Children???s attitudes towards school singing have been a growing concern in recent years. While negative attitudes towards school singing have been acknowledged as one of the factors contributing to the decline of singing in schools, these attitudes conflict directly with the socially acceptable, esteemed and desired status that children place on singing in the world in which they live. Given the popularity of singing outside of school, negativity towards singing is of particular concern. Identifying the factors that determine a child???s attitude towards singing in both the school and home context is crucial if positive attitudes towards singing are to be sustained through to adolescence. The purpose of this research was to explore children???s attitudes towards singing in each stage level between Kindergarten and Year 6 in the home and school context, to identify the factors which determine positive and negative attitudes towards singing and to consider the relationships between attitudes in relation to gender. Interviews were conducted with 147 children between Kindergarten and Year 6 in five New South Wales public schools and attitudes towards singing were tested using a three point attitude measurement scale. Further data were collected from 118 parents in order to gain an understanding of children???s singing experience within the home context. Results showed that children???s preference to sing at home, rather than at school, increases with age. While boys have a stronger preference to sing at home than girls, girls are more positive towards school singing. Relational reasons such as fear of criticism and singing in front of others were central reasons for children???s dislike of school singing. While children across all stage levels enjoy singing with CD???s and singing on their own, boys??? particularly enjoy having ownership over song choice and composing their own songs. Lack of song choice and singing in front of others evokes negative attitudes towards singing. Teachers have a strong influence on attitudes towards singing at ES1 and Stage 1 level, however by Year 6, there is a strong correlation between parents and children???s attitudes towards singing. These results provide new insights and implications for the teaching of singing in schools.

Children???s attitudes towards school singing have been a growing concern in recent years. While negative attitudes towards school singing have been acknowledged as one of the factors contributing to the decline of singing in schools, these attitudes conflict directly with the socially acceptable, esteemed and desired status that children place on singing in the world in which they live. Given the popularity of singing outside of school, negativity towards singing is of particular concern. Identifying the factors that determine a child???s attitude towards singing in both the school and home context is crucial if positive attitudes towards singing are to be sustained through to adolescence. The purpose of this research was to explore children???s attitudes towards singing in each stage level between Kindergarten and Year 6 in the home and school context, to identify the factors which determine positive and negative attitudes towards singing and to consider the relationships between attitudes in relation to gender. Interviews were conducted with 147 children between Kindergarten and Year 6 in five New South Wales public schools and attitudes towards singing were tested using a three point attitude measurement scale. Further data were collected from 118 parents in order to gain an understanding of children???s singing experience within the home context. Results showed that children???s preference to sing at home, rather than at school, increases with age. While boys have a stronger preference to sing at home than girls, girls are more positive towards school singing. Relational reasons such as fear of criticism and singing in front of others were central reasons for children???s dislike of school singing. While children across all stage levels enjoy singing with CD???s and singing on their own, boys??? particularly enjoy having ownership over song choice and composing their own songs. Lack of song choice and singing in front of others evokes negative attitudes towards singing. Teachers have a strong influence on attitudes towards singing at ES1 and Stage 1 level, however by Year 6, there is a strong correlation between parents and children???s attitudes towards singing. These results provide new insights and implications for the teaching of singing in schools.

A questionnaire based on Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences was developed and administered to forty-five second grade students in three different classrooms. Sections of the fifty-eight item questionnaire dealt with students' preferences for certain classroom activities, methods of learning, and modes of social interaction. Each student's responses were summarized to create an individual profile, indicating preference for linguistic, mathematical, and/ or spatial activity. In addition, students' preferences for receptive and/ or expressive methods of learning, and for working by themselves, with peers, or with adults were profiled.

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The purpose of this study was to determine if completion of the Purdue Extension Professor Popcorn nutrition curriculum impacts third grade students' long-term knowledge about, attitude toward, and self-reported consumption of fruits and vegetables. A secondary purpose was to measure any carry-over of concepts learned, or to identify any food behaviors acquired, by surveying the students' parents.A total of 74 third-grade students and 66 parents/guardians participated in this study. Data was analyzed using SPSS, version 11.0. Descriptive analysis, frequency counts, and Pearson Chi Square were used to test 15 research hypotheses. Significant differences were found in students' attitude toward vegetables, how often they ate fruit, and how often people should eat fruits and vegetables. No differences were found in parent/guardian surveys. Results of this study provide modest support for the impact of Professor Popcorn on students. No carryover of concepts to the students' parents, however, was observed. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Educational researchers agree that learning to read is one of the most important tasks students undertake. There is also agreement that the school principal makes a difference in the instruction the students receive. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between these two statements by examining the relationship between fourth-grade students' attitudes toward reading and the involvement of elementary school principals in the reading program.The 62 target elementary schools were selected from the Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Germany Region based on student enrollment and tenure of the principal. Fourth-grade students' attitudes toward reading were measured using the Estes Attitude Scale. Principal involvement in the reading program was measured using the Cramer Inventory of Principal Involvement in Reading. The data analysis represents the results from 42 of the target elementary schools, for a return rate of 67.7 percent.The correlation between elementary school students' attitudes toward reading and the involvement of the principal in the reading program was not significant. Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn:1.The attitudes of fourth-grade students in DoDDS-Germany toward reading were positive.2.The difference between the behaviors elementary school principals rated highest and those they rated lowest were verbal commitment to the reading program versus direct, specific involvement with students.3.This results of this study reinforced the conclusions of earlier studies which found that classroom teachers may be the most important element in the learning environment. / Department of Elementary Education

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / Daar kan nie van leerders (wat geleer is wat om te leer, hoe om dit te leer, wanneer en waar om dit te leer) verwag word om skielik verantwoordelikheid vir hulle eie leer in ons moderne informasie-era te aanvaar nie. Die probleem is dat die leerders nie blootgestel of die geleentheid gebied word om hulle eie leer te bestuur nie. Daarom moet onderrigmateriaal verseker dat die leerders blootgestel word aan die geleentheid om hulle eie leer te bestuur. Deur die gebruik van bestaande onderrigmateriaal, wat nie selfgerigte leer (SGL) koester me, kan leerders geforseer word om afbanklike leerders te bly en nie te ontwikkel tot lewenslange en selfgerigte leerders (leerders wat bevoeg is om op hulle eie te kan leer) nie. Verder veroorsaak die gebruik van bestaande onderrigmateriaal deur opvoeders dat die unieke behoeftes van die leerders in 'n klas nie in ag geneem word nie en dat opvoedergerigte leer in plaas van selfgerigte leer bevorder en aangemoedig word. Die rede hiervoor is dat opvoeders, weens 'n gebrek aan kennis van SGL, nie van beter weet nie. Die betroubaarheid van selfgerigte leer word versterk wanneer die opvoeders en die skeppers van onderrigmateriaal 'n deeglike begrip en kennis van die SGL-proses het. Die primere doel van hierdie navorsing is om kriteria te ontwikkel, wat as 'n riglyn kan dien om onderrigmateriaal wat SGL koester te ontwikkel- dus materiaal wat rigting aan die leerders gee om hulle eie leer te bestuur. Die kriteria is gevorm na aanleiding van 'n literatuurstudie van bestaande navorsing oor SGL en kundiges se evaluering van die kriteria. Na aanleiding van die kundiges se kommentaar is onderrigmateriaal, wat SGL koester, ontwikkel en weer aan die kundiges vir evaluering voorgele.

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The purpose of this study was to test a teacher inservice training model which was designed to increase the number and use of hands-on science activities, increase the number of times teachers teach science, and improve students' perceptions of science.