Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Teachers' Stages Of Concerns As Change Facilitators And Student's Literacy Achievement: Is There A Link?, Janet Suzanne Behrend

Theses and Dissertations

The major questions of the study were whether teachers involved in the first year of implementation of the Arkansas Comprehensive Literacy Model perceived of themselves as change facilitators, whether this perception changed over the course of the school year, and whether this perception was linked to student achievement. Although most of the teachers were less concerned about their role as a change facilitator and more concerned about the innovation itself, there was a shift towards concerns that dealt more directly with the change facilitator role. A linkage was found between teachers' levels of concern and students' writing achievement, but not …

An Investigation Of Teachers’ Knowledge And Implementation Of Effective Literacy Strategies In Kindergarten Through Second Grade In Two School Districts In A Metropolitan Area In The State Of Arkansas, Janice C. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' knowledge and implementation of effective literacy strategies in kindergarten through second grade in two school districts in a metropolitan area in the state of Arkansas. The study investigated teachers' knowledge and implementation of effective literacy strategies within districts and among grade level. The Effective Literacy Strategy Teacher Survey was used to survey participants in the study. The questions from the survey were comprised into two scales: Teachers' Knowledge and Teacher Implementation of effective literacy strategies. Indicators derived from these two scales were utilized to measure teacher's knowledge and frequency of implementation …

Correlations Between Reading Achievement And Discipline Problems Among African-American Male Eighth Grade Students In The Little Rock School District, Deborah J. Price

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to add to the body of existing knowledge regarding the relationship between academic achievement and discipline problems found in schools today. The study undertook to determine if there is a correlation between the behavior of African-American male students and their academic achievement. Specifically, it examines their achievement in reading and whether or not these students have experienced serious discipline problems at school. The sample was limited to African-American male students who are in the eighth grade during the 2001-2002 school year. These students must have attended a middle school within the Little Rock School …

A Descriptive Case Study Of A Single Innovation’S Effect On Multiple Literacy Initiatives In Arkansas, Deborah N. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

When schools implement high quality classroom instruction, research-based interventions, networks of support at multiple levels, and a strategic plan for monitoring change elements, students are provided a range of opportunities that promote successful learning. This descriptive case study examined Reading Recovery's effect on the acceleration of the change process in selected elementary schools in Arkansas. Two purposeful samplings were used to investigate, discover, understand, and gain insight. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to develop the description. Data-driven decisions toward the building of a comprehensive early literacy school reform model for accelerating change were also examined in relation to reading …

College Students In Developmental Reading Classes: Influences Of Learning Styles And Previous Instructional Methods In Grades K-6, Lynda E. Cucco

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to read is the very foundation of education at any level. This is particularly true at the postsecondary level. When institutions of higher education have open door policies it is incumbent upon them to provide assistance to any student requiring or requesting it. This assistance may take many forms. A formal course in developmental reading was the focus of this study. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a relationship between individual learning styles, teaching styles, and teaching methods where the students enrolled in the developmental reading class had experienced success in grades K-6. …

The Relationship Between Gender Differences And Writing Topic Choices Of Middle School Students, Elisa B. Probst

Theses and Dissertations

This study was an investigative comparison of free writing topic choices between the genders. For the purposes of this study, twenty male and twenty female subjects were randomly selected from the seventh grade population of a junior high.

Over a period of four weeks, ten free writing samples were collected from each student's writing journal. Each sample was analyzed and placed in its appropriate category on Graves' Territorial Distribution Scale of Thematic Choices. A frequency count was conducted. Frequencies between the genders' topic choices were compared using a Chi Square test of significance. The Chi Square Analysis showed no significant …

Adolescents' Idea Of Fiction In Their Own Writing, Nancy L. Chippendale

Theses and Dissertations

Twelve seventh-grade students in a selected county in Georgia served as subjects for interviews to determine why students choose realistic topics when writing fiction stories. The interviews revealed that the students wrote stories that reflected a part of their personal lives. The stories involved the authors in three distinct ways. Some stories were experiential and represented something that had happened to the author; others were experiential, but the writer had witnessed the event happening to an acquaintance; finally, media had influenced the writer to follow a story line. For some of the authors, this was a form of therapy, and …

