Secondary Education Commons^™

Use Of Technology And Its Impact On Higher Order Thinking In The Science Classroom, Mauree Angelina Haage

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focuses on examining the impact of technology on higher order thinking in the science classroom by first examining the impact of a teacher’s knowledge of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy on the integration of higher order thinking activities and then by examining what levels of higher order thinking exist when technology was utilized. Previous research has found correlations between the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy exhibited when using technology, particularly probeware, simulations/virtual labs, and special software like LoggerPro. In addition, previous research has shown a trend of teachers inaccurately categorizing their lessons and activities as having a higher order thinking level …

Model Evidence Links (Mels) And The Impact Of Critical Thinking On Open Ended Responses, James Gregory Zabel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this dissertation, which was conducted in a rural school district that is equidistant from three major urban areas in central Iowa, and employed an action research methodology, was to examine the relationship between graphic organizer use and critical thinking. A multitude of studies have provided evidence that graphic organizers aid in the recall and understanding of basic facts in the lower grade levels; however, little research exists that supports a connection between graphic organizer use and the ability of students to recall information used on open-ended critical thinking assessments or the ability to create what Bickel and …

Technology Based Grammar Instruction, Erin Mary Summerhays

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There are a wide variety of technology-based grammar instruction resources available for educators, and it is important for them to select the best tool for their school district’s and individual students’ needs. It is also important for educators to know whether the technology they have chosen is better than the traditional way of grammar instruction using paper and pencil. This paper studied the free grammar tool Noredink and looked specifically at the concept of active and passive voice. 22 10th -grade students were participants, with 11 receiving grammar instruction using traditional methods, and the other 11 receiving grammar instruction using …

Impact Of Parent Mentoring And Participation In First Robotics On Middle And High School Age Female Perceptions Of Engineering Careers, Kirsten Olson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Female presence within engineering careers has been a growing concern for decades, as females continue to major in engineering at a far lesser rate than males. Females may be affected by many different environmental factors, from parental influence, early engineering experiences, negative stereotypes present in male dominated careers, and male dominant culture in content classes and the workplace. Researchers have explored ways in which the gender gap within engineering can be closed, such as heightening females’ self-efficacy and providing early STEM experiences. Early engineering experiences include the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Programs, where students are …

Impact Of Teacher Scientist Partnerships On High School Students' Perceptions Of Science, Kevin John Schneider

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There exist a multitude of global issues in the 21^st century that can be addressed with the scientific process. In response to these dilemmas, there are a number of education initiatives that aim to raise interest in science careers. This study provides an evaluation for one such effort. Over 200 students from 4 different high schools and 4 teachers were presented with a pre to post survey to measure the impact of Research Experience for Teachers (RET) curricula. High school science teachers participated in a research experience, created curriculum with a scientist, taught the content in their classrooms, and …

A Qualitative Comparison Of General Chemistry And Advanced Placement Chemistry Students' Misconceptions Regarding Solution Chemistry, Megan J. Vandersee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focused on identifying misconceptions which high school AP and collegiate general chemistry students hold with regards to solution chemistry topics and comparing the misconceptions held by each student group. Previous research has found that misconceptions can greatly impact students’ understanding of material and have a negative impact on student learning. However, not all solution chemistry topics had been explored in previous research. In addition, it has been suggested that collegiate students have reached a higher level of cognitive development as they are older and more advanced in their studies. If this is the case, one could assume that …

The Efficacy Of An Intuitive Eating Education Program In A School Nutrition Education Curriculum, Nicole Healy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Childhood and adolescent obesity and eating disorders are increasing at an alarming rate in the United States and they occur at younger ages than previously observed. To combat childhood and adolescent obesity, many school nutrition education programs offer obesity prevention programs. Some of these programs consist of restrictive eating plans for obesity prevention, yet their efficacy has been questioned because an unintended consequence is that they may actually increase eating disorder behaviors. An alternative to programs that focus on restrictive eating is the Intuitive eating approach, which is based on the premise that an adherence to physiological cues in determining …

The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And Physical Fitness In Adolescents, George William Centeio

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In today's schools, there is a major emphasis placed on academic proficiency particularly in the areas of reading, math, and science. Society is also seeing increases in the number of people who are obese and inactive. Some believe that increasing physical activity and/or improving physical fitness will result in better academic achievement of students in school. This study examined the relationship between academic achievement and physical fitness in adolescents. The participants included 200 ( 118 male, 82 female), high school students, at a rural high school located in the Midwestern region of the United States. Student's third trimester, end of …

