Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Relationships Among First Grade Students' Tonal Aptitude, Singing Vocal Development, And Developmental Age, Florence Tavani

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between developmental age and scores achieved on music ability tests.

The problem of this study was to determine the relationships among the Primary Measure of Music Audiation and the Singing Voice Development Measure and the Gesell School Readiness Test.

Sixty-three students in grade one of the Indian Mills Elementary school took part in this study. All of these students had been tested with the Gesell School Readiness Test prior to entering first grade. This test consisted of eight subtests requiring such tasks as cube stacking, verbal …

Reading Attitude And Academic Achievement In Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Children, Denise L. Moretz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between reading attitudes and academic achievement of elementary school children in grades three, four, and five. Also, the researcher wanted to determine if variables such as gender or time in school affected the relationship between reading attitude and academic achievement.

The subjects consisted of seventy students from three intact classrooms. This study took place in a middle class suburban elementary school in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven students were from third grade, twenty-one students were from fourth grade, and twenty-two students were from fifth grade, Thirty-eight females and thirty-two …

The Effect Of Gender And Birth Order On Reading And Mathematics Achievement Among Third Grade Students, Laurie D. Rosenberg-Asch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine that there was no significant correlation between the effect of gender and birth order on reading and mathematics achievement among third grade students.

The sample in this study consisted of students in a third grade class, in a public elementary school in a suburban school district in southern New Jersey. The sample was comprised of forty randomly selected students from two third grade classes in the school. Twenty students were female, and twenty students were male.

Interim report cards were used as the instrument to determine achievement in reading and mathematics. The …

Self-Concept In Gifted Children: A Developmental And Comparative Study, Sherri L. Evangelista

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the various dimensions of self-concept in gifted children, to compare self-concept in gifted and nongifted children, and to attempt to discover a relationship between self-concept and achievement in gifted children. The 25 subjects who participated in this study were a sample of gifted students taken from a population of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students enrolled in a public elementary school in a suburban area in southern New Jersey. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) was used to assess self-concept. Mean self-concept scores and standard deviations were calculated for each subscale. …

Effects Of Choice Restriction On The Intrinsic Motivation To Produce Creative Products, Karen M. Suloff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether choice restriction decreased intrinsic motivation for a task resulting in a less creative product. The study focused on two kindergarten classes in a half day school setting. The students were to make collages. The students were either given choice or no choice of materials when making their collage. The morning class was given choice of materials. They were allowed to freely choose what they wanted from the boxes of materials. The afternoon class was given no choice of materials. They were given materials chosen by the experimenter. Two weeks later the …

The Effects Of Social And Tangible Reinforcement On Vocabulary Acquisition In Whole Language, Carolyn M. Brida

Theses and Dissertations

In this study the effects of social and tangible reinforcement in whole language was measured. The purpose was to determine if there were any significant effects of the various treatment conditions on vocabulary acquisition.

Social reinforcement and tangible reinforcement are used to motivate students to perform (Neihoff & Mesch, 1991) and achieve (Hitz & Driscoll, 1989). The academic performance and achievement of students in the area of vocabulary acquisition is an important part of the academic process. Vocabulary remains a key focus in education (Nagy, 1988). Whole language programs include vocabulary acquisition (Blachowicz & Fisher, 1996).

The sample for this …

Vocabulary Acquisition Of Target Words By Second Grade Students Through Storybook Read-Aloud Sessions, Joann Ulbrich

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of three conditions of vocabulary presentation were examined to determine which method is optimal for vocabulary acquisition of the meanings of unfamiliar words in elementary school students. The design of this study was similar to that used by A. Brett, L. Rothlein, and M. Hurley (1996). Three intact classes of second grade students, N = 59, in a suburban area in Southern New Jersey were randomly assigned to a control group, a group where students received no explanations of target words when they were read a storybook aloud, or a group where students received brief explanations of target …

The Effect Of Coeducational And Same-Sex Cooperative Learning Groups On Achievement, Michelle L. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coeducational and same sex cooperative learning groups on the achievement of first grade students. It is hypothesized that the academic performance of students in all subject areas while participating in a "same-sex cooperative learning group" will exceed their performance in the "coeducational learning group." The subjects of this study were twenty-two first grade students from a southern New Jersey community. This study was divided into two experimental cycles – cycle A and cycle B. Cycle A included three weeks of coeducational cooperative learning groups and cycle B included three …

The Relationship Of Attendance (Absenteeism) To Achievement And To Single-Parent And Two-Parent Home Status, Kristi H. Weikel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant correlation between student attendance and overall achievement level. This study also investigated if there was a significant difference in the absentee rate of students from single-parent homes versus students from two-parent homes.

