Educational Psychology Commons^™

Response To Intervention: Concerns Of Teacher Fidelity, Amanda B. Sinko

Theses and Dissertations

The present study set out to fill a gap in the current body of research addressing the concern of teacher fidelity within the Response to Intervention model. It examined the effect of the formal recording of interventions by teachers for students in RTI Tier I of reading in an attempt to control for teacher fidelity. The sample was drawn from the kindergarten and first grade of eight elementary schools in a large suburban public school district in southern New Jersey. The students' reading achievement was assessed through the use of pre and post scores of Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early …

Prejudice And Attitudes Towards Non-Religious Individuals With The Influences Of Religious Orientation, Arielle M. Pinzon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the connections between prejudice, and religiosity. Data was obtained by administering measures to 45 college students. The first measure was a set of vignettes (A and B) that involved a person who was described as "fairly religious", or "atheist", and a rating scale. The other measure was the Religious Orientation Scale Revised version (Gorsuch & McPherson, 1989). This was used to measure religiosity in terms of intrinsic of extrinsic. T-tests were run to determine the statistical differences between each group, as well as on specific adjectives. Correlation tests were run to determine …

The Influence Of Perceived Task Difficulty On Task Performance, Dominick Scasserra

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence that the perceived difficulty of a task has on task performance. Twenty-one undergraduate college students were asked to complete three anagram worksheets. Each worksheet had a different description of difficulty (easy, medium, hard), although all worksheets were of the same difficulty. Participants self-reported amounts of anxiety, effort, perceived competence, and task difficulty after each worksheet. A repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant linear effect for perceived difficulty on task performance (F(1) = 10.42, p<0.05) , and paired-samples t-tests showed that participants had significantly more successful responses on the easy (M = 4.67, SD = 1.11) and medium (M = 4.48, SD = 1.37) worksheets than on the hard worksheet (M = 3.43, SD = 1.99), and self reported ratings of perceived competence were higher for the easy difficulty (M = 4.67, SD = 1.65) than hard (M = 3.57, SD = 2.16) difficulty. These findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Undergraduate Education Majors' Perceptions Of Bullying, Drew Anders

Theses and Dissertations

This study intended to focus on the realities of bullying through the eyes of undergraduate education majors. Perceptions on their understanding, and responses to hypothetical situations were examined to get a thorough comprehension about their beliefs on the topic of bullying. The sample of 144 participants, 105 female and 39 male, were all juniors or seniors in their educational programs at a medium-sized university in the northeast. Two questionnaires, the Boulton & Jones Questionnaire and the Bully Attitudes Questionnaire, were used as tools to assess the student's ideas about the subject. Tests of significance helped support the hypothesis by showing …

Religiosity And Well-Being: Meaning In Life As Coping Strategy In Korean-American Judeo-Christian Adolescents, Stephen M. Kang

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this exploratory investigation were to (a) assess the cognitive understanding of meaning in life as coping strategy utilized by Korean-American Judeo-Christian adolescents between the ages of 11 to 18 (n = 74) and (b) to determine the significance of meaning in life in relations to subjective well-being. Initial hypothesis about "born again" Christian faith failed to support any significant correlation when compared with religiosity, meaning, and well-being indices. However, intrinsic religious orientation showed significant associations with meaning in life, purpose in life, prayer, daily Bible reading, and subjective well-being in satisfaction with life. Multiple regression analyses …

The Effects Of Being A Mentor On High School Students' Self-Efficacy And Communication Skills Development, Annemarie Wagner-Fehn

Theses and Dissertations

The outcome of mentoring programs on the child being mentored has been widely researched in recent years. However, little empirical research has been conducted to determine the effects that these relationships have on the person doing the mentoring. The purpose of this research was to investigate if becoming an adolescent mentor would (a) positively affect high school students' feelings of self-efficacy and (b) affect their communication skills development. Thirteen high school students from Big Brothers Big Sisters School Based Mentoring Program participated in this study. A t-test for paired samples revealed no significant differences between the pre and post …