Iep Team Decision-Making Process In The Reintegration Of Special Education Students: A Qualitative Analysis Of Exiting Decisions, Kenneth G. Hayes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to take an in-depth look at the decision-making process that an IEP team goes through regarding the reintegration of special education students. In particular, this study looked at the exiting criteria used by an IEP team in determining whether or not a student should be exited back into the general education classroom prior to graduation. Furthermore, using Raven's (1992) Power/Interaction Model as the theoretical framework, this study also looked at the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of an IEP team that were adopted through the processes involved in exiting students from special education programs.

The …

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Number Of High School Science Credits Earned And Successful Completion Of The First Year Of College At A Regents’ Institution, Amy Denise Jabens

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between the number of science credits a student completes at Prairie High School and the successful completion of his or her first year of college at an Iowa Regent's institution as defined by college grade point average and a minimum number of credits earned. Data for this study was collected from high school transcripts and Prairie High School's annual report from the Iowa State Board of Regents. This report outlines how many credits students earn and their cumulative grade point average at the end of their first year of college. …

The Influence Of Significant Others On High School Students’ Expectancies, Task Value, And Motivation In Physical Education, Skip M. Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In physical education, students perform physical activities among their peers and teachers. Some students are highly skilled, while others are developing their skill, and some just do not participate at all. It has been questioned why one child would approach a new opportunity with excitement and enthusiasm and another child (with the same opportunity) would have anxiety and self-doubt. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of significant others on high school students' expectancies for success, task value, and motivation in physical education class. Specifically, this study examined perceived influence of significant others' beliefs on students': expectancies …

The Relationship Between Time Spent In Physical Activity During Daily Physical Education And Selected Physical Fitness Components Among Elementary And Secondary Students, Shelley Mccumber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between the time spent in physical activity in the physical education classroom and the scores on the Fitness gram battery tests of the mile walk/run, sit-ups, flexed arm hang, trunk lift, and the sit and reach in elementary and secondary students. Two sub-problems were also investigated: (1) were there differences in the total amount of time spent in physical activity between elementary students and secondary students; and (2) were there differences in the percent of total class time spent in physical activity between elementary students and secondary …

Predicting Ghanaian Pre-Service Teachers' Intention To Teach High-Risk Sexual Behavior Prevention From Teaching Efficacy And Prevention Approach, Joseph Kwesi Ogah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Youth and adolescents in African Countries have been experiencing high prevalence levels of the outcomes of high-risk sexual behavior (HRSB), such as HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, illegal abortions, and dropping out of school. Education is one means by which HRSB can be reduced among adolescents, but the sensitive nature of sex education and the controversy over which prevention approach to use have made the teaching of HRSB prevention in schools a cautious undertaking. The purpose of this study was to describe (a) pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs for teaching HRSB prevention and (b) pre-service teachers’ preferred approach to HRSB prevention, as determinants …

An Investigation Of The Types Of Support Identified As Necessary By Secondary Classroom Teachers In Iowa School Districts For The Inclusion Of Students Identified As Behaviorally Disabled, Rick Alan Ironside

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the type of supports secondary general educators in Iowa school districts identified as minimal to include children with behavioral disabilities. It also analyzed the differences in the types of support secondary general educators identified to include children with behavioral disabilities into the general education classroom.

A total of 251 teachers from 147 school districts reacted to an assigned scenario that described a student with a behavioral disability by completing a self-reporting survey on the actual supports they received and minimal support needs preferred to include the student described in the assigned scenario into their classroom. General education …

Teaching Effectiveness In An Introductory High School Honors Physics Course As Measured By The Force Concept Inventory, April Crawford Moore

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Of importance to many teachers is that students emerge from a course of study with an acceptable level of comprehension of the subject matter presented and that students' course grades reflect that understanding. The primary question of this research was, "How effective in promoting comprehension of Newtonian concepts is this teacher's use of selected interactive strategies?" Secondary questions were: 1. What modifications to instruction, if any, have to be made for implementation of interactive-engagement strategies? 2. Following instruction in mechanics, which misconceptions probed by the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) are retained by students, and which misconceptions are corrected? 3. How …

