Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Development Of A Grant Proposal For Funding Of A Nonprofit Land Conservation Organization, Janet Eisenhauer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to solve the dilemma of how to acquire funding for operational expenses of a private nonprofit land conservation organization through foundation grants. A model grant proposal is also developed as part of the study.

The methods employed to determine strategies and to develop a grant proposal for funding of operational expenses for a private nonprofit land conservation organization include: review of literature on grantswriting, and interviews with foundation representatives, conservation organization grantswriters and others in the field of conservation organization fund raising.

Based on the literature review and interviews carried out, it was determined …

An Enrichment Unit On Local Water Resources And Water Conservation To Supplement Eighth Grade Earth Science Curriculum, Michele Junod Memis

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is no written curriculum for educating students about local water resources and water conservation practices in the Glassboro Eighth Grade Earth Science Curriculum. Utilizing all available references and agencies, (federal, state and local) the author created an enrichment unit dealing with local water resources and water conservation practices to supplement the existing Eighth Grade Science Curriculum, specifically the Geology unit of the Merrill Earth Science textbook. The lessons are hands-on activities which promote critical thinking, problem solving, and cooperative learning. Though designed for a specific audience and for a specific reason, lessons in the unit can be easily …

A Study To Increase Educational Interaction Between The Adult/Child Within The Treehouse At The Philadelphia Zoo, Jennifer L. Studley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to conduct a study assessing adult/child interaction in the TREEHOUSE that will yield a series of recommendations to assist in meeting the educational objectives of the TREEHOUSE.

The author conducted a naturalistic study employing adult/child observations and interviews. The groups studied consisted of between two and five individuals, including one adult and one child. Twenty-two groups were observed and eleven groups were interviewed, four of which were both observed and interviewed. Data was recorded and analyzed. Major findings were presented in the form of text, graphs and charts.

Interaction between adults and children did …

The Construction Of Effective Cooperative Learning Groups For Successful High School Biology Instruction, Diana I. Probasco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine the effect of balancing learning styles in the construction of cooperative learning groups. The investigation attempted to determine if science instruction and subsequent achievement can be enhanced by establishing effective cooperative learning groups. The Learning Style Inventory was used to determine learning styles. Then groups were formed based on either construction of balanced or unbalanced cooperative learning groups. Students then completed group activities as contained in the Celebrate Immunity Team Pack. Pretests and posttests were administered in order to measure cognitive gains. A statistical analysis of the results of the groups showed …

Walking Lightly On The Planet: A Curriculum Enrichment For The Pinelands Science Unit Of The Cherry Hill Environmental Education Residency Program On Pinelands Ecology, Elaine Ruth Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project is designed to produce written curriculum materials in Pinelands ecology. The written curriculum materials produced are intended to be implemented as part of the Pinelands Science Unit of the Cherry Hill Environmental Education Residency Program, also known as CHEER.

The written curriculum materials will include pre-trip, resident trip, and follow up assessment materials and activities that follow the given format for all Cherry Hill science units. The structure of such a program will allow, if desired, interdisciplinary coordination between science, math, English and ecology that correlate with the existing CHEER program. Through this experience it is expected …

Computer Science Curriculum In The Community College: An Evaluative Study, Rosemary R. Boiano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the sufficiency of the Computer Studies curriculum at Camden County College in meeting the needs of its local job market.

A questionnaire was distributed to 106 computer-based businesses in southern New Jersey, northern Delaware, and the greater Philadelphia area. The purpose of the survey was twofold. it was first necessary to ascertain whether or not these businesses would hire individuals possessing an associate's degree in Computer Science and if so, how many such positions might they have available in any given year. The survey then questioned respondents about the individual needs of …

Journal Writing For College Students In A Developmental Mathematics Class, Mary Anne Dorofee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure academic achievement in a developmental mathematics class through the use of journal writing. Twenty-seven college level students were part of the experiment. Two classes of "Introduction to College Math" were used. Their age levels ranged from students who had just graduated from high school to returning adults in their fifties. A variety of ethnic groups were represented in both classes. The experimental group consisted of eighteen students who kept a journal on various mathematics topics. The control group consisted of nine students and they did not keep a journal. The academic achievement …

