided Instructional Systems.

The objectives of this thesis is to review some techniques in implementing such systems and to present a Computer Aided Instructional System called TEACH. The emphasis of this thesis is on the type of the directory used to minimize the search time for the TEACH System.

The Relationship That Teachers' Concerns And Their Perceptions Of Organizational Climate Have With Innovation Maintenance, Frederic Wayne De Vall

Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to determine what some of the factors are that have an affect upon the maintenance of an innovation. Many educational change models focus upon the initiation and implementation of educational innovations in schools. This study tested some of the factors identified, from the literature review as affecting innovation maintenance, upon one innovation which is being used by teachers in several school districts. The first factor centered upon the concerns teachers have about an innovation they use in their classrooms. The second factor centered upon teachers' perceptions of the organizational climate that exists which …

Knowledge Mapping: A System For The Design And Construction Of Curricula, Linda M. Tipper

Masters Theses

This article presents a concise system for guiding content planners in the selection and analysis of content for any curriculum. The Knowledge Mapping system is compared to other curriculum development systems and is shown to meet some current needs which these systems have not met. An analysis of the Knowledge Map is provided and a demonstration of the impact that Knowledge Mapping can have on curriculum construction is presented. The demonstration illustrates that the use of this system can provide a tool for content planners which leads to a greater consistency between objectives and evaluation materials. The multiple uses of …

The Development And Assessment Of Instructional Materials For The Teaching Of Leadership Skills To Second Grade Students In Selected Public Schools, Sharon Rose Lockett

Dissertations

The major focus of this study was the development, use and assessment of instructional materials for teaching leadership awareness to second grade children. The purposes of the study were (1) to determine if there is a need for instructional materials to teach leadership awareness, (2) to determine how teachers and experts would use instructional materials, and (3) to determine the opinions of teachers about the Leadership is Vital to Education (L.I.V.E.) Series developed in this study. The materials in this study were evaluated as an instructional method which could be used to (1) develop in students an awareness of the …

The Development Of A Curriculum Model For Undergraduate Education Of Manufacturing Engineers, Mark Allen Curtis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to identify course work that could be used to develop a specific unified undergraduate curriculum in manufacturing engineering technology, that both satisfies existing academic constraints and thinking, as well as industry's desire for a practical, yet highly qualified engineer.

The population surveyed was a combination of educators and industrial people with a vested interest in manufacturing engineering, from across the United States. The survey results, rating the relative importance of ninety seven different courses, were used to develop a model undergraduate curriculum in manufacturing engineering.

The findings supported the original hypothesis by showing that …

Effects Of Contingency Contracting On The Academic Performance Of Special Education Students, Carolyn Marie Nock

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of contingency contracting between parent and child on improving the academic performance of three special education students, ages 14-16, enrolled in a mainstream English class. Two of the subjects had been certified as emotionally impaired, the third as learning disabled. A multiple baseline across-subjects experimental design was employed. The completion of three academic contracts per week entitled the subjects to receive a contract consequence which the parents delivered. The parents determined contract completion based on specified criteria. Academic performance was measured by grades the subjects received on homework, tests, and …

Design And Implementation Of Computer Assisted Instruction In Money Concepts For Elementary Students, Jack H. Bender

Masters Theses

The internship with Hartley Courseware, Inc. culminated with the creation of nine money concept programs. The programs were designed for a 48K Apple II microcomputer (trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.) with Applesoft in ROM and one disk drive. Text size was expanded through use of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium's high resolution text subroutines.

A placement program tests students' abilities and recommends the appropriate starting point. Six programs introduce information on coin values and numerous money concepts. The later programs develop sequences of actions in the purchasing process. The practice test and test programs progress through the complete purchase procedure. …

The Effects Of Contracting And Self-Monitoring On The Academic Performance Of Middle School Students, Carol Elaine Parker

Masters Theses

The Guided Study Center (GSC), a contractual study center for middle school students, was described as a potential cost-effective method of individualizing education. The effects of attending the GSC, self-monitoring, and GSC attendance in conjunction with self-monitoring were examined in a multiple baseline design across seven fifth and sixth grade students. Of five subjects who participated in the contracting and self-monitoring phases of the study, three showed increases in average percent correct performance of 10 to 15 percent during contracting, one showed an increase of 8 percent during contracting in conjunction with self-monitoring, and one showed no changes in performance. …

