Elementary Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Children, Parents, And Teachers Regarding Low Academic Progress During Pre-Referral Intervention, Beth Ann Thompson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purposes of this study were two fold: (a) to describe the interplay of the variables such as low progress, communication, instruction and help for a child, interventions, consultation services, meetings between the school and home, and peers as perceived by elementary children who have low progress in at least one academic subject, their parents, and their teachers; and (b) to describe roles and responsibilities of the teachers, parents, and children as they participated in pre-referral activities.

Nine subjects participated in this study to compose three triads; one student from fourth-grade, the mother, and teacher; one student from fifth-grade, the …

Science In A Constructivist Classroom: Progress In A Five-Year-Old Child's Reasoning About Water Dynamics, Hyang-Lim Kwak

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study is to understand changes in a target child’s reasoning about water dynamics, specifically, draining and movement of water in tubes. The study also focuses on development and evaluation of activities and teaching strategies. The activities were conducted with all children in the preschool at a public elementary school in Iowa as part of the regular classroom constructivist program inspired by Piaget’s work. Using Piaget’s theory to provide insights into the child’s reasoning and knowledge, analysis focused on the child’s construction of regularities between his actions and reactions of water, and on the construction of relationships …

1993-94 Little Panthers, Northern University Middle School

Malcolm Price Laboratory School Yearbooks

The 1993-1994 student yearbook of the Northern University Middle School, part of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School of the University of Northern Iowa.

The Effects Of Booktalking Upon The Circulation Of Undercirculating Children’S Fiction, Janis Reisetter

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of booktalks in order to increase circulation of quality fiction books that had circulated one time or not at all from the Dunkerton, Iowa, Elementary School Library from August, 1993, to the end of February, 1994. The fifteen titles to be booktalked met specific controls and were required to be included in one of four recommended bibliographies of children's literature.

The hypothesis of this study predicted that 50% of the titles would circulate immediately upon being presented to the fifth grade students, and that the majority of the titles would …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Janie M. Adams

Graduate Research Papers

Some of the articles and books that are referred to in the body of this paper are written by African- Americans about the plight of our African-American children in yesterday's, today's and tomorrow's schools. In writing this paper I address some basic needs for all children. Yet of most pressing concern to me are the African-American student and other students of color. Brown versus Topeka, Kansas was in 1954, but in the eyes of many African-Americans separate but equal is alive and well. With the prospect of a voucher system looming on the horizon it is being driven home even …

Philosophies And Practices Regarding Youth Physical Fitness Testing In Iowa Schools, Amy Elizabeth Fuller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to determine the current philosophies and practices of physical educators regarding physical fitness assessment of children and youth in public and private schools in Iowa. Specifically, the study was designed to investigate the physical fitness assessment preparational procedures, the actual testing procedures, the follow-up procedures to testing, and the professional opinions regarding physical fitness testing of children and youth.

The subjects included physical educators from 79 Iowa schools that participated in the Iowa Youth Fitness Project. These subjects were selected based on their prior involvement in the collection of data concerning the physical fitness …

The Incidence Of Elevated Total Cholesterol Levels In Elementary School Aged Children In The Absence Of Familial Cardiovascular Disease, Nancy C. Fauser

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of elevated blood cholesterol levels of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in four schools in Cedar Falls, Iowa and to determine the relationship between total cholesterol level and family history of cardiovascular disease in this population. A total of 645 students were invited to participate in the blood cholesterol screening research project. Of this target population, 215 children whose parents gave consent for their participation became subjects for the research project. A cardiovascular family health questionnaire was sent home with each student which was completed by the parents of …

The Implementation Of Naturalistic Evaluation Of Reading Comprehension: A Descriptive Study Of First Graders In A Chapter 1 Reading Program, Beth Ann Hardy Nordmeyer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to document the implementation of naturalistic evaluations of reading comprehension, specifically, the comprehension abilities of first-grade students in a Chapter 1 reading program. There were five major questions which guided the study: (a) How will naturalistic evaluations assess students' reading comprehension abilities in a Chapter 1 classroom? (b) What problems does a Chapter 1 teacher encounter when implementing naturalistic forms of evaluation? (c) Given special consideration to time and management, how can naturalistic devices be used in a Chapter 1 reading program? ( d) How will a Chapter 1 teacher be able to use …

Assessment Of The Process Of Reading Through The Use Of Think-Aloud Protocols With Elementary Students, Jacqueline F. Holdorf

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was undertaken to investigate the ability of elementary students to generate verbal reports during a reading task, and to determine whether differences in protocols produced exist between readers of differing ability and verbal activity.