An Investigation Of Cooperative Consciousness-Raising As An Innovative Teaching Practice, And Of Reactions To Its Introduction Into A High School, Sahoby Solo Raharinirina

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The language pedagogy literature stresses the importance of the quality of second/foreign language teaching/learning in learners' acquisition, development of communicative competence, or both. The change literature equally emphasizes the importance of the quality of innovation in change audience’s resolution to reconceptualize current practices and espouse the new practice being advocated. Both literatures underline the need to use multiple research strategies in order to depict the product and process of learning and/or shifting experiences. To contribute to the educational literature in these areas, the present research incorporated two different but interrelated studies.

Study One utilized both between- and within-method approaches (Denzin, …

Portfolio Assessment In High School Chemistry, Mark M. Laporte

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This is a report of one high school chemistry teacher's experience of implementing portfolio assessment in his classroom. This project was carried out using a teacher as researcher model. The chemistry classes were p1imarily composed of 11th grade students in a rural midwestern high school setting. This thesis reviews some of the literature regarding alternative assessment focusing particularly on the literature related to portfolio assessment. The chemistry portfolio design is explained in detail including a rationale for each of the portfolio elements. The teacher developed nine portfolio elements of which the students were required to complete five. The nine elements …

Analysis Of Violence Prevention Perceptions Among Teachers And Principals In Iowa Public Secondary Schools, Elizabeth Fischer-Jurgensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' and principals' perceptions of violence prevention training in Iowa's public secondary schools. The perceived level of danger, the actual amount of violence prevention training, the desired amount of violence prevention training, and the discrepancy between actual and desired amounts of violence prevention training were identified for 11 types of school violence. Additionally, the relationship between the size of community and each discrepancy was examined.

Five research questions were utilized with a quantitative research approach. A survey instrument was mailed to 480 public secondary school teachers and 120 public secondary school principals …

The Relationship Between Coping Strategies And Body Image Among Adolescent Females, Lisa Monae Yarrow

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between coping strategies and body image disturbance among adolescent females. Fifty-eight of 78 (74.4%) seventh grade female students at a midwestern middle school completed all phases of the research.

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; Gamer & Garfinkel, 1979) identified subjects with maladaptive eating behaviors. The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS; Endler & Parker, 1990) and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ; Cooper, Taylor, Cooper, & Fairburn, 1987) provided information concerning the type of coping strategies employed as well as feelings concerning appearance.

Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the …

Profile Of Adolescent Gambling Behaviors In Black Hawk County High School Students Ages 14-18, Holly A. Helm

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As gambling opportunities increase, adolescents are exposed to more forms of gambling and may be developing problematic gambling behaviors. Research seems to indicate a "growing trend that pathological gambling is becoming more common among young Americans" (Kerr, 1998, p. 27). Thus, the purpose of this study was to profile adolescent gambling behaviors that exist in Black Hawk County high school students between the ages of 14-18. In particular, this study sought to: (a) define adolescent perceptions of gambling; (b) tabulate the percentages of youth who are engaged in gambling activities; (c) identify money gambled; (d) examine who influences gambling behaviors; …

The Student Views The Teacher: Investigating Student Perception In Assessment Of High School Teachers, Richard N. Johns

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine student assessment of teachers at the secondary level and to add to the body of knowledge pertaining to the role of student evaluation of teacher performance in the instructional improvement process. The study was designed to determine which teacher behaviors and student/teacher relationship characteristics influenced summative assessments of teachers and if the influence was distorted by certain potentially biasing variables. Student assessments of teachers were compared to principal assessments of teachers to determine whether significant differences in ratings existed between these two evaluative sources.

The research questions focused on the composition of …

Process Of Educational Innovation: A Micropolitical Study Of The Implementation Of A Team Teaching Model, Bruce Steven Frana

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This is a two-year case study, conducted in a large school district (over 10,000 students), of an attempt to introduce interdisciplinary team teaching at the high school level. The purpose of this study was to examine what teachers do and think as they engage in the process of implementing educational reform. I believed initially that the success or failure of educational reform depended largely on the actual teachers involved in implementing that reform. Once I was in the setting, however, it was clear that administrators must be included because reform depends on much more than what teachers do and think. …

