Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Characteristics Of An Existing Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum And Students' Views On An Alternative Instructional Strategy, Stefanie R. Whitefield

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) explore Social Studies as it takes place in a third grade classroom at an elementary school in Southern New Jersey and (b) to implement a Social Studies unit using an alternative instructional strategy and determine whether this method is more favorable among students as compared to the traditional teaching method. The researcher observed the cooperating teacher delivering Social Studies lessons, took field notes, recorded her thoughts in a teacher research journal, interviewed four teachers, interviewed students in the cooperating classroom, and implemented a Social Studies unit using scripted plays as an alternative …

How Does Being Placed In A Special Education Setting Affect A Student's Self-Concept?, Kristin Fastiggi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the self-concept of classified and non-classified students. Twenty-four students, twelve classified and twelve non-classified, all from Gloucester County, were given the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The test consisted of ten statements related to overall feelings of self-worth or self-acceptance. The students were tested away from their peers and the test was administered by the researcher. Once the study had been carried out the scores were analyzed by the researcher. The non-classified group had an average score of 15.83 (a normal self-esteem is within the range of 15-25). The non-classified group had an average …

The Effects Of Using Children's Literature To Teach Positive Character Traits To Elementary Students, Christopher M. Dimakos

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this investigation were to determine (a) the effects of using children's literature to increase positive character traits in elementary students; and (b) how character education can be taught to elementary students through the use of children's literature. The researcher chose six character traits to be used throughout the study. Each week a variety of children's literature pertaining to that week's trait was read to the class. After readings, class discussions and role playing activities were held. Students were given a pre/post assessment to judge student learning of positive character traits throughout the study. The results of this …

Using Reinforcement And Self Management In Classrooms To Increase Motivation, Sherri Aitken

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study is to investigate the implementation of classroom management strategies in a Team Approach to Mastery (TAM) classroom which will include both regular and special education students. This research study will identify the most effective strategies in terms of ease of implementation, time, effort, generalization, reliance upon the system, and personal ratings. Small focus groups will also be conducted with the students in order to have a clearer view of student motivation and their likes or dislikes of the current system. A successful plan must be motivating and enjoyed by both students and teachers within the …

The Effect Of A Constructivist Social Studies Unit On Student Attitudes Toward Social Studies, Kristi L. Arruzzo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a constructivist social studies unit on student attitudes towards social studies. It was hypothesized that students who experienced constructivist based social studies lessons would display a greater interest in social studies topics in the classroom than those who did not experience constructivist based social studies lessons. The subjects in this study were fifty, fourth grade students from a southern New Jersey school district. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group, both of which received a pre-test. While the control group received no difference in teaching style, …

The Effect Of Positive Reinforcement On The Achievement Of 3rd Grade Students' Spelling, Leandra Pintel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of positive reinforcement in the form of rewards on the achievement of 3^rd grade students' end of the week post spelling test. The study was conducted on fourteen 3^rd grade students in a kindergarten through sixth grade school in southern New Jersey. The researcher collected the students' grades for four weeks during which positive reinforcements in the form of rewards were not used and the grades for four weeks during which the students received positive reinforcements in the form of rewards every time the student earned a grade …

Test Anxiety: Effects On Standardized Testing, Average Classroom Assessments, And Fourth Grade Students, Elysia J. Ochs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of both standardized testing and average classroom assessments on the levels of test anxiety. The study was a correlation study. with a sample of 42 fourth grade students. The students came from four separate classrooms within the same elementary school. This study adapted Wren and Benson's (2004) Children's Test Anxiety Scale (CTAS). The subjects in this study were administered two identical questionnaires entitled, "How I Feel About Tests." The first CTAS was administered in the week following the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK). The second CTAS …

The Effects Of Critical Literacy According To Bloom's Taxonomy Cognition, Jennifer L. Virelli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to accept the hypothesis that kindergarten students who were introduced to critical literacy lessons could learn and increase their higher level thinking skills according to Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognition than kindergarten students who were not instructed in critical literacy. The experimental group consisted of fifteen kindergarten students and the control group included eighteen kindergarten students. The demographics of the experimental classroom included seven Caucasian students, six African American students, and two Hispanic students. Five of the students received free lunch. The specific classroom in which the study was performed was a general education kindergarten …

The Impact Of The Resource Room On Peer Relationships, Jennifer Howells

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if resource room attendance for classified students had an impact on social relationships with their non-classified, general education peers. Specifically, the study sought to establish trends in the following two areas: if resource room students were in fact less likely to be accepted by their general education peers, and the most likely reason why resource room peer non-acceptance would occur. Using student interviews, which consisted of a peer nomination rating, and a Teacher/Faculty Survey, which consisted of three open-ended items and one forced-choice item, data was collected. Using a chi-square analysis of …

