Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Amount Of Parental Reading To The Student At Home And The Student's Second Grade Standardized Reading Achievement Score, Kathleen M. Jewell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the amount of time parents spent reading to their child at home and the child' s second grade standardized reading achievement score. This study used a parental survey to question the parents of third grade students in an urban elementary school on their reading habits and those of the student.

Forty-eight parents (n=48) responded to the survey. The results were then analyzed to find the significance of a relationship. A Chi-square analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between the amount of time a parent spends reading to …

The Effectiveness Of Multicultural Storytelling On Attitudes Toward Different Cultures In The Elementary Classroom, Michele Patruno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to consider the effects of multicultural storytelling and students' attitudes toward different cultures within the classroom. It was hypothesized that exposure to multicultural storytelling in the classroom with a discussion period to follow will produce positive attitudes toward different cultures as opposed to students who are not exposed to the storytelling. The subjects of the study were fifty-five third grade students from a southern New Jersey suburban school district. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group. Each group was administered a pretest and a posttest to determine if changes took place. …

The Effect Of Literature Circles On The Perceived Writing Self-Efficacy Of Fourth Grade Students, Shannon Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental research study purported to determine if fourth grade students who were exposed to the integration of literature circles in their classroom would have significantly different scores on a writing self-efficacy scale than students not exposed to this method of instruction. The sample was comprised of two heterogeneous classes of fourth grade students enrolled at an inner city elementary school in southern New Jersey for a total of 40 students. The nonequivalent control group design was the selected research method. The classes were randomly chosen for either the experimental or control conditions and pretested using the Writer Self-Perception Scale. …

The Effect Of Participatory Instruction On The Motivation Of Third Grade Students, Jessica L. Deck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect differing instructional techniques has on students' motivation in terms of their attitude towards school. Students were pretested using the Inventory to Measure Attitude Towards School and reading (IMATSR). After the pretest, the reading class was conducted in a lecture format with the entire class reading the same novel. Students read a portion of the book and then answered comprehensive questions on a worksheet, prior to discussion. When the book was completed, a comprehensive exam and IMATSR posttest were given. Next, the teacher introduced five books to the class. Each student …

The Effects Of A Pen Pal Program On Attitude Toward Letter Writing In Fourth Grade Students, Lisa Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted with a group of fourth grade elementary school students in a rural area of southern New Jersey to determine whether engaging in a pen pal program would affect their attitudes toward letter writing, as determined by the scores on a writing questionnaire. The sample was a group of 50 students, consisting of 28 boys and 22 girls, of which 14 percent were black and 86 percent were white. The experimental group exchanged letters with pen pals for a period of eight weeks, while the control group did not. Language instruction for both groups remained the same. …

The Effects Of Reinforcement Activities On Reading Comprehension In A Third Grade Classroom, Jessica A.C. Tobin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reinforcement activities on the reading comprehension of third grade students. It was hypothesized that students who completed a hands-on art activity after hearing a story would score significantly higher on a reading comprehension test than those who finished a worksheet activity. Both the students who completed a hands-on art activity and those who did a worksheet activity would score significantly higher on a reading comprehension test than those who received no reinforcement activity after hearing a story. All 23 students in the third grade classroom were given all three …

A Parent Weekly Newsletter And Its Effect On Student Achievement, Brigid Alise Mcguigan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students whose parents receive a parent weekly newsletter would perform better on a unit test than those students whose parents did not receive a parent weekly newsletter.

The sample in this study consisted of 48 students from a public third grade in southern New Jersey. The experimental group consisted of 22 students whose parents received a weekly newsletter for four weeks, from the teacher, about the current social studies unit being taught. The control group consisted of 26 students who were taught the same social studies unit by the same teacher …

The Relationship Between Gender, Grade Level, And Attitude Toward Reading For First Through Fourth Grade Students, Meghan T. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between gender and attitude toward reading and grade level and attitude toward reading. This correlational study used a non-random, convenience sample population that was derived from an elementary school that houses one transitional-first grade, and five classes each of first, second, third, and fourth grades. The sample consisted of 153 first through fourth grade students. Forty-three students were in the first grade, thirty-four students were in the second grade, forty-three students were in the third grade, and the remaining thirty-three participants were in the fourth grade.