The 20 experimental subjects were 5th and 6th grade students from one classroom in an Iowa school district. The subjects were classified as good and poor readers, and verbal and less verbal. Reading ability classifications were based on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Verbal activity classifications were based on teacher judgment.

The subjects were asked to read a passage and then to verbalize …

Teacher-Initiated Whole Language Reading Instruction In A Skills-Based School District: A Self-Report Case Study, Vicky Mashek-Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study presents an insider's view of change as one teacher, the author of this report, attempted to implement reading instruction based on a whole language philosophy in a skills-based school district. Reform critics have made a substantial call for the improvement of students' literacy skills and for teachers to take charge of change efforts. This study is an attempt to describe what happened when one teacher attempted to implement these recommended reforms.

This investigation followed qualitative research guidelines for a self-report case study, similar to those used by McPherson (1972) in Small Town Teacher. The setting was a fourth-grade …

The Relationship Among Principal Power Tactic Usage, Leadership Style And School Climate In Selected Iowa Elementary Schools, Steven R. Decker

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

One purpose of this study was to determine primary principal power tactic usage in Iowa elementary schools. The study also investigated the associations among principal power tactic usage, leadership style, and organizational climate.

The study utilized the Leadership Effectiveness Adaptability Description (LEAD-Self) survey to determine primary leadership style. The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ-RE) was utilized to identify teachers' perceptions of school climate. The Perception of Principal Power Tactics Survey (PPPTS) was utilized to assess teachers' perceptions of principal power tactic usage.

A total of 573 surveys were included in this study. Completed survey instruments were received from 80 principals …

The Characteristics Of Elementary Teachers Perceived And Identified As Curricular Leaders, Celia R. Burger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of elementary teachers who were perceived and identified as being influential in curricular change by peers, principals, and district administrators. The study described characteristics which appeared to be shared by 16 elementary teachers selected from 20 elementary schools in one major school district in a Midwestern state.

Subjects were identified from responses by peers, building administrators, and district administrators to the Instructional Leadership Survey prepared by the researcher. Twenty teachers, identified as influential by all three of the surveyed groups, were considered teacher leaders in this study. Sixteen of the …

Library Media Services For Educable Mentally Handicapped Students, Lauri Netz

Graduate Research Papers

After the adoption of Public Law 94-142 the public schools are required to provide an education for handicapped students. These students should then be participating in the library media program in the public schools. The purpose of this study was to find out what library media programs are being provided at the elementary level for educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students.

Iowa elementary media specialists were surveyed to determine if elementary EMH students used the library media cente.r and how they spent their time when they were in the center~ In the schools surveyed EMH students participated in the library media …

Celebrating The Constitution: An Instructional Unit For Elementary Grades, Janet Mcclain

Faculty Publications

Because attaining citizenship skills remains the principal goal of social studies; this unit was designed to highlight the founding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in a manner appropriate to both primary and intermediate elementary children. Each lesson includes objectives; materials; and procedures; as well as supplementary materials which may be duplicated for student use. Student awareness of the need for rules and laws is developed through the activities in lesson one. Lesson two helps students recognize reasons for settling the original 13 colonies and identify their locations. Students become informed about the events leading to independence …

The Role Of The Iowa Elementary School Principal In The School's Reading Program, Roberta L. Bodensteiner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research investigated the level of involvement, both actual and desired, of Iowa elementary principals in their schools' reading programs. The purpose was to determine if there existed a difference between what Iowa elementary principals actually did and what they desired to do in their involvement with specific reading-related tasks. This study sought to answer the following questions:

(1) Do Iowa elementary principals view their actual knowledge of reading as different from a desired level of knowledge about reading?

