The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretically-based social studies curriculum that incorporated research related to schema theory, reading to learn theory, and writing to learn theory. Learning principles and instructional principles were derived from each theory to serve as guidelines for selecting instructional strategies from the research to be included in the curriculum. The content of the Heath Social Studies text (1985) and the instructional strategies together constitute the curriculum for this study. A preparation phase, a guidance phase, and an independence phase was developed for each chapter of the curriculum based on Herber's (1978) instructional framework. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

Little research has been done which shows what the prewriting strategies of students are and what the usefulness of prewriting models are in the production of drafts. These case studies were designed to describe the prewriting strategies of four twelfth grade, advanced placement English students as they composed through three impromptu writing session, beginning with the time they received a prompt and directions to begin until they felt they had completed an essay. Each of three composing aloud sessions was used to draw a writing protocol, from which data were coded in five seconds intervals. Two basic sections were coded: strategies, the means students used to recall cognitively stored data (e.g., making associations, asking questions); and acts, anything physical the students did (e.g., transcribing, commenting). The first composing aloud session was used to draw data from which the students’ intact, acquired strategies could be determined. Given a one-word prompt, the students were asked to use as much time prewriting as they wished and to write an essay. The students were given prewriting models, Rohman’s meditation and Larson’s questioning strategy, for the next two impromptu writing sessions. They were asked to write an essay after having used the models. The students recounted their writing histories in the final session. Findings indicated that these students used l either an associational (the prompts were associated with single word nouns and phrases) or an analytical, (the question "What is it?" guided their search) strategy when they revealed their intact, acquired strategies. Prewriting served as a time for the students to develop a thesis sentence; when that task was completed, they began their essays. Rohman’s was perceived as too restrictive and limiting, while Larson’s was completely rejected. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

Although enrollment in advanced mathematics courses is a significant determinant of mathematics achievement, the majority of public school students are not enrolled in advanced mathematics courses in high school. Policy makers are interested in the dynamics of the math course selection process in the eighth grade because it is viewed as a pivotal transitional point when students are confronted with the decision to either enroll in algebra, the first course on the advanced math track, or in regular math. Approximately one third of eighth grade students enroll in algebra, in spite of general availability of the course. Enrollment patterns vary among the four major race/ethnic subgroups - Asian, Hispanic, Black and White. This study constructed and tested a structural equations model that examined the factors influencing math course choice and the course selection process in the eighth grade in public schools. There were three sources of influence in the model: 1) math achievement; 2) school policies and practices; and 3) parents. The model consisted of three exogenous and five endogenous variables. The model was tested five times. It was tested on a nationally representative sample of 7,648 eighth grade public school students. It was also tested separately on the four race/ethnic subgroups comprising the full sample. The study used data from student and parent files of the base year survey of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS 88), a major national study conducted under the auspices of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For the full sample, the major school and parental factors influencing a student’s math course choice were math track placement, parents’ educational expectations and school-parent algebra push. Of the two achievement influences, standardized math test scores had the stronger influence on the outcome variable. Prior math grades influenced math course choice, but to a lesser extent and was influential largely due to an indirect effect. Although these factors were important for each of the subgroups, the influence of the factors varied among the subgroups. The model fitted the data fairly well for the full sample and the Asian and White subgroups, but less well for the Hispanic and Black subgroups. / Ph. D.

This experimental study examined the effects of word processing on revision and writing quality of expository compositions produced by seventh—graders. Thirty—six students in two accelerated English classes served as subjects. Prior to the experimental period, all students completed a handwritten composition (pretest) and received identical instruction in (a) composing and revising and (b) using a word processor. One intact class was randomly assigned as the experimental group. During the six-week treatment period all students wrote six compositions (three drafts per composition). The experimental group completed all composing and revising on the computer and the control group completed their compositions with pen and paper. Posttest l (produced on computer in the experimental group and by hand in the control group) and posttest 2 (handwritten in both groups) were analyzed for the frequency and types of revisions made between first and second drafts. The pretest and three posttests were analyzed for writing quality of final drafts. There were no significant differences: (a) between groups in the number of revisions in posttest l (computer written by experimental subjects and handwritten by control subjects), (b) in percentage of high—level revisions made with and without the word processor, and (c) in quality of compositions produced with and without the computer. There was a significant difference between groups in the number of revisions in handwritten compositions (posttest 2) produced by both groups after the treatment; the word processing group revised more frequently than did the group not exposed to six weeks of word processing. The experimental subjects also significantly increased in frequency of revisions from the time of posttest l (computer written) to posttest 2 (handwritten). A significant difference across time in writing quality scores was found. The findings suggested that students who compose and revise on computer can make substantially more revisions when they resume pen and paper composing and revising; however, use of the word processor does not differentially affect types of revisions attempted or writing quality. Word processors increase motivation, and adequate systems may increase the ability to detect and eliminate textual problems. Recommendations for research, theory, and instruction are discussed. / Ed. D.