The Effects Of In-School And Out-Of-School Contracting On Academic Performance, Kelly Lynn Kent

Masters Theses

While in-school contracting has repeatedly been shown to be useful in improving academic achievement and social conduct, out-of-school contracting also holds promise in the area of student behavior change. The purpose of the present study was to transfer the control of an in-school contracting procedure outside the school and into the home with low achieving middle school students. The experimenter added an out-of-school contracting procedure to an in-school contracting program already in operation. The effect of the intervention was assessed in terms of weekly grades, six-week grades, the percent of weekly assignments completed, and the percent of contracts completed per …

Development And Implementation Of An Outlining Preskills Program Utilizing A Multiple-Probe Design, Patricia Ellen Bird

Masters Theses

This project proposed to develop, implement and validate an outlining preskills program utilizing a multiple-probe design (Horner & Baer 1978). The critical entry skills for any recording system (Carnine & Silbert, 1979) include: Determining the topic, main idea and supporting details of a paragraph. These skills and how to identify each in an outline were presented in the Outlining Preskills Program developed by the researcher. Measurement was taken on student responses to nine probes which tested every component and subskill presented in the program. For each component, student performance increased from a zero baseline to 50 percent or better accuracy …

A Field Test Of A Reading Program Needs Assessment Strategy, Linda Jane Howard Vingelen

Dissertations

This dissertation described a needs assessment model for a reading program and described the field testing of that model. The needs assessment model was a strategy for conducting a comprehensive and systematic assessment of reading program needs in kindergarten through Grade 12. The model could be used as a basis for educational program planning by a director of reading and a school superintendent. A model for conducting a reading program needs assessment was conceived and field tested because there were few available needs assessment models in reading which have been field tested. Field testing was particularly vital because only after …

A Description Of The Development Of A Procedural Guide For Coordinating The Sturgis Public Schools' Language Arts Program, Viola A. Schuler

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Learner Verification And Revision Of A Linear Programmed Text, Frank J. Schwartz

Masters Theses

A field testing procedure was implemented using a programmed text with two high school introductory business classes. The text attempted to teach concepts related to the stockmarket. Pretest and post test measures were taken for each class. After the first class was used the text, the program was revised based upon post test data. The criterion for whether or not to revise a frame sequence teaching an objective was 11% of the students failing the post test item testing that objective. The revised program was used by the second class. Comparisons were made between post tests. Twenty-eight of a possible …

A Survey Of Job Activities Of Entry-Level Employees In Accounting/Bookkeeping/Recordkeeping Positions In Relation To The Michigan Vocational/Technical Program Performance Objectives For Bookkeepers With Implications For Secondary School Curriculum, Kathryn R. Tomaszewski

Masters Theses

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to provide sufficient data for determining whether the accounting curriculum in the Grand Rapids Public Schools is providing the training needed by entry-level accounting/bookkeeping/recordkeeping employees for the job tasks defined in the Michigan Department of Education Recommended Minimum Vocational/Technical Program Performance Objectives for Bookkeepers, and to provide data for possible revision of the curriculum.

A Behavior And Cost Analysis Of Two Remediation Procedures, Theodore D. Apking

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Alcohol Knowledge And Information Sources Among Rural High School Students, Timothy Patrick Keenan

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Attitudes Of The Non-Science Major Toward Science And Its Importance In Curriculum Design, Larry J. Fairbanks

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to: (1) Identify and explore the non-science majors' attitudes toward science; (2) Use the results of the investigation to design a course to be used by instructors of Earth and Space Science.

Two major instruments were developed to collect data for the study. The first was an Attitude Inventory and the second was a Course Content Inventory. A major goal of the Attitude Inventory was to collect data with which to develop an Attitude Index which could be used to predict those non-science majors who have some "negative" attitudes toward science. The course design …

Training And Generalization Of Restauranting Skills: Programming Primary Reinforcement For Community Travel, Richard Aart Van Den Pol

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Ottawa Intermediate School District Major Internship, Earl J. Spoors

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.