Attitudes Of Seventh Grade Students Toward Reading Using А Literature-Based Approach, Robin R. Coe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the effects of a literature-based approach to teaching reading on student attitudes toward reading. Relatively few studies have been conducted to describe students' attitudes toward reading in a literature-based approach which includes the following: the use of children's literature, silent reading by students and teachers, expressive reading by the teacher, and various book-sharing activities and projects. Four seventh-grade reading classes at Faith Middle School were randomly selected to participate as subjects. Students' attitudes toward reading were assessed in the fall using the Short Form Reading Attitude Survey. Students were taught …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Computer-Assisted Instruction To Present Basic English Grammar Concepts, Frank E. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) tutorial that would address basic grammatical concepts. The research consisted of four phases. The first phase was a review of applicable CAI literature, including theories, instructional and programming techniques, and previous research findings. The second phase was a survey of communication professors to determine the grammatical errors commonly committed by students. The third phase involved development of the tutorial content and the program software. The resulting tutorial presents basic grammar in terms of the three building elements of language (words, phrases, clauses) and the five functions they perform …

The Relationship Between Birth Order And Standardized Reading Test Scores, Eugenia M. Centa

Theses and Dissertations

The study was undertaken to determine If the only child and the eldest child in a family would score significantly higher on a standardized reading test than siblings occupying other positions in the birth order. Eleventh grade students at a public high school in a southwestern county in Georgia were surveyed as to whether they were the only child, the eldest child, or occupied another position in the familial birth order. From these surveys, the students were randomly assigned to three groups: Group 1 consisted of 30 only children (16 males, 14 females); Group 2 was comprised of 30 eldest …

Effect Of Journal Writing On Students' Writing Fluency, Helen Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

his study was an investigation of journal writing and its potential effects on writing fluency among high school students. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant gain in fluency for students who wrote daily in a journal. For the purposes of this study, fluency was defined as the total number of words in a composition. Two classes of ninth grade "at risk" students were used as the subjects of this study. Both groups were assigned an impromptu essay, which provided a baseline measurement of fluency. Subjects in the experimental group were then instructed to maintain a writing journal. …

The Effects Of Vocabulary Instructional Methods On Vocabulary Retention, Janet S. Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine which of three instructional methods for teaching vocabulary (teacherpresented, student-presented, and no direct presentation) commonly used by English teachers was most effective in affecting student achievement. Sixty-two eleventh grade students in a selected county in Georgia served as subjects for the study. Pretest and posttest vocabulary scores were analyzed, and a simple analysis of variance was computed to determine the mean and standard deviation for each of the three groups. The Scheffe Test was then computed to obtain an F-ratio comparison among the groups. The analyses supported neither of the original hypotheses which assumed a …

Visual Perceptual Problems In Adult Disabled Readers, Carol Ragsdale

Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempts to discover If visual perceptual problems contribute to reading difficulties. The reason for inability by a student to interpret the symbols on the printed page is often difficult to diagnose. A study of these problems may lead to more efficient diagnosis and remediation.

Sixty adult disabled readers were tested to try to discover if their reading difficulties were caused by visual perceptual problems. These subjects were selected randomly as to sex, age and severity of reading disablement from students attending the Adult Basic Education classes. They were tested for visual acuity and visual perception. The results were …

The Effects Of Early Education On The Receptive Language Development Of Kindergarten Children, Barbara C. Everly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the receptive language of children who had attended an early childhood education center, and those who had not. Subjects were 64 kindergarten students from an elementary school on a military base in the southeast. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Revised (PPVT-R) was administered to all subjects. The t test for independent means was computed; no significant differences in mean scores existed between the two groups. Further analyses of the subjects were made to assess if age or gender influenced the results. The only significant difference …

The Relationship Between Reading Attitudes And Verbal Aptitude, Donald W. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

One hundred and five twelfth-grade students randomly selected from two public high schools in a southwestern county In Georgia were selected as subjects for a study of the relationship between reading attitudes and verbal SAT scores. Total reading attitude scores were generated, and verbal SAT scores were obtained from the self report of the subjects. From these surveys, the students were assigned to one of three groups of thirty five each, depending on their reading attitude scores: positive attitudes, neutral attitudes, and negative attitudes. A two-way analysis of variance, which was used to compute the F-ratio for the groups, supported …

A Correlational Study Of Locus Of Control And Reading Achievement Among Gifted Middle School Students, Jerry A. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between reading achievement and internal locus of control among eighth-grade gifted students attending a rural middle school in Georgia. The NowickiStrjckland Locus of Control Scale was used to determine a locus of i control score for each of the eighteen subjects involved. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills Form G was .used to obtain an achievement score for each subject. The study used a correlational research design. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between test scores. Analysis of statistical data revealed a .0985 correlation. This correlation was not significant.

