▼ In an effort to identify the impact of teacher education on P-12 classroom practices, and ultimately on P-12 student learning, this study investigates the differences between two instructional environments in an undergraduate early childhood teacher education program. Data in this qualitative study were collected from students in two methods courses. Content for each course was identical. However, one instructor taught in a center-based instructional environment while the other instructor taught in a non center-based instructional environment. The data show that students in the center-based environment perceived more opportunities to develop autonomy and intrinsic motivation compared to students in the non center-based environment. Advisors/Committee Members: Gray, William.

▼ Critical thinking has been a major goal of higher education institutions and academic libraries since their formation. Critical thinking is a way of processing and using information. Academic libraries as the traditional storage facilities for preserving resources and places for providing access to information have been considered information centers for academics. Throughout the 20th century, academic librarians have taught bibliographic instruction sessions; the Information Age brought about new formats of information. Information literacy instruction appeared in academic libraries by 2000 guided by the information literacy standards set forth by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Librarians therefore try to instill in students information literacy skills and critical thinking skills. One of the developmental models of critical thinking, developed by Kuhn (1999); looks at critical thinking as being made up of metacognitive, metastrategic, and epistemological meta-knowing. Critical thinking is involved in information literacy, but the key is moving beyond just learning how to locate information. Can students enter an academic library and critically evaluate the information resources? Are librarians fulfilling the role of teaching information literacy along with the required critical thinking skills for true information literacy? Advisors/Committee Members: Edwards, Dr. Mary Ellen.

▼ Twenty nine experienced secondary school teachers from several area suburban schools were interviewed about situations regarding classroom management or classroom discipline. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the tacit knowledge used by these teachers in classroom management. Many teachers were often unaware of the automaticity with which they reacted or applied their knowledge to classroom situations. Identifying tacit knowledge may Advisors/Committee Members: Dunn, Thomas.

▼ In this exploratory study, the Need for Cognition was investigated in children and adolescents in relation to their metacognition, argumentation, problem-solving, and epistemological beliefs. This study also looked at gene-environment correlations, cognitive development, motivation, and grade achievement influences on Need for Cognition. Furthermore, it looked at how paying close attention to individuals’ Need for Cognition can foster a classroom of critical thinkers. If the students are actively engaging in thinking and enjoying the learning process, the culture of the classroom can be greatly enhanced. It can also enhance the achievement of grades for the class. Eight participants in 4th- 11th grade were interviewed using Cacioppo, Petty, and Kao’s (1984) Need for Cognition Scale. Little research has been done with children and adolescents on their Need for Cognition. The desire to better understand why Need for Cognition is important in the classroom for educators as well as children and adolescents is discussed. Advisors/Committee Members: Feucht, Florian C.