The Elementary Reading Attitude …

The Effects Of Performance Based Activities On The Achievement Of The Theme Assessment For Beginning Sounds In Kindergarten, Renee Kruse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students who receive performance based activities would perform better on activities that required the identification of beginning sounds than those who were taught using traditional teaching methods.

The sample in this study consisted of 89 students from a public kindergarten in southern New Jersey. The experimental group consisted of 45 students who received the sorting performance based activities. The control group consisted of 44 students who were exposed to more worksheets and verbal identification of beginning sounds than performance based activities.

A pretest and posttest was used to determine if sorting …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Academic Achievement, And Popularity On Fourth And Fifth Grade Students, Carolyn M. Arata

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to find two relationships. The first relationship is between academic achievement and self-esteem and the second relationship is between self-esteem and popularity among fourth and fifth grade students.

The population used for the purpose of this study was a multiage classroom consisting of both fourth and fifth grades. The classroom was located in southern New Jersey. The population consisted of both male and female students. The students were given a questionnaire to measure personality and the Nonsexist Personal Attribute Inventory for Children which measured self-esteem. Academic achievement was measured by averaging grades, from mathematics, …

The Effect Of Value Instilling Literature On Elementary Aged Children, Erika S. Pello

Theses and Dissertations

In order to determine the effect of lifeskill instruction on the decision-making skills of third graders, a study was performed in a southern New Jersey elementary school. The sample consisted of approximately forty third grade students between the ages of seven and ten years old. The students in both groups were initially pretested with an opinionnaire, which included twelve multiple-choice questions. Lifeskill education was later incorporated into the curriculum for Group A only, which served as the experimental group for the study. Both classes were then posttested. Two t-tests were performed to determine whether there was a significant difference in …

Nutrition And Student Achievement In Kindergarten Students: An Experimental Study, Stephanie Lynn Terista

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the effects of nutrition on student achievement. The subjects were a transitional kindergarten class, ages 5-6, who took part in a 3-week experimental study.

Each week the subjects were instructed to perform a cognitive task directly following a treatment. Week 1, the cognitive task was performed following a nutritional snack; week 2, the cognitive task was performed following a non-nutritional snack; and week 3, a cognitive task was performed without any snack at all.

The results indicated that the findings for each week were not statistically significant: F (1,13)=213.86, …

A Study Comparing Students' Attitudes Toward School In 2000 And In 1979, Rachel C. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare students' attitudes toward school in grade 4 and grade 10 in 1979 and 2000. The researcher analyzed the data gathered from the surveys of 47 students in grade 4 and 47 students in grade 10. The students surveyed attended a private elementary school (grade 4) and a public high school (grade 10), both located in southern New Jersey. The instrument used, the Student Sentiment Index, was analyzed by means of independent t-tests. The results of the 2000 implementation of the survey were then compared to the 1979 administration of the same survey. …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Reading Attitude And Gender In Fourth Grade Children, Crisalinda C. Byro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between reading attitude and gender, to compare reading attitudes between boys and girls on academic and recreational reading, and to attempt to show the difference in reading attitudes between boys and girls in the fourth grade. The seventy-nine (79) subjects who participated in this study were taken from the total population of the three fourth grade classes in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS; McKenna & Kear, 1990) was used to assess reading attitudes. Mean reading attitude scores …

A Study Of The Effect Of Computer-Based Mastery Quizzes On Student Learning, Darren Provine

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to measure the effect of mastery quiz techniques on the test scores of undergraduate students enrolled in computer science classes.

The experimental group took on-line mastery quizzes, administered over the Internet via web browser; the control group followed a relatively standard pop quiz methodology. Test scores of these groups were compared at the end of the study.

A two-sample t-test showed no statistically significant difference in the scores of the two groups.

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Peer Tutoring On Mathematics Achievement Of Fifth Grade Students, Kareem J. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of a peer tutoring program in mathematics on the academic achievement level of fifth grade students. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in the mathematics achievement level of fifth grade students who participated in a peer tutoring program than in the mathematics achievement level of fifth grade students who do not participate in a peer tutoring program in mathematics.

The study was a quasi-experimental design consisting of students in two fifth grade classrooms. Twenty-three students from each classroom participated in the study. One …

A Correlation Study Of Learning Preferences And Attitudes Towards Computers In Fourth Grade Students, Laura C. Garofalo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if specific learning style preferences were related to fourth grade elementary students' attitudes towards computers in the classroom. Subjects were twenty-six students in a fourth grade class in an affluent suburban district. Subjects were given two self-report instruments to measure their learning style preferences and attitudes towards computers. The Learning Combination Inventory (LCI), developed by Dr. Christine Johnston of Rowan University, was used to determine learning style preferences. The Technology Attitude Assessment Survey (TAAS), developed for the University of the State of New York, measured attitudes towards computer usage in the classroom. …

The Effect Of Cooperative Learning On The Spelling Achievement Of Fourth Grade Students, Elisabeth Henjes

Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to study the effect of cooperative learning instructional strategies as compared to traditional spelling instruction on fourth grade achievement in spelling. Comparisons were made between the spelling achievement of thirteen fourth grade students when they were taught by cooperative learning strategies and the spelling achievement of these same fourth grade students when they were taught by traditional spelling instructional methods. The cooperative learning instructional methods used were a combination of Classwide Peer Tutoring and Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD). To control for certain variables a second treatment of traditional spelling instructional methods was implemented after the cooperative …

The Effects Of Range Of Notes, Gender, And Songs With Text Or Without Text On The Vocal Accuracy Of First, Second And Third Grade Students, Nancy J. Hanna

Theses and Dissertations

There are four problems that address the effects of range of notes, gender, and songs with text or without text on the vocal accuracy of first, second and third grade students.

Thirty students each from grades one, two and three were recorded singing four songs in solo. Each student sang a song with a restricted range of notes with text and then on the neutral syllable "loo." Each student then sang a song with a wide range of notes with text and then on the neutral syllable "loo." The recordings of the students singing were then evaluated for accuracy of …

Changing Destinies: An Overview Of The Human Genome Project, Jennifer Lynne Watson

Theses and Dissertations

The Human Genome Project was initiated in 1988. Its purpose being to sequence the entire human genome, including the noncoding regions by 2005. Through the research conducted, due to the project, several genes associated with specific diseases have been identified. This paper is a review of the Human Genome Project and genes that have been associated with the onset of specific diseases. Cystic Fibrosis, a disease affecting the respiratory system, has been isolated to a gene on chromosome 7. Alzheimer's Disease, the disease which is most responsible for dementia, has several genes associated with its onset. These genes lie on …

The Relationship Between Learning Process And Students Who Play A Band Instrument, Tinamarie C. Stanfa

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the learning processes of students who play a band instrument. The problem was to see if all band students process learning in the same manner.

Prior to the study, the researcher sent a letter to the building Principal and Board Of Education to get permission to conduct the research. Next, the researcher sent a permission slip-letter home to all band parents explaining the purpose of the study and what the results of the study would be, if they chose to know.

Once all the responses were received, the researcher administered the Learning …

The Effect Of Parental Monitored Practice On The Musical Achievement Of Sixth Grade Instrumental Music Students, Deborah A. Baldasarre

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parental involvement on the musical achievement of middle school band students. The problem of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a parental monitored practice program on sixth grade instrumental band students' music achievement.

All sixth grade band students were given a letter the first day of school which explained the investigation and asked the parents if they would be part of the study. The parents' participation involved attending an informational meeting, monitoring their students' practice, and commenting where appropriate. Students recorded their weekly practice, obtained their parents' …

Gender Differences In Primary Grade Level Students In Tests Of Visual And Auditory Memory, Kathleen P. Leland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover if gender is a significant factor when determining the auditory and visual memory skills of primary grade level students. The study also sought to determine if boys or girls are more able to recall visual or auditory stimuli. Based on the literature related to the subject of gender and memory, differences between males and females vary depending on the tasks performed.

The subjects were taken from first, second and third grade students attending a suburban elementary school in New Jersey. Fifty-two boys and fifty-three girls were subjected to a story on an …

The Effects Of Literature Circles On The Reading Attitudes Of Fourth Grade Students, Kellyann Roche

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that literature circles had on the reading attitudes of fourth grade students. This study used a pretest-posttest control group design to look at the reading attitudes of fourth grade students before and after the implementation of literature circles. These literature circles were composed of heterogeneous ability groups which were used in addition to the regular reading program.

Both groups were given the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) prior to the induction of literature circles. The experimental group (n = 17) was engaged in literature circles for approximately ten weeks while …

A Study Of Gender And Subject Area On Student Test Score Prediction, Slade Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of student self assessment in this study was to give the instructor feedback – first hand knowledge of the level of understanding/comprehension the students have of the concepts in a given subject area. The purpose for test score predictions was to enable the classroom teacher to teach the areas of subject matter that were needed, not teach what has already been mastered as a skill.

Previous research has shown mixed results in the area of whether gender or subject area affects test score prediction. This provided support for the dual null hypotheses. There is not a significant relationship …

A Study Of Multi-Sensory Instruction On Fourth Grade Students' Reading Achievement, Kristine Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Research has supported that by accommodating teaching methods to complement student learning styles, academic achievement and attitudes improve. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of multi-learning style based instruction, specifically perceptual preferences, on the reading achievement of fourth grade students. Forty-seven students in two intact classrooms from one elementary school participated in the pretest/posttest control group design. A pretest was given to both groups to ensure initial group equivalence. An experimental group then received multi-perceptual instruction for a period of two weeks while a control group was taught by traditional instruction. Following the instruction period, a …

Effect Of Hands-On Instruction On The Science Achievement Of Second Grade Students, Wendy Nardi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hands-on methods of science instruction on low-level second grade students from a low-income community. Hands-on instruction actively engages students in exploratory activities using cognitive, manipulative and operational skills. According to a nonequivalent control group design, the nonstratified sample of 39 students was pretested and presented with either hands-on science instruction or more traditional strategies. Following posttest administration, a t test for nonindependent samples indicated a significant difference between the pretest and the posttest scores of both groups. However, a t test for independent samples revealed no significant difference between …

A Study Of Jazz Band Participation By Gender In Secondary High School Instrumental Music Programs, Douglas Penn Barber

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a gender inequity exists in student participation in high school jazz band.

The sample for this study consisted of students involved in the instrumental programs of high schools in South Jersey. A survey was generated by the researcher to collect data on participation. Sixty-eight surveys were mailed and forty-three were returned.

Data were converted to percentages and compared by instrument for participation in the overall program and the jazz program.

On the basis of these data there is a gender inequity in the participation of jazz band. The difference is a …

The Association Between Music Intelligence And Learning Process Style, Mary Jane Wishart-Morey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to begin to understand brain function and musicality. The problem of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between learning process style and musical intelligence.

Subjects who were in grade three were administered the Intermediate Measures of Musical Audiation test (IMMA). This test was used to identify musically talented children. Subjects took the test by listening to a tonal cassette and rhythm cassette. The subjects decided whether pairs of tonal or rhythm pattern they heard sounded the same or different. These tests required no reading skills. Students put circles around the …

The Effects Of Harmonic Accompaniment On The Music Achievement, Aptitude, And Musical Effectiveness Of First Grade Children, Ruth Pelphrey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how harmonic accompaniments affect first grade children. The specific problems of the study were to understand how harmonic accompaniments affect children in their 1) tonal development, 2) use of their voice, and 3) interest in singing. Furthermore, a fourth problem was to determine the relationships among interest in singing, use of singing voice, and tonal development.

One hundred and six first grade students in five classes were randomly selected to participate in this study. There were three treatment groups; one received song instruction with the accompaniment of piano/guitar, the second used CD …