Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Effects of explicit study strategies on academic success and perceived academic anxiety in a middle school science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) McGlumphy, Carolyn Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesEffective study strategies are not innate, but rather are learned behaviors. By middle school students are expected to create and use study materials independently, however they often have not been directly taught such strategies. This study investigated whether explicitly teaching study strategies affected summative assessment scores. This study also investigated whether the strategies had an effect on student attitudes towards assessments, confidence and feelings of academic anxiety. Throughout the study, students learned four different study strategies through scaffolded lessons and were asked to use them to prepare for quizzes. Student attitudes and academic anxiety were analyzed using pre and post-treatment surveys and anxiety questionnaires. The results indicated that the effective use of study strategies increase assessment scores, confidence and organizational skills, as well as decrease feelings of academic anxiety.Item Middle school intervention program(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Farrell, Anna Caitlin; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter WoolbaughThe study was focused on an intervention program known as Friday School. The purpose was to see how the intervention program affected student achievement in science. The data were collected based on non-treatment and treatment phases during the opening two quarters in the 7th grade, which had 64 students. During the eleven sessions data was collected there was a total of 70 attendees. There were a variety of methods in which data were collected. Students were given a survey to fill out after attending a session, this asked for their attitude, opinion on how helpful they felt it was and what they worked on. A teacher journal was kept to collect qualitative data that was observed. The treatment phase implemented five different study skills: fun lab, vocabulary, notebook organization, study sessions and one-on-one help. Results indicate that students academically benefit by attending the program. Students who show up had good attitudes towards attending and found the program helpful. Some study skills that were implemented during the treatment phase, showed that students will improve their engagement in science and may receive better test/quiz scores. This study showed that tutoring intervention programs are needed in education to help students be more successful.Item The effects of daily quizzes on student achievement in a chemistry class(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Hirschman, Bryan; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisStudents often struggle for their first time in high school when taking chemistry. The complex nature of the course along with the high level of problem solving makes the course challenging for a lot of students. In order to do well in chemistry, students need to learn a new language, love math, think often, and spend time at home practicing each day's lessons. Students therefore need to develop good study habits to ensure success in a high school chemistry course. During an 4-week window students were divided into two treatment groups. Treatment group A were given ten to fifteen minute quizzes every other day. These quizzes were valued at less than 5% of their overall grade, and their grades could be improved upon by demonstrating mastery on the unit test. The control group, B were not given access to the quizzes. The study compared the results and concluded that students who took quizzes frequently earned higher scores on the unit test and earned higher grades for the subsequent marking term.Item The effects of homework study logs on chemistry students' attitudes, study habits, and learning(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Whalen, Jacob Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThis classroom research project was an investigation into the efficacy of homework logs as a means to improve students' learning, study habits, and attitudes about homework. The study was conducted in an introductory chemistry course at St. Monica Academy high school with 20 students. Half the students maintained a homework log over the course of three units. Data collected from post exam assessments, student interviews, and surveys suggested that the logs improved students' focus, diligence and organization but did not significantly improve students' comprehension or understanding of the material.Item The effects of explicitly teaching metacognitive techniques in a college level human biology class(Montana State University - Bozeman, Graduate School, 2014) Lords, Quincie R.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Peggy Taylor.The success rate for Basic Human Biology at Great Falls College - MSU has been declining the last three years. While reflecting on possible reasons for the decline, I narrowed it down to the three most common reasons students seek my help during office hours. These were difficulty with note taking, poor time management and failure to learn from errors. This project evaluated the effect of teaching metacognitive strategies on academic performance, self-efficacy, and ability of students to select appropriate metacognitive strategies. Students were taught time management and study strategies along with reflection activities. Data collection for this project included surveys, interviews, field notes, and exam scores. The results indicated that note taking, study skills and time management improved. Self-efficacy remained the same while academic performance results were inconclusive. The positive outcomes from this project have encouraged me to continue implementing these strategies.