A Correlational Study On How Reading Scores Are Affected By Complementing Learning And Teaching Styles In Multiple Kindergarten Settings, Leslie-Ann D. Monforto

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this correlational study were to (a) observe the learning styles of groups of kindergarten students and the teaching styles of their corresponding teachers; and (b) determine the effects that the matching of similar learning and teaching styles had on students' reading performances. It was hypothesized that students whose learning styles matched that of their teachers' teaching styles would do significantly better on their reading scores than those students whose learning styles did not match that of their teachers' teaching styles. Teacher and students were assessed using an adaptation of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Test to determine their …

The Impact Of Positive Reinforcement And Self-Recording On The On-Task Behavior Of Third Grade Students, Shannon L. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of positive reinforcement and self-recording on the on-task behavior of third grade students. It was hypothesized that third grade students, within a learning community, who employ self-recording strategies and experience positive reinforcement rewards will be on-task a significantly longer length of time than third grade students who do not utilize those strategies. The study consisted of an experimental and a control group. Both groups were observed to determine baseline data. The experimental group was then asked to record their own on-task behavior and received rewards for being on-task a high …

The Effectiveness Of Non-Traditional Vocabulary Instruction In A Second-Grade Inclusion Classroom, Stephanie Marie Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental study was to determine if non-traditional vocabulary instruction would significantly raise the scores of second-grade students in an inclusion classroom compared to second-grade students whom were taught vocabulary words in a traditional manner. Students were tested in matching vocabulary words to definitions as well as using vocabulary words in a meaningful context. Analysis of the data obtained from the pretest and posttest scores showed that while students in both settings improved in their performances, students who were taught vocabulary words in a non-traditional way, scored slightly higher. Further analysis was conducted to portray that this …

How Critical Is Fluency For The Struggling Reader?, Lisa Dilts

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to look at the importance of fluency to the struggling reader. The research sets out to look for answers to the following questions: How critical is fluency for the struggling reader? What effect does fluency have on the reading experience? What strategies work to improve fluency? The research was conducted on three struggling fifth grade readers, all with different ability levels. One student is placed in a self-contained special education class, one student goes to the resource room for literacy, and one student receives help from the basic skills teacher. Students were …

What Happens When A Fifth Grade Class Takes An Inquiry Stance Into Their Own Wellness Through A Critical Literacy Lens?, Casey Shalhoub

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to teach wellness to students in a fifth grade class using inquiry and critical literacy books. I taught lessons that incorporate the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Health to find out how this knowledge affected the students' lives. I worked with twenty-four students in a fifth grade class for a sixteen week period during my student teaching. I used a student questionnaire to gather information and also analyzed the student participation during lessons and responses to what was taught. I found that through the teaching of wellness through inquiry and critical literacy …

Anti-Bullying Laws And Policies In Southern New Jersey, Joanna M. Wardrop

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover the anti-bullying laws set by New Jersey legislatures. It was also to discover whether school districts in the five southern-most counties of New Jersey are following these laws. Finally, this study attempted to discover which, if any, anti-bullying services are being utilized by school districts in these counties.

This study consisted of a survey which was sent to the 110 superintendents in school districts in the five southern-most counties of New Jersey. The survey contained multiple choice, yes/no, and open-ended questions. The goal of the survey was to find the percentages of …

Computer Use And Integration Of Elementary School Teachers, Samuel L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study asks: Could it be that teachers who have high frequency of computer use in the classroom have recognizable characteristics than teachers who have a low frequency of computer use in the classroom?

A data collection instrument was develop and distributed to 23 classroom teachers at H. B. Wilson Elementary School in Camden, New Jersey. The 47 questions on the survey assessed computer knowledge and uses in the classroom, and a score was given to each category. Some of recognizable characteristics of teachers who had high frequency of computer use in the classroom were the fact …

The Prevalence And Function Of Mathematics Specialists Across Southern New Jersey, Susan M. Eith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine current practices regarding math specialists in the eight southern counties of New Jersey. Additionally, information on training opportunities offered by several universities was presented and compared to the certification requirements of other states. A written survey was mailed to a proportional stratified random sample (n=45), categorized by county and socioeconomic status. Both simple percentages and tests of significance (t-test and chi-squared) were used in analyzing the data. This study found there were no significant differences in the number of math specialists working in economically disadvantaged districts compared to other, more affluent …