The Relationship Between Professed Student Reading Interest And Student Choice Of Reading Topics, Mary E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

One hundred seventh- and eighth-grade students in an Inner-city Georgia school served as subjects for surveys of reading interests. The two surveys were designed to gather information from students for the book topics they professed to want to read, and the actual reported topics they read. Trends of Interest by subject and sex were generated. The survey revealed reading Interests of students according to gender. Further, teacher-assigned reading and student reading interests varied to such a substantial degree that a strong case may be made for changing assigned reading to make it more in line with student interest.

Teacher Attitude And Teaching The Black Dialect Student To Write Using Standard English, Julia Holmes-Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study examined the relationship between low achievement in writing and teacher attitudes, both positive and negative, toward nonstandard language use. The study also examined teacher attitude toward strategies to improve those skills. Finally, this study compared the methods selected to teach Black-dialect speakers with those selected to teach whites.

Participants in this study were language arts teachers in four rural Southwest Georgia counties. The data gathering Instrument was a Likert-scale questionnaire. Comparisons were made based on participants' years experience and level of training. The results indicated that these teachers were positive concerning the Black-dialect speakers' ability to write …

Success In Written Expression: A Case Study, Susan Flowers Hamby

Theses and Dissertations

In order to receive a high school diploma, a student in any Georgia high school must pass the Georgia Basic Skills Test in three areas: Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The subject of this case study is an eighteen-year-old male student who after four attempts passed the Writing portion of this test. Because this is a case study, the findings are reported in a nontraditional manner using a narrative style with first person commentary.

Much of the data in this case study were collected through interviews with the subject referred to as Tim, his mother, a school examiner, and several of …

Cinema As Literature: A Semester Course In Language Arts, Greg Westbrook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to prepare "Cinema as Literature," a curriculum guide for an elective course in high school English for the Muscogee County School System, to be implemented in school year 1992-93. The proposed elective course will utilize cinema material for the application of literary techniques and modes of criticism for a fuller understanding of the relationship between movies and printed matter as mediums of literary and artistic expression.

The project has produced this curriculum guide through a review of relevant current resources, and in cooperation with the local county school authorities, with the eventual aim of …

A Controlled Composition-Based Exercise Program To Teach Error Remediation In Writing In The High School Regular Freshman English Classroom, Sarah E. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

For this project, a controlled composition-based exercise program was developed for use in the high school freshman English writing classroom. This non-error-based method utilized a four-stage design -- attention grabber exercises, rewriting exercises, proofreading practice and test exercises, and writing assignments -- to teach error remediation through writing. After the students were exposed to correctness in stage one, they were asked to make transformations, to practice proofreading, and finally to demonstrate knowledge of correct usage in both testing and writing modes.

Included in the program are two diagnostic tools, a student checklist, an introductory sentence section, and sections to address …

The Relationship Between Student Attitudes Toward Reading And Student Test Scores, Frazier Sollars

Theses and Dissertations

One hundred and thirty-four seventh grade students served as subjects to determine if a correlation existed between reading achievement and attitude toward reading. Of these students, fifty were randomly selected for data presentation. The Intermediate Reading Attitude Index and Georgia Criterion Reference Test were used to obtain data.

The Georgia Criterion Reference Tests were designed to provide teachers with diagnostic information on each student's test performance. The GCRT is comprised of math and reading tests. Only the reading portion of the GCRT was used by this researcher. Values were assigned to the questions on the Intermediate Reading Attitude Index for …

An Evaluation Of Language And Articulation Assessment Instruments, Sara Gammage Betbeze

Theses and Dissertations

Seventy-nine articulation and language assessment instruments were reviewed. The following areas were addressed: title, author, publisher, date of publication, price, ages, administration time, • general type, description, scoring, standardization, validity, reliability, and comments. Information was compiled using Mental Measurements Yearbook, Test Critiques, test manuals, and journal articles. A matrix is included as a reference and table of contents. list of publishers and addresses is also included.