The sample in this study consisted of one hundred and thirty-five fourth grade students from an elementary school in southern New Jersey. This was the entire fourth grade population for this district. The school was located in a suburban area.

The report cards were used to determine the grade point averages for the students. Their …

A Parent And Student Handbook For The Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Valerie Anne O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine if there was any significant difference in the expressed needs of the parents and students of the Howard M. Phifer Middle School and the expressed information in various districts' middle school handbooks.

The sample in this study was one hundred and thirty-five randomly selected sixth graders in the Howard M. Phifer Middle School, Pennsauken, New Jersey and their parents.

The sixth grade students and their parents responded to a twenty-five question needs assessment. A comparison of other districts' middle school handbooks was also used to compile information for a middle school handbook for Howard …

A Comparison Of Multiage Education And Graded Education In The Areas Of Academics, Social Skills And Attitudes Of Participants, Cheryl L. Buff

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effects of multiage education and graded education on academic performance, social skills development and parent, student and teacher attitudes toward school.

The 34 multiage students and the 27 graded students were assessed through curriculum based tests and informal reading inventories. Statistical analyses were completed A significant difference was found.

Both groups of students completed a social skills development survey. Cafeteria/playground aides were surveyed and discipline referrals were examined to find the percentage of students in each group who received a detention for a discipline violation. Data was collected, and statistically analyzed. No significant difference was found. …

A Study On The Differences Of Teaching Mathematics And Science Separately And Integrated, Dori Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined if teaching science and mathematics with an integrated approach would increase students' achievement. It also determined whether males or females achieved higher in science and mathematics when taught with the integrated approach. as compared to teaching the two disciplines separately. It determined whether the attitudes of the fourth grade students improved when mathematics and science were taught with an integrated approach.

The group participating in this study consisted of one fourth grade class. The total population of the study was sixteen fourth grade, heterogeneously grouped students. The class consisted of twelve female and four male students.

For …

A Preliminary Study Of New Jersey's Charter Schools, Carol Sowney Datz

Theses and Dissertations

Charter schools have recently become an innovative method of educating a portion of today's students. A charter school is a deregulated public school that is performance-based. It operates under a charter (contract) between people who want to start a school and an official body authorized to grant a charter.

On January 11, 1996, New Jersey Governor Christine T. Whitman signed into law The Charter School Program Act of 1995. This act enabled the beginning of New Jersey charter schools. This study investigates the paths New Jersey's eighteen approved charter schools are taking. Becoming familiar with the Charter School Program Act …

An Investigation Of The Technology-Related Courses And Experiences In Five University Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs, Julie R. Mandes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most relevant issues facing schools today is the incorporation of technology into classroom instruction. The literature reveals that knowledge is the most critical factor which determines the degree to which teachers integrate technology into their instruction. Teachers with high levels of anxiety are less likely to integrate technology into their curricula. Elementary school teachers are not generally comfortable and skilled in the use of instructional technology and are therefore unable to exploit its potential. It was the purpose of this study to define whether or not there is a need for undergraduate teacher education programs to further …

Accelerated Reader: A Study Of The Effects On Reading Comprehension And Attitudes In The Fifth Grade, Christine Welk Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if fifth graders, using the Accelerated Reader, a computer-based reading motivation and management program, will demonstrate an increase in reading comprehension scores as tested by their performance in a pre and posttest using the reading comprehension portion of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. This study will also measure any increase in favorable reading attitudes as measured by a pre and posttest using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey by McKenna and Kear.

