Date Approved

6-25-2007

Embargo Period

3-29-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. in Teaching: Collaborative Education

Department

Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Madden, Marjorie

Subject(s)

After-school programs; Science--Study and teaching--Activity programs

Disciplines

Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate an after-school science enrichment program and its components. The study was conducted in a middle school in the Evesham Township School District located in the Burlington County region of South Jersey. The participants included sixty-one students taken from the four sessions of the science program, three teachers of the program, twenty parents of the students, and the program director. Data sources included interviews held with each of the participants, anecdotal notes recorded in a teacher research journal, and student artifacts. I found positive results in the operation of the program, because of its characteristics: a supervisory council, a director, qualified staff, involved parents, interested students, space and materials, enjoyable age-appropriate activities, all in a safe environment with the financial means. The study implies that other after-school programs must be researched and evaluated in order to determine their positive effects. Further research in the study of after-school programs would be beneficial to educators if they focused on program quality and the involvement of qualified staff.

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