The Impact Of Recent Research Trends On The Teaching Of Writing In The Middle Grades, Marilu D. Goolsby

Theses and Dissertations

This was a descriptive study which measured the attitudes and practices of teachers in the middle grades concerning the teaching of writing. Subjects were 42 teachers of writing in grades five through eight in four small rural school systems. The data gathering instrument was a questionnaire devised by the researcher which employed a Likert scale format. One open-ended item was included as well as several background questions. Results indicated that the majority of these teachers do not teach writing as a process with extensive editing and revising with the teacher participating in the process. Rather, the teaching of grammar and …

Structural And Syntactical Differences Between Revised Writing And Impromptu Writing Of Award-Winning Eighth-Grade Students, Susan J. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to discover 1f there were any structural or syntactical differences between a revised, process writing composition and an impromptu composition from the same good writer. Eleven eighth grade students from schools across Georgia submitted both types of writing in the Promising Young Writers Program of 1988. For this study, the compositions were analyzed by computer over a list of criteria including readability level, number of words, sentences, and paragraphs, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, sentence length and variety, and verb choice. Although data revealed significant differences between the two sets of writings (primarily counts of length), the two …

Differences In The. Reading And Mathematics Achievement Between Asian American And Non Asian American Children, Linda B. Price

Theses and Dissertations

Explanations for the achievement or overachievement of Asian Americans are often conflicting and subject to debate among researchers. Four major theories for this achievement are explored in the review of literature. One of these theories concerns the idea that Asian American's beliefs are the result of Confucianism and its influence on the lives of Asian Americans. Another theory examines the parent's positive attitude toward education and its influence on achievement. A third theory suggests that Asian American babies are more alert and sensitive at birth. The final theory examined proposes that the Asian American immigration to the United States is …

Thinking Skills In Young Adult Literature: An Annotated Bibliography Of Thirty Novels, Janis H. Eberhardt

Theses and Dissertations

This project provides teachers a method of teaching thinking skills to students through the use of specific adolescent novels. Thirty novels were selected with an attempt at an even distribution between male and female protagonists, first and third person point of view. A large number of novels were examined to determine the presence or absence of protagonists whose thinking abilities determined their actions .

Thirty novels were found to have protagonists who demonstrated good thinking abilities in several of the ways targeted by the NCTE publication "Essentials in English." Characters' demonstration of specific thinking skills was noted on an identification …

Survey Of Georgia's Public School Systems With Self-Contained Language Classrooms, Brenda J. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-two teachers of self-contained language programs throughout the State of Georgia served as respondents for a survey of the operations of their programs in terms of students, teacher training, referral process, assessment process, entrance criteria, curriculum, and exit criteria. Results indicated that although the self-contained language programs are operating without standardized regulations, there is a great deal of similarity in their procedures, particularly in the areas of students, teacher training, referral process, entrance criteria, and exit criteria. The results of this study may be of benefit to state department personnel in developing regulations/procedures for self-contained language programs within the state.

The Difference Between The Writing Achievement Of Below-Average Ninth-Grade Students And Above-Average Ninth-Grade Students As Revealed On Literature Tests Stressing Analysis Of Character, Alton Pitts

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to discover if there was any difference between the writing achievement of below-average ninth-grade students and above-average ninth-grade students as revealed on literature tests stressing analysis of character. Fifty individuals were randomly selected from a population of over three hundred students. Using the Analyzing Characters in Literature (ACL) exam, differences were drawn between the groups in the following areas: substantiation, form, content, and subjective reasoning. The independent samples were evaluated descriptively to determine whether a difference existed between ability groups. While the majority of the Individuals In both high and low ability groups were able to properly …

Sex Differences In Reading Achievement In Elementary School Students, Dianne Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in reading achievement in male and female students in the elementary school. The subjects were 600 selected students from elementary schools operating in a public schoo1 system in the Southeast. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) scores For 1987 were collected for 600 third, fourth, and fifth grade students. This test was administered to all A elementary school students in the spring of the year by the regular classroom teacher. The children participated in the regular classroom curriculum and no treatment was administered to the subjects …