(2) Do Iowa elementary principals view their actual level of interaction with teachers as different from a desired level of principal-teacher …

The Final Report Of The Cooperative Grinnell-Newburg Community School District And University Of Northern Iowa Mathematics Project, Edward C. Rathmell

Faculty Publications

This project was designed to study the effects of an inservice model on the quantity and quality of developmental mathematics instruction provided by participating teachers. Participants were seven teachers of students in grades from 2 to 6 who had volunteered for the project after being selected as potential lead teachers in mathematics. The inservice consisted of teacher observations; group inservice on effective teaching; individual planning and recommendations for becoming more effective; demonstration teaching; and more observations together with feedback and discussion. The results indicate that these seven elementary teachers increased the quantity of their developmental instruction to about half of …

China: A Teaching Unit For Primary Grades, Janet Mcclain

Faculty Publications

Understanding the culture of other nations contributes to the development of responsible citizens in a democratic society. A classroom teaching team proved these activities to be successful. Five initial lessons introduce students to the study of China by teaching Chinese geography. To enhance cultural understanding; 10 additional lessons focus on the following aspects of Chinese culture: (1) flags; (2) agriculture; (3) calligraphy; (4) calendar; (5) inventions; (6) karate; (7) tangrams; (8) crafts; (9) folk tales; and (10) Confucius. The unit culminates with plans for preparing Chinese dinner; having an open house; or organizing a homeroom meeting. Each lesson includes learner …

Maps And Globes: An Instructional Unit For Elementary Grades, Joan Duea, Janet Mcclain, Lynn Nielsen, Betty Strub

Faculty Publications

This unit of 20 classroom learning episodes is structured to improve students' ability to read and interpret maps and globes. Performance objectives; outlined in part 1; include developing map and globe skills to locate; acquire; organize; interpret; evaluate; and express knowledge and information. Each of the learning episodes in part 2 contains instructional objectives; learning activities; and materials needed to carry out the activity. The learning episodes require 1 to 3 days of instructional time. Activities are developed and materials are provided to teach: (1) the four cardinal directions; (2) the four intermediate directions; (3) use of map symbols and …

Elementary Keyboarding, Nancy B. Moen, Iowa State Department Of Public Instruction, University Of Northern Iowa

Faculty Publications

This textbook is designed for a course in keyboarding for elementary students. It contains day-by-day lessons for the Phase I (the keyboard; basic function keys; technique and confidence) section of the course; which lasts for six weeks. Technique; drills; reviews; and practice activities are included. The keyboard is illustrated with line drawings. (The lessons correspond to the teacher's guide to this course.) (KC)

Elections: An Instructional Unit For Elementary Grades, Janet Mcclain

Faculty Publications

In order to increase students' awareness of their place in the nation's political life; this unit introduces young children to the electoral process. Each lesson includes objectives; materials; procedures; and supplementary materials that can be duplicated for student use. The first five lessons are designed to improve student awareness of elections and to identify information sources. In lessons six through eight; students study congressional and presidential elections and learn about the rich cultural heritage centered around the District of Columbia. Lesson nine is concerned with the branches of government. Students evaluate campaign strategies in lesson 10. The children identify characteristics …

A Historical Study Of Library Service In Dike Community Schools Dike, Iowa, Patricia Middleswart

Graduate Research Papers

This study was intended to record the stages in the development of the Dike School Libraries as well as to ascertain the significant influences in the the development of library services in a small Iowa community.

The major source of data for this research was the personal interview. Librarians, teachers, administrators and students representing the span of school history from the early 1920 1 s to the present were interviewed. Other primary sources included NCA evaluations, applications for the School Library Media Program Award, and school board minutes.

The researcher found the desire of the Dike high school to obtain …

An Individual Reading Guidance Program In An Elementary Media Center, Kathryn M. Rewerts

Graduate Research Papers

The investigator researched whether participation in the individualized reading guidance program caused an increase in the number of recreational reading books read by the students in the experimental group during the program and after the completion of the program as compared to the number of recreational reading books read by the students in the control group during the same time period.