Social Norms: Actual Versus Perceived Alcohol Consumption Of College Freshmen, Erick M. Nuñez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the actual frequency of alcohol consumption of college freshmen (n = 84) and the students residential status. The participants consisted of fifty-six resident students and twenty-eight commuter students. The frequency of alcohol consumption by students in general as perceived by the participants was also analyzed. The secondary purpose was explore a relationship between actual alcohol drinking norms and perceived alcohol drinking norms. The Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms were administered and analyzed using basic tables. Results demonstrated that freshmen resident students consume alcohol at a greater …

Influences Of Mothers And Dual-Career Families On The Educational Attainment Of Female College Students, Mansi Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand if mothers have an influence on their daughters by (a) determining if a relationship existed between the educational attainment of mothers and the level of education female college students strive to achieve and (b) verifying if female college students are more likely to come from households with working mothers and dual-career families. A sample of 50 predominantly Caucasian female college students at Rowan University were surveyed on their personal and family background. A non-parametric correlation test revealed that a significant relationship existed between the educational attainment of mothers and the aspired educational …

Health Locus Of Control Of Children With A Chronic Health Condition, Margo K. Shevchenko

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the health locus of control among a group of pediatric patients (n = 15) at Cooper University Hospital between the ages of 10 and 17 (mean age = 13.93) with chronic health conditions. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, form C, was used to determine whether children with a chronic health illness had an internal health locus of control (health was self-controlled) or if their health was determined by external factors, such as chance or fate or by their doctors or other people. Mean scores showed the highest health locus of …

Body Image In Middle School Students, Erin Lichtenwalner

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the body images of Middle School aged students. A population of 62 students (37 males, 25 females) was given a survey that questioned their level of body image, their practice of weight-control behaviors, and the various potential influences on these areas. The results showed that this particular population had a higher level of body image than previous studies indicate. It also showed that students at this age are engaging in weight-control behaviors. The major influences on body image and weight-control behaviors were found to be peers and the media. This research, along with previous …

Self Perceptions Of Sibling Relationships, Cory R. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to associate birth orders effect on an individual's perception of their sibling, family, and social roles. Research has asserted that children learn by observing the actions of their siblings, which transcend into other aspects of their own lives. One hundred and one undergraduate college students were separated into three categories: younger sibling subjects (n=47), older sibling subjects (n=49), and only children subjects (n=5). The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire comprised of 25 statements about their sibling, family, and social relationships based on a 5 point …

A Comparison Of Full-Day And Half-Day Preschool: Analyzing Behavioral And Social Development, Laura Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare full-day and half-day preschool programs by analyzing behavioral and social development of three-year-old and four-year-old children. Data was collected from 31 participants enrolled in a preschool in Wilmington, Delaware that offered both full-day and half-day programs. Measures of social cooperation, social interaction, social independence, externalizing behavior, and internalizing behavior were obtained from the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales- Second Edition. Between-subjects analysis of variance tests revealed that the children in the half-day program displayed higher social skills. In addition, one half-day classroom displayed more problem behaviors. Implications for future research on comparing …

The Effectiveness Of School Uniforms On Students' Academic Achievement And Overall Classroom Behavior, Bobbi Jo Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to see what effect school uniforms had on students' academics and behavior. Subjects were seventh and eighth grade students, from a school which recently implemented a uniform policy for the 2006-2007 school year. Their academic and discipline records were collected from the current and previous year. Students from the previous year, who were not required to wear uniforms, were placed in the control group (n=55). Students, who were now required to wear uniforms, were placed in the experimental group (n=55). A t-test for independent samples was run on the data. No significant difference …

Conflict Resolution In Elementary School, Nanci L. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the effectiveness of conflict resolution training on students' ability to recall the steps of conflict resolution and to use conflict resolution strategies to resolve conflicts peacefully. Thirty-five third grade students from a middle class rural elementary school participated in the study. The experimental group (N = 17) received six weeks of conflict resolution training, and the control group (N = 18) received no intervention. All participants were assessed on recall of the six steps of conflict resolution and on the application of conflict strategies in response to a conflict scenario …

The Relationship Between Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religiosity And Meaning In Life, Diane Woyciechowski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following study was to determine whether there is a significant relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity and the presence of and search for meaning in one's life. Since religion has previously been found to play a role in one's physical and mental health, the present study offers additional evidence to religion's role in the mental health field. Three measures were used to collect the data for this study, including a demographic form, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Intrinsic/ Extrinsic Religiosity Revised Scale (I/E-R). Sixty-eight students were recruited for this study, 31 males and …