A Study To Determine The Effectiveness Of Various Factors In The Reduction Of Mathematics Anxiety, Mindy S. Hutter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if increasing the amount of problem solving, journal writing, group work, and praise would decrease the level of mathematics anxiety experienced by eighth grade students. The forty-seven students involved included twenty-one average to below average students and twenty-six average to above average students. Both groups were pretested and posttested using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale - A. During a six week period, class time contained a high concentration of problem solving, journal writing, group work, and praise. A dependent t test was used to analyze the results.

The conclusions showed a significant …

Perceptions Of Secondary School Mathematics Teachers On The Importance And Presence Of Elements Associated With Effective Staff Development, Paula L. Leo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the importance and the actual practice of elements associated with effective staff development as perceived by Secondary School Mathematics Teachers. A questionnaire consisting of 24 statements was developed by the researcher after a review of the research on effective staff development practices.

An analysis, using the Pearson r correlation coefficient, found r values between -0.17 and 0.4 suggesting a moderate to low correlation between the perceived importance and actual practice of those elements of staff development.

In testing rho, to find the population correlation between perceived importance and perceived …

A Study To Determine The Effects That Concrete Manipulatives Have On Mathematics Anxiety And Achievement, Nicholas R. Brian Simione

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this five week study was to test any effects that concrete manipulatives had on mathematics anxiety and achievement. Two groups of high school freshmen were selected. A control group (n = 23) was taught using traditional teaching methods of lecture-homework-review-test. An experimental group (n = 20) used concrete manipulatives to reinforce a lesson after it was introduced. Manipulatives replaced worksheets as the sole source of review.

To assess changes in mathematics anxiety in the experimental group, the adolescent version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS-A) was administered. The researcher used dependent t test procedures to determine …

A Course In Mathematics Appreciation, Daniel J. Kraft

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to create a mini-course in mathematics appreciation at the senior high school level.

The mathematics appreciation course would be offered as an elective to students in the 11th or 12th grade, who are concurrently enrolled in trigonometry or calculus.

The topics covered in the mathematics appreciation course include: systems of numeration, congruences, Diophantine equations, Fibonacci sequences, the golden section, imaginary numbers, the exponential function, pi, perfect numbers, numbers with shape, ciphers, magic squares, and root extraction techniques.

In this study, the student is exposed to mathematical proofs, where appropriate, and is encouraged to create …

The Database Management Course At Camden County College And The Effect On The Technological Needs Of Industry, Jennifer R. Lupo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Database Management course at Camden County College to determine if it currently meets the needs of businesses in Camden County. A review of recent literature and the proposal of the Data Processing Management Association expressed that technological courses should be reviewed every two years. The researcher queried one hundred randomly chosen Camden County businesses and twenty-seven Camden County College Database Management students from the Spring, 1995 semester. Opinionnaires were mailed to local businesses and a survey was administered to the students. A comparison was made between industry's needs and the students' …

The Development Of A Unit On Fractal Geometry Appropriate For The High School Student, Ira A. Fine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a three week fractal geometry unit plan and analyze its success at the high school level. The researcher evaluated the research and literature related to fractal geometry and fractal geometry education suitable for the high school student. A fractal geometry unit plan was constructed. Topics covered in the unit plan included introductory concepts, the Koch curve, Sierpinski's triangle, coastline length, the chaos game, complex numbers, the Mandelbrot set and computer generated fractal images.

The unit plan was taught to three tenth grade honors geometry classes at Washington Township High School in Southern …

Occasional Papers: On Teaching The Sciences, Janice Rowan Poley

Hollybush Series

Volume 2 of The Hollybush Series contains six essays by Glassboro State College faculty on teaching mathematics, computer science, and physics.

The editor is Janice Rowan Poley and the authors of the six essays are Janet Caldwell, Seth Bergmann, Ronald Czochor, A. Michael Berman, Karen Magee-Sauer, and Gary Itzkowitz.