Two classes were selected from the fifth grade at D'Ippolito Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey to participate in this study. Both …

A Study Of The Perceptions Among Counselors And High School Students Regarding The Need For A Community College In Cape May County, New Jersey, Michelle D. Myles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare high school guidance counselors' perceptions in general regarding college attendance with those of their graduating students. It was posited, as well, that guidance counselor rankings and the student rankings of five college-choice aspects would be related; namely, that the guidance counselors' choices would be ranked in the same order that the high school students' choices were ranked, and that the students' choices would be significantly related to those aspects relevant to community college attendance. A pilot study was conducted first over phone interviews of the guidance counselors from the four public high …

Performance-Based Curriculum And Sight-Singing: The Effects On Attitudes And Singing Achievements Of Fifth- And Sixth-Grade Music Students, Pamela J. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to gather information concerning literacy training and the use of a performance-based curriculum with fifth- and sixth-grade music students. The problems of the study were to determine the effects of different combinations of sight-singing training and CME instruction on the singing achievement and attitudes of upper elementary school students.

Twelve fifth- and twelve sixth-grade classes from an intermediate school participated in the study. The classes were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions involving various combinations of sight-singing training and CME. All classes were taught by the same instructor for one 45-minute period …

The Comparative Effects Of Manual Drafting And Computer Assisted Drafting On Secondary Students' Sectional View And Auxiliary View Drawings, Glenn R. Smith Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effects CAD and manual drafting have on the effectiveness of teaching technical drawing techniques to secondary students. The problem of the study was to compare CAD and manual methods using the sectional view and auxiliary view techniques of Technical Drawing on second level Mechanical Drawing students.

The researcher, as the teacher, taught the concepts of the two technical drawing techniques, sectional view and auxiliary view drawings. During each section of the study, one group was assigned to complete drawings using the computer assisted drafting method and the other group used …

The Effect Of An Active Parental Program On The Musical Achievement And Musical Affectiveness Of Elementary Instrumental Music Students, Mary Frances Bushong

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the musical environment in the homes of elementary instrumental music students. The problem was to investigate the effectiveness of an active parental involvement program on their child's music achievement and music affectiveness.

Prior to the investigation, the researcher sent a home music environment survey home to all those students who signed up for instrumental lesson in the spring of their third grade year. One of the questions asked the parents if they would be willing to participate in the experiment the following September.

Once the school year started, times and dates were …

A Study Of The Effects Of Shared Peer Reading On Students' Reading Attitudes, Christine Ellen Arsenis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of shared peer reading on students' reading attitudes. It was hypothesized that students who participate in shared peer reading would show significant reading attitude improvements, as measured by the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, over students who do not participate in shared peer reading. The study was a quasi-experimental design consisting of students in two first grade classrooms. Twenty students from each classroom participated in the study. One class was identified as the "participation group" and the other class was identified as the "nonparticipation" group. Both groups were first pretested using …

General Educators And Their Needs For Inclusion Classrooms, Lisa B. Minkin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the perceptions of available inclusion supports by elementary teachers and their attitudes toward inclusion education. This correlational study used a non-random, convenience population: all thirty-nine members taught in a common district that implemented inclusion. They completed a closed-ended questionnaire which measured attitudes toward inclusion and their perceptions of available supports.

The research yielded inconsistent evidence related to the null hypothesis. Attitudes of teachers concerning inclusion and their perceived level of supports were not found to be statistically related. However, there were corresponding percentages of those who considered substantial resources …

Student Ethnicity And Teacher Expectations, Daisy Mercado

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between student ethnicity and teacher expectations and how these expectations were communicated to students through the types of questions they were asked. The subjects for this study were twenty-two second grade students. The first phase of the study consisted of observations in which the questions asked by the teacher and the ethnicity of the student were recorded. They were later categorized as low order and high order questions. Finally, a Chi square test was used to determine if there was a significant relationship between ethnicity and teacher expectations. The study revealed that no significant relationship …

Correlational Study Of Self-Concept, Social Self-Perception, Academic Self-Concept And Behavior Problems Among Elementary School Children, Malthi Lingaraju

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships, if any, between General Self-Concept, Social Self-Perception, Academic Self-Concept, and Behavior Problems among elementary school children. Twenty-two third grade students participated in this study. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory was used to measure self-concept. Social Self-Perception and Academic Self-Concept were measured by subscales of the Coopersmith Inventory. The Connors' Teacher Rating Scales-39 was used to measure the general dimension of behavior problems. Findings from these two measures indicated a significant positive correlation between General Self-Concept and Social Self-Perception; General Self-Concept and Academic Self-Concept, and Social Self-Perception and Academic Self-Concept. There was, …