Comparing Friendships Of College Students From Intact And Divorced Families, Jennifer Shendock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in quality and quantity of friendships in young adults with divorced parents compared to young adults from intact families. To identify this, college students (n=25) from a Mid-Atlantic University filled out a questionnaire related to friendship. The participants who fell into the divorced group (n= 7) filled out an additional questionnaire that examined the impact that parental divorce had on their life. Using a t test to compare the friendship scores, it was found that there was no significant difference in the quality of friendships of the participants from both …

Family Dynamics And Substance Use In Young Adulthood, Jonathan White

Theses and Dissertations

An investigation was conducted examining the relationship between memories of family dynamics during the participants' adolescent years and substance use during their young adulthood. To carry out this research, a sample of 118 participants (72 women and 46 men) was recruited from a small public university in southern New Jersey. Participants were required to fill-out surveys assessing their memories of their families' patterns of interpersonal interactions and substance use. The statistical analysis of the data collected through the experimental procedures revealed several significant findings. Specifically, significant negative correlations were found between quality or frequency of health family dynamics and substance …

Does Student Engagement Vary Among Colleges Within A University?, Amrinder Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student engagement and different colleges within a university. Research has asserted that student engagement is closely related to student learning and that student engagement varies from institution to institution depending on various factors. However, there has been minimal research on student engagement among colleges within the same university. A sample of 120 undergraduate college students (20 from each of the six colleges) was recruited from Rowan University to complete the National Survey of Student Engagement in four different areas: Level of academic challenge, Active and collaborative learning, Student-faculty interaction …

The Effects Of Pre-Exam Exposure To Music On Test Anxiety, Samuel Parashis

Theses and Dissertations

Students (N = 39) were divided into three groups by the investigator based on a predetermined sign-up block assignment. Eleven students listened to a 7-minute compact disc audio track of Mozart's Piano Sonata K333. Thirteen listened to a 7-minute compact disc audio track of Anima's Spirit of the Southwest. Others (n = 15) sat in silence for a 7-minute period. Following the 7-minute period, all subjects attempted a logic test for 10 minutes. Next, subjects completed the Individual Test Anxiety Assessment by Samuel Parashis. A two-way Analysis of Variance, ANOVA, was conducted on the data collected from the Individual Anxiety …

The Relationship Of Locus Of Control, Assimilation/Acculturation And Academic Performance, Sandra Padró

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between locus of control, assimilation/acculturation and academic performance of a group of students in a Southern New Jersey, urban middle school. It was hypothesized that the more assimilation/acculturation of Hispanic students into the Anglo culture a more internal locus of beliefs will be demonstrated and a better academic performance. A total of 137 students participated in this study. Data was collected using a LOC survey and a SASH-Y survey. An Anova-One Way and a Two-Way Anova were used to determine the relationship of these variables. The results demonstrated a connection …

A Study On The Impact Of Parental Structure On High School Students' Academic Performance, Erica Rell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the cumulative GPAs and highest combined SAT scores of students from varying backgrounds and parental structures. A total of 83 participants (36 males and 47 females) from a southern New Jersey Catholic high school were surveyed concerning their individual type of parental structure, their cumulative GPA, as well as their highest combined SAT score and individual SAT test scores. Results showed that the interaction between gender and type of parental structure did not have a significant impact on cumulative GPA, on SAT verbal scores, on SAT math scores, on …

The Effects Of Psychological Birth Order On Goldberg's "Big 5" Personality Traits, Carol S. Kiedaisch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not birth order had any influence on personality traits. Based on the theories of Alfred Adler, that position in the family effects our perceptions and roles within the family, we surveyed seventy-two undergraduate students at Rowan University using two questionnaires. The first questionnaire was the Campbell-White PBOI which looks at the relationship between birth order and psychological birth order. The results of the questionnaire, using Pearson Chi Square, showed no significance between birth order and psychological birth order. The second questionnaire looked at birth order and the five personality traits …