The effects of participation of fifth grade students in the Mathematical Olympiad for Elementary Schools were investigated. Fifth grade subjects at one school who participated in the Mathematical Olympiad for Elementary Schools were compared with non-participants in routine and non-routine mathematics problem-solving achievement, non-routine problem-solving process levels, and attitudes towards mathematics. Results indicated that participation positively affected the participants’ non-routine problem-solving process levels but no uniform results were found on the other factors. The importance of appropriate non-routine mathematics problem-solving tests was indicated as a future source of study. A description of the investigation, instruments and results is included. / Master of Arts

This study was designed to attain the following purposes: To determine the exploratory courses which were being offered in the eighth grade of the five-year high school programs. To determine the course content of these exploratory courses in homemaking. To determine the practices followed in organizing and conducting these courses. To determine the length of the exploratory course in homemaking. To determine what effect the eighth-grade exploratory homemaking course had on enrollment in the vocational course in homemaking. / Master of Science

Skills of argument have attracted the attention of educators but remain challenging to both assess and develop. In contrast to the traditional essay, dialogic argument requires reflection on and coordination of one’s own claims with those of an interlocutor. Investigating a tool for assessing an individual’s dialogic argument skill is an objective of the present work. Building on an earlier study by the author and colleagues, and informed by philosophical writings on objectives of argumentation, undertaken here is a conceptual analysis of instances of dialogic argumentation by skilled arguers in order to discern its essential characteristics. The identified set of characteristics is then used as a basis for evaluating the argumentation skills exhibited by a sample of sixth grade students. A practical purpose is development of an assessment tool for use in educational contexts, identifying the range and variation of argumentation skills individuals bring to dialog. A value of the individual instrument referred to as a constructed dialog and developed and employed here, is that it overcomes the statistical problem created by lack of independence between participants in a dialog which requires that the unit of analysis be the pair-- thereby defeating the objective of assessing the skill of an individual. Empirical results document that young adolescents display competence in some basic skills of argumentation but, even following an intervention designed to build and exercise such skills, they continue to use these sparingly and to lack other equally fundamental ones. Discussion addresses implications for education, as well as the potential for use of the constructed dialog as an assessment tool for evaluating an individual student’s skill in argumentation and the associated understanding it reflects regarding the nature and objectives of argumentation.

The purpose of this study is an attempt to define the needs in the primary grades in Gainesville, to find the most successful criteria used for grouping children upon their entrance into the first grade, and to find the best plan for primary grades in Gainesville schools.

The problem under consideration is to determine the difference between home-room and departmental methods of teaching second grades, as measured by educational achievement. The study attempts to answer the question, Which one of the foregoing mentioned methods will produce the greatest gain in achievement when applied at second-grade level?

Authors of some research studies and other concerned citizens have questioned the relevance and appropriateness of the teaching of science as it is currently done for the transescents in the middle schools. Some suggest that teachers merely attempt to teach scientific facts without regard for students' characteristics, needs, interests, and input. The premise that student input is desirable suggested the need for this investigation of the sixth grade science course. The purposes of this study were: 1. To determine the degree of interest expressed by students in ·topics and in specific items within topics, 2. To determine differences in the degrees of interest expressed by students of different teachers, 3. To determine differences in the degrees of interest expressed by male and female students in the topics taught, 4. To determine if student interest in science is related to achievement as indicated by final grade in science, and 5. To determine teachers' perceptions of their students' interests in topics and specific items within topics. A survey was conducted with an instrument that listed all of the science topics covered in the sixth grade course. Beginning seventh grade students were asked to express their interest in each concept and indicate whether they thought they were taught or not taught in sixth grade. They rated each concept as definitely interesting, of some interest, or not interesting. Appropriate statistical procedures were used to analyze the data and the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Students were generally interested in the sixth grade science program„ However, for most of the concepts students indicated "some" interest as opposed to "definite" interest. 2. There were significant differences among the levels of interest of students taught by different teachers on five topics: Classifying Animals with Backbones; Classifying Animals without Backbones; Elements and Compounds; Sources of Energy; and Atmosphere, Climates of the World, and Natural Cycles. 3. There were significant differences in the levels of interest between male and female students only on two topics: Life Cycles, Heredity, and Living Things; and Sources of Energy. 4. Student achievement and interest were significantly related only on the topics of Classifying Animals without Backbones; Properties of Light; Sources of Energy; and Electricity and Magnetism. 5. Teachers perceived all the science items to be of "definite" or greater than "some" interest to the students. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata