Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

A Study Of Elementary Teachers' Abilities, Attitudes, And Beliefs About Problem Solving, Nancy Mullins Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Problem solving has been alternately viewed as the justification for the study of mathematics or as the impetus and means for studying mathematics. This study examines characteristics—attitudes toward problem solving, beliefs about problem solving, and abilities to solve problems—of elementary teachers of grades three, four, and five that relate to problem solving.

Participants completed a two-part survey to quantify their attitudes and beliefs and a problem-solving activity which quantified their problem-solving abilities. Four participants were subsequently interviewed. Analyses showed that these teachers had generally positive attitudes toward problem solving, generally positive beliefs about problem solving, and generally poor problem-solving abilities. …

Changing Career Paths In Environmental, Soil, And Water Science And Crop Management: Survey Results, Thalia M. Madewell, Kristofor Brye, Mary C. Savin

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Periodic assessment of goals is critical to maintaining a successful academic program. Two surveys were designed and distributed to alumni and potential employers of graduates of the Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (CSES) in the summer of 2002 to assess the profitability of advanced degrees in terms of earning potential and to determine sectors of the workforce currently employing department graduates. The CSES Alumni Satisfaction Survey was sent to 792 department alumni, including graduates of the previous Agronomy program as well as the current Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences program. The CSES Employer Survey was distributed to 281 …

Acer 2002-2003 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Supporting ‘Word-Of-Mouth’ Social Networks Through Collaborative Information Filtering, Mimi Recker, Andrew Walker

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Altered Vista is an instructional system that supports a form of ‘contextual’ collaborative learning. Its design incorporates an information filtering technique, called collaborative information filtering, which, through computational and statistical means, leverages the work of individuals to benefit a group of users. Altered Vista is designed to provide, upon request, personalized recommendations of Web sites. It can also provide recommendations of like-minded people, thus setting the stage for future collaboration and communication. An empirical study involving in-service and pre-service teachers was conducted using Altered Vista and presents results from an empirical study. The study examined the feasibility and utility of …

The Practice Of Homework : A Critical Ethnography : The Story Of Four Families, Jacqueline Hubbard

Theses : Honours

This thesis explores the homework experiences of four students and their families through the lens of critical inquiry. The stories of the participants are told through conversational interviews with students and their parents/caregivers, as well as their classroom teacher, in a bounded study. Drawing on these stories, the issue of homework is 'problematised', and analysed in light of issues such as institutional power and hegemony. A critical review of the literature reveals a significant gap in the existing research on homework in relation to the inclusion of student and parent voices. The study addresses this silence by listening to the …

Impact Of School Libraries On Student Achievement: A Review Of The Research, Michele Lonsdale

School and system improvement

This literature review was undertaken on behalf of the Australian School Library Association (ASLA). It was conducted over a four-week period in November–December 2002. The main purpose of the review was to report on the nature and extent of the evidence that has linked school libraries to student achievement from 1990 - 2002, to identify the strengths and gaps in existing data as it might relate to an Australian setting, and to suggest some strategies for developing further research in Australia.

Does The Computer Helpdesk Vocational Training Course Change Attitude About Customer Service?, Anthony Wethereld

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this research was to determine whether The Computer Helpdesk vocational computing course, in conjunction with The Virtual Workplace simulation computer program, changed attitude about customer service. Thirty-seven adult female students at Fujairah Women's College of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates took part in the study. To assess possible attitude change, a combination of observation, interview and survey techniques were used. The Likert scale customer service attitude survey, which measured beliefs and perceptions about customer service, fanned the primary data gathering instrument. Qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated, and quantitative results were analysed …

The Principal's Role In Promoting Success For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students: A Participatory Research Study, Maria Norma Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations

We need to understand more fully what facilitates success in schools with diverse populations. Through participatory research, the voices of school principals who are responsive to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students were recorded and analyzed to provide insights on the practices that promote the school success of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Using a dialogic retrospective, the participants had the opportunity to engage, individually and collectively, in reflection and dialogue to identify common themes that emerged in their important work as school leaders and as advocates for diverse students.

Teachers' And Students' Perceptions Of Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Science Education In A Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Union Conference, Marcel Andre Sargeant

Dissertations

Problem. Science education has long been a great concern in the United States, where less than one-third of the students perform at or above the proficient level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of the science program in a selected Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist school system. Specifically, this study investigated the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the extent to which the science program meets the criteria of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st century and to what extent these criteria are related to academic performance as indicated by …

A Study Of The Use Of Graphic Organiser Software To Support The Development Of Organisational And Problem Solving Skills In A Middle School Curriculum, Suzanne Bursey

Theses : Honours

Early adolescence, classified from 10-14 years, is an important stage of development where thinking, planning and reasoning skills are evolving. Many young adolescents in this age group encounter problems with these skills in the transition from primary school to high school. Middle school is an educational context which focusses on the provision of support for young adolescents in this transitional period. Graphic organizer software is a program designed to help users visualize problems and organize information into logical structures. This study considered the conditions under which the problem solving and organizational skills of middle school students can be enhanced using …

Local Learning And Employment Partnership: North Metro: Environmental Scan, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Alan Charlton

Research outputs pre 2011

Young people are vital to all communities and encouraging and supporting them to participate in education and training is a significant way to ensure that communities maintain a skilled workforce. However, there are many barriers to young people staying in the community, not the least of which is a lack of appropriate jobs. That is, jobs that the young people want to do, but are sustainable for the individual as a career path and not on a casual basis. These jobs normally involve some form of training or further education. Marrying the needs of industry in terms of their current …

High-Performing Students With Low Critical Thinking Skills, Robert L. Williams, Susan Stockdale

Faculty Articles

This study focused on selected cognitive measures, work habits, and performance patterns of students with low critical thinking skills who achieved high grades in a large entry-level course. The high-performing low critical thinkers were compared on all target variables with both low critical thinkers who achieved low grades in the course and high critical thinkers who achieved high grades. The findings point to particular work habits that instructors could promote in helping low critical thinkers improve their course performance.

Grade Retention : Its Impact On Students, Teresa Ann Schneider

Graduate Research Papers

Grade retention has been a heated topic in education for a number of years. Research has shown there are a variety of factors that put students at greater risk for retention. While studies found some students who were retained showed academic improvement, others did not. Retention was also found to have a negative impact on social and emotional adjustments. Students were more successful when retention was paired with additional programs. Schools need to aggressively implement programs to eliminate the need for retention. Principals and teachers must connect research to classroom practice.

An Inquiry Into Gardner's Theory Of Multiple Intelligences And Strengths Of Students Placed In Special Education Under Mildly Disabled Categories, Kathryn Sandiford Harrell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

This study explored the strengths displayed by 4th-5th grade students placed in special education under mildly disabled categories as compared to the intelligences defined by Howard Gardner in his Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983, 1999). These categories consist of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Mildly Intellectually Disabled (MUD). Critics maintain that special education has been focused on the weaknesses of students while overlooking their strengths (Miller, 1993; Armstrong, 2000). Under new legislation and new performance goals for special education, the time has come to focus on students' strengths and equal opportunities for students to learn the curriculum mandated by …

The Use Of Electronic Portfolios For Preservice Teachers, Kimberly Gobble-Sengstock

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will discuss the results found in support of this CD-ROM project: The Use of Electronic Portfolios for Preservice Teachers, through the infusion of standards in the teaching and learning process and the competent use of technology as a tool for reflective practice, assessment and hiring purposes. This project provides best practices in portfolio development, tutorial guides, and student examples in developing their own electronic portfolios.