Effects Of Implementing Kinesthetic Activities In The Classroom, Amanda R. Coppola

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects kinesthetic lessons could have on academic achievement as well as learner attitudes. Subjects included 72 fifth grade science students from a suburban elementary school in Southern New Jersey. There were two control groups and two experimental groups. Throughout the three-week study, the experimental groups were presented with kinesthetic lessons, visual instruction and auditory instruction. The control groups received only visual and auditory instruction. Students completed one quiz and one test during the study, along with two Likert-type attitudinal questionnaires, which were completed both before and after the study. Independent samples …

The Effects Of Learning Goals On Self-Concept And Intrinsic Motivation In The Learning Disabled Student: A Case Study, Lindsay S. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to increase levels of self-concept and intrinsic motivation in a 9^th grade student with a specific learning disability in mathematics through the use of weekly learning goals and the introduction of problem-solving strategies. Over the course of the six week study, the student experienced a significant rise in overall self-concept and intrinsic motivation as indicated by the results of two, One-Way ANOVA's from two self-report scales completed by the student. Implications for generalization of this study's results should include sample size, degree of learning disability, and administration of intervention techniques.

Impact Of Educational Attainment Before Diagnosis On Functioning Level After Diagnosis, Rachele M. Weichmann

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) locate any impact between the amount of education attained prior to the diagnosis of a mental illness and functionality after the diagnosis of a mental illness, (b) to see if the type of diagnosis, whether it had psychotic or non-psychotic features, had an effect on these results, and (c) to see if the relationship between these variables would plateau at the higher levels of education. The researcher examined the case histories of a group of adults with mental illness (n = 122), looking for the number of educational years each individual completed …

Gender Role Development In Early Versus Late Adolescence, Andrea Buchma

Theses and Dissertations

Gender roles have been a subject that has been explored through the years. Previous research looked mainly on gender roles and childhood. In the present research, a different outlook of gender roles in adolescence was investigated. This research looked at a sample of 126 middle school and high school students. The students were each given a survey comprised of the Bem Sex Role Inventory and a simple gender recognition test. Test scores were compared with the variables of sex and age (early or late adolescent) through univariate analyses of variance, or ANOVA. The research found an association between gender recognition …

Achievement Goals Affect Academic Success And Help Seeking Behavior Of Undergraduates, Meghan Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how achievement goals affect students' academic success and help seeking behavior. The three goal orientations measured in this present study are mastery, performance-approach, and work avoidance. A questionnaire is used to assess the students' goal orientation. The researcher also asked the students to self report their current cumulative GPA and the number of times a semester they visit their professors for help. One way ANOVAs were used to determine which achievement goal had the highest GPA and which had the most help seeking behavior. A correlation was also done to determine if …

The Effect Of Income On Students' Behavior And Parental Involvement, Alison Hoell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of social economic status on a child's behavior and his parental involvement. By obtaining archival files of students formerly enrolled at the Abbott center, Tiny Tots Preschool in Vineland, NJ, the researcher was able to correlate the amount of behavior problems with parental involvement and income.

The hypothesis of this study is that children of lower socio-economic status tend to have more behavior problems and less parental involvement than children of higher socio-economic status. This hypothesis was partially supported by the study. The study found that the majority of students …

Locus Of Control And Risk Behavior Among College Students, Lauren R. Matricardi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship if any between an individual's locus of control (internal or external) and their degree of engaging in risk behavior. Participants were male (N=8) and female (N=24) undergraduate college students from Rowan University. Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale was used to assess the subject's attributions (internal vs. external) for the outcomes of his or her behavior. To assess the amount of risk behavior in the subjects, items from the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) were used. A demographic questionnaire was also used. Regression analysis showed that there was …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Birth Order And Individual's Locus Of Control, Rachel Heiblim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to uncover any possible correlational relationships between Individual's birth order and their locus of control. The Austrian psychologist, Alfred Adler, had some theories concerning birth order which were of particular interest to the author as the ideas for this study were unfolding. Fifty adults (n = 50) from a major northeastern university, eighty four percent of whom were female and sixteen percent of whom were male, served as participants. Subjects completed Rotter's twenty nine question internal / external locus of control scale as well as a demographic survey which provided the researcher with …