Kindergarten Scheduling Study: Results For Administrators; Results For Teachers; Midwestern State Survey; Midwest University Professors Study. Volume I; Numbers 1-4, Judith M. Finkelstein

Faculty Publications

A comparison of full-day; alternate-day (FDAD) and half-day; every-day (HDED) kindergartens in Iowa assessed instructional time; congruence between goals and outcomes; and principal; teacher; and pupil attitudes. Findings were gathered from surveys of school administrators and teachers; as well as from questionnaires sent to directors of early childhood education programs at the Department of Public Instruction in 13 states and to professors of early childhood education at 92 state-supported institutions in those same 13 states. The survey of administrators and teachers was made to determine whether (1) goals were set for both FDAD and HDED programs; (2) the same curricular …

Stereotypes Of The Native American In Fiction Books In Elementary School Libraries, Karma Anderson

Graduate Research Papers

This study proposed to investigate the kinds of Native American materials which were found in elementary school library media centers in Iowa Education Agency Seven (AEA 7). A questionnaire was prepared with seventeen recommended titles and fifteen presently criticized titles on which media specialists in AEA 7 were to indicate availability in their media centers. The hypothesis to be tested was: Given a list of books containing both reconnnended and presently criticized titles, 75 percent of school library specialists in AEA 7 will indicate that there are more recommended titles than presently criticized titles on Native Americans in their fiction …

An Investigation Into The Behaviors Of Classroom Teachers During Scheduled Reading Instructional Periods, Judy Weseman Moser

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The specific purposes of this study were to identify and describe the frequency of teacher behaviors that occur during classroom reading instruction. The following problematic questions were addressed: (1) How much time is scheduled for formal reading instruction; (2) What proportion of teacher behavior during scheduled reading instructional periods is concerned with actual instruction in reading; (3) What proportion of teacher behavior during scheduled reading instructional periods is concerned with non-instructional activities; (4) What proportions of teacher behaviors during scheduled reading instructional periods are concerned with each of the major reading skill areas; (5) What proportions of teacher behaviors during …

A Survey Of Selected Iowa Colleges And Universities And Their Elementary Teacher Education Programs For Ige Training Of Preservice Teachers, Leotis D. Swopes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to survey the Elementary Teacher Education Programs (ETEPs) of Iowa's three public institutions of higher learning and Iowa's three largest non-public institutions of higher learning. Using a questionnaire and interview method, the survey was to answer two questions: 1. Do (ETEPs) at Iowa's six sample institutions of higher learning prepare preservice teachers through an IGE Teacher Education Program for IGE elementary schools in the state? 2. Do ETEPs of Iowa's six sample institutions of higher learning prepare preservice teachers for IGE elementary school programs in the state?

A 10-item questionnaire with subdivisions was used …

1776 To 1976: Liberty And Justice For All, Malcolm Price Laboratory School

Malcolm Price Laboratory School Yearbooks

The 1976 student yearbook of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School of the University of Northern Iowa.

A Contextual Approach To Investigating Verbal And Nonverbal Behaviors, Douglas M. Brooks, Barry Wilson

Faculty Publications

This investigation utilized a recent concept developed by researchers and theoreticians studying nonverbal behavior--the contextual framework. Instruments of demonstrated reliability were employed to record simultaneous verbal and nonverbal data within the selected contextual framework of student-initiated questions. Data was collected at the University of Northern Iowa; Malcolm Price Laboratory School. The study sample included 15 teachers from grades one through twelve and 60 pupils. Pupils were placed in categories by their teachers: (1) accepting; (2) concerned; (3) indifferent; and (4) rejecting. Objectives of the investigation included: (1) to investigate physical proximity as a quantifiable dimension of nonverbal behavior; (2) to …

Iowa Teacher Perceptions Of K-6 Articulation In Large School Districts Employing K-6 Or K-12 Curriculum Directors, Dorothy Kessler Engstrom

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was concerned with finding out what perceptions K-6 classroom teachers would express about K-6 articulation within their districts. The study was also concerned with finding out what difference, if any, existed between the perceptions of teachers from districts with fulltime K-6 curriculum directors and the perceptions of teachers in districts with full-time K-12 curriculum directors.

It was expected that teachers in both groups of school districts would express the need for more K-6 articulation awareness and activities within their districts, but that teachers in districts employing a K-6 curriculum director would indicate that their districts were doing more …

Utilization Of Educational Television In Iowa's Elementary Schools, Jane Barker

Graduate Research Papers

In today;'s fast-paced world where messages conveyed through many forms of media, television as a form of entertainment has enjoyed much popularity. It has grown in recent years as a method of instruction in the school. The success of "Sesame Street" has powerfully demonstrated the potential of instruction through entertainment.

Television can be used effectively for learning, especially if used regularly. Kelly (1964) has shown that when television is used regularly as a source of instruction in the form of lectures and demonstrations, students do as well and sometimes significantly better on tests than when it is not used regularly. …