A Study Of The Nature And Delivery Of The Environmental Health Curriculum In Selected Iowa Schools, Grades 9-12, Craig Allen Zoellner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the nature and extent of environmental health education currently being offered and taught in selected Iowa high schools during grades 9-12. The sample consisted of 136 high schools in Iowa. Schools in this sample were selected based on high school size using random stratified sampling techniques. A questionnaire was constructed to ascertain the nature and extent of environmental health education. Of the 136 questionnaires mailed, 86 were returned. The data were analyzed descriptively by compilation of frequencies and percentages for responses to each question. The results of this study indicated that within …

An Investigation Of Selected At Risk Factors In Rural High Schools In The Midwest, Kevin M. Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the use of selected at risk factors to predict student high school success. In addition, academic and social viewpoints of students in grades 9-11 who had been retained were investigated, as were the perceptions of their parents. The sample was drawn from two public school districts which were representative of rural schools in a Midwestern state. A total of 373 students in grades 9-11 from both districts participated. Data on 26 selected at risk factors were gathered from school records and personnel to determine predictors of school success. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, step-wise multiple regression, and …

Health Interests Of Ninth Grade Students In Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, Jamel F. Al-Rashad

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the health interests and preferred health education teaching methodologies of selected ninth grade male students in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.

The review of the literature indicated the importance of taking students' interests into consideration in designing effective and meaningful health education programs. It is hoped that the results of this study will help Saudi authorities develop a health education program that effectively responds to the students' health interests and one that is delivered in the most meaningful fashion to them.

The sample for this study consisted of 250 ninth grade male students …

The Effects Of Two Teaching Methods On Students’ Aids-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, And Behaviors, Connie M. Ryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different teaching methodologies on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of a selected group of undergraduate students at the University of Northern Iowa. The two methods used were a lecture on AIDS for one group of students and the same lecture followed by a panel discussion with individuals upon whom AIDS has had a direct effect on their lives for a second group of students.

Subjects consisted of three sections of students enrolled in an undergraduate personal wellness course at the university. One section of …

The Effect Of An Alcohol Consciousness-Raising/Information Packet And An Alcohol Education Program On Alcohol-Related Family Discussions And Student Alcohol Use, Sandra S. Havlik

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an alcohol consciousness-raising/information packet and an alcohol education program on student alcohol use behaviors and family discussion regarding student alcohol use. In addition, the relative difference in effectiveness of the alcohol consciousness-raising/information packet and alcohol education program among males and females was investigated. A total of 1,595 incoming first-year students were randomly assigned to one of four groups, and 1,634 of their parents were assigned to the same group as their child. Group A consisted of 425 students and 429 parents who received both the alcohol consciousness-raising/information packet and …

Differences In Trait Competitiveness Between Girls’ Basketball Starters And Non-Starters At The Junior High And High School Level, Julie Ann Kemp

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences ln trait competitiveness between girls' basketball starters and non-starters at the junior high and high school level. The study was designed to test the hypotheses that high school girls' basketball players would have higher levels of competitiveness than junior high school basketball players; that there would be no difference in the trait competitiveness scores between girls' basketball starters and non-starters; and, that there would be no difference in the trait competitiveness scores of starters and non-starters at either the junior high or high school level.

The subjects (N …

A Study Of Teaching About Religions In Selected Iowa Public High Schools, Douglas W. Sprague

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated public high school teachers perceptions about religions in the curriculum, and practices of public high school teachers when teaching about religions in public high school classrooms. The study used a modified version of the analytical induction model of qualitative research presented by (Bogdan & Biklen, 1982). Three pre-selected high schools in the state of Iowa were identified by the researcher for study. A common departmental structure was used to identify teachers from across the curriculum as participants in the study. The schools were of three different enrollment sizes. Thirty-four teachers who taught 79 different courses made up …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Model For Implementing Restitution Into The Disciplinary Procedures Of Secondary Public Schools, Garry Leroy Jensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for implementing restitution into the disciplinary procedures of secondary public schools. The model was designed to encourage self-discipline, improve decision-making, promote self-esteem and provide for reconciliation. The concept of restitution upon which the model was based is as follows:

If you have wronged someone, it is your responsibility to make it right with that person and to your community as a whole by positive constructive acts and it is your further responsibility to improve yourself with personal accomplishments and goals. (Challeen, 1982)

Using language of systems analysis, a flow chart …