A Study Of Television Violence And Its Effects On Elementary School Children's Social Interactions, Shari Lonker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the amount of antisocial and aggressive television shows a child views and the occurrence of negative social interactions in which that child is involved while under school supervision. One hundred 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders in a southern New Jersey school district were given television viewing questionnaires to take home and fill out with their parents. Upon completion, the questionnaires were scored according to the child's habit of watching specific television shows targeted with violent content. Each student's teacher then rated the frequency of the child's antisocial or aggressive …

A Correlational Study Of Teachers' Attitudes Towards The Computer And The Use Of Computer-Assisted Instruction In The Classroom, Lynn Karen Lore

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the relationship between the attitude of the classroom teacher towards computers and the utilization of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAl) in the classroom instructions. The teachers were from three public schools and one private school in urban and rural districts of southern New Jersey.

The teachers completed a Computer Attitude Survey (CAS), and a Computer Assisted Instruction Survey (CAIS). The CAS measured the attitude of the teacher in four areas: their anxiety towards computers, confidence in their ability, liking of computers, and their perceptions of the usefulness of computers. Each subclass and the overall score …

The Effect Of Parental Remediation On The Musical Literacy Of Elementary School Students As Measured Through Their Music Aptitude, Margaret Davis Clement

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to study the effect of parental intervention on the music literacy of children in grades Kindergarten through Third Grade. The problem of the study was to determine if parental remediation at home could have an effect on the music literacy of children as measured through their music aptitude.

The entire population of a Kindergarten through Third Grade school participated in the study. Six classes were excluded for practical reasons. A parent survey was sent home. Some families were randomly asked to participate as the experimental group. At the same time, the Primary Measures of …

A Survey Of The State Of Teacher Effectiveness In Four South Jersey High Schools, Maryanne A. Knudsen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' subjective perception of their teaching effectiveness and the factors that facilitate and/or inhibit their sense of efficacy in four South Jersey high schools. In addition, two problems were examined as to the impact of class size on teaching efficacy and does experience in teaching affect a teacher's sense of effectiveness?

The sample was selected from high school teachers in a two county area in southern New Jersey. Teachers were given a questionnaire to complete which was designed to identify important attitudes toward teaching efficacy. A total of 275 questionnaires were distributed …

An Investigation Of The Association Between The Musical Aptitude Of Elementary Students And The Musical Aptitude Of Their Biological Parents, Susan Guerrini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a hereditary link between the musical aptitude of elementary students and the musical aptitude of their biological parents.

The problem of the study was to determine if three age specific tests, created by the same author, could be equalized to measure the association of the musical aptitude of students and their biological parents.

Eighty-eight students from Grades 1 through 5 and eighty-one volunteer parents took part in the study, totaling 169 participants. The students from these families attended the same suburban, middle class elementary school, where they received fifty …

A Comparison Of The Learning Styles Of Community College Versus Four-Year College And Male Versus Female College Students, Michele M. Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the learning styles of community college versus four year college General Psychology students and male versus female college students from the combined groups, to ascertain if differences in learning style existed between the groups. The study identified David Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory elements that were important to the males/females and community college/four-year college students.

The sample included 16 General Psychology students from Salem Community College, and 29 General Psychology students from Rowan College. There were 27 female and 18 male students who participated from Salem Community College and Rowan College combined.

All …

A Study Of The Integration Of Language Arts In An Elementary Music Curriculum, Kimberly Ann Kell

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to determine the effects of the integration of the language arts in a first grade music curriculum.

Two first grade classes from the Marie D. Durand Elementary School, in Vineland NJ, participated in the study. The groups received 12 weeks of an integrated language arts music curriculum based on materials from Harcourt, Brace, and Jovanovich (HBJ) reading series and Carson-Dellosa "Phonics Fun K-1." The two control groups, which also consisted of first grades, received traditional music instruction, with no specific emphasis on the language arts.

For problem one, a survey was administered to all …