The National Student Research Center

E-Journal of Student Research: Social Studies

Volume 4, Number 1, December, 1995

John I. Swang, Ph.D.

Founder/Director

National Student Research Center

2024 Livingston Street

Mandeville, Louisiana 70448

U.S.A.

E-Mail: nsrcmms@communique.net

http://youth.net/nsrc/nsrc.html

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What Students Know and Feel About Deadly Viruses
2. What Students Know About The Security Of TeleComputing Networks
3. A Student View of School Overcrowding
4. How Do Students Feel About School Discipline?

TITLE:   What Students Know and Feel About Deadly Viruses   

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Graham Rees and Amy Askegren  
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

We would like to do a survey research project on what students 
know and feel about the Ebola virus and other deadly viruses 
that are sweeping the world.  Our hypothesis states that a 
majority of the responses to the factual questions on our 
questionnaire about deadly viruses will be incorrect.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, we wrote our statement of purpose and reviewed the 
literature on the Ebola and other deadly viruses.  Second, we 
wrote our hypothesis and a methodology to test it.  Next, we 
developed our questionnaire, drew a random sample of sixth 
grade students at Mandeville Middle School for distribution, 
and sent it out on the NSRC's electronic school district to 
students all around the world.  When we received our 
questionnaires back we scored them and analyzed our data.  
Finally, we wrote our summary and conclusion in which we 
rejected or accepted our hypothesis and applied our data to the 
world outside of the classroom.    

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

We received 90 completed questionnaires.  We received 26 
questionnaires from the sixth grade students of Mandeville 
Middle School in Mandeville, Louisiana.  We also received 64 
questionnaires from Canada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Utah, 
California, South Africa, and Michigan.  These questionnaires 
were sent to us as E-mail through the NSRC's international 
electronic school district.

We found that a small majority of 53% of the students surveyed 
knew what the Ebola virus is.   A small majority of 55% knew 
that there has never been an Ebola epidemic infecting humans in 
the USA.  A small majority of 56% knew that there has been an 
Ebola epidemic infecting monkeys in the USA.  This epidemic 
occurred in Reston, Virginia at a warehouse which supplied 
monkeys to research laboratories and pet stores in the USA.  A 
small majority of 52% knew that there has been an epidemic of 
the Hanta virus infecting humans in the USA.  A majority of 67% 
did not know that the Ebola virus can sometimes infect other 
humans or primates by traveling through the air.  A majority of 
63% did not know anyone who has died from the Ebola virus, the 
HIV virus, or the Hanta virus.  All of the students surveyed 
knew that some of the symptoms of the Ebola infection are 
bloody noses, bloody vomit, headaches, chicken pock like marks, 
and a high fever.  A majority of 65% did not know that three 
forms of the Ebola virus have been found.  A majority of 58% 
did not know that 10-40% of the people infected with the Ebola 
virus actually survive.  A majority of 73% agree that there 
could be an Ebola epidemic in the USA.  A majority of 62% knew 
that the Ebola virus, the HIV virus, and the Hanta virus are 
extremely lethal viruses.  A majority of 67% did not know what 
the Hanta virus is.  A large majority of 99% knew what the HIV 
virus is.        

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

In summary, the majority of the students surveyed know more 
about the HIV virus than the Ebola virus or the Hanta virus.  
They also felt that there could be an Ebola epidemic in the 
USA.  A small amount knew someone who had died from the Ebola 
virus, the HIV virus, or the Hanta virus.  We also found that 
56% of the responses to the factual questions on our 
questionnaire were  correct.  Therefore, we reject our 
hypothesis which stated that the majority of the responses to 
the factual questions on our questionnaire would be answered 
incorrectly.

V.  APPLICATION:

The students surveyed knew more about the HIV virus than other 
deadly viruses like the Ebola virus and the Hanta virus.  We 
can apply our findings to the world outside of the classroom by 
encouraging public health officials and health teachers to 
educate their students about other deadly viruses and how to 
protect themselves from them.  This would be important 
information for students to know if there was an epidemic of 
deadly viruses.



TITLE:  What Students Know About The Security Of TeleComputing
        Networks     

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Sarah Szpak and Michael Placito  
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

We would like to do a survey research project on what students 
know about the problem of how hackers can illegally get into 
military, bank, private, and government computer databases.  
Our hypothesis states that less than half of the students who 
respond to our questionnaire will know that hackers can get 
into private databases of information stored on telecomputing 
networks.
 
II.  METHODOLOGY:  

First, we wrote a statement of purpose.  Second, we conducted 
our review of the literature on computer crime and developed a 
hypothesis.  Then we wrote a methodology and developed a 
questionnaire.  Fourth, we randomly distributed the 
questionnaire to 12 sixth-grade students at Mandeville Middle 
School.  In addition to that, we sent our questionnaires out on 
to the Internet.  We then scored the questionnaires when 
returned.  Sixth, we analyzed our data by using  simple 
statistics, charts, and graphs.  Next, we accepted or rejected 
our hypothesis and wrote a summary and conclusion.  Then we 
applied what we had learned to life outside the classroom.  
Finally, we sent our completed abstract to the National Student 
Research Center's journal for publication.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

In total, we received 82 responses to our questionnaire.  We 
received 25 responses from Mandeville Middle School.  We also 
received 27 E-mail responses from California, 17 from British 
Columbia, Canada, 9 from Michigan, 2 from Utah, and 2 from 
Ontario, Canada.

A majority of 65% of students surveyed knew that hackers can 
gain access to information stored on a private computer that is 
connected to a telecomputing network.  A small majority of 53% 
of the students agreed that the police are working hard to stop 
computer crime.  Seventy-nine percent of the students did not 
know anyone who had gained illegal access to information on a 
private computer via a telecomputing network.  A large majority 
of 85% of the students agreed that people should use secret 
codes for privacy when sending E-mail.  Seventy-nine percent of 
the students surveyed agreed that computer laws should be 
enforced.  A small majority of 58% of the students thought that 
people should be able to send whatever information they want 
out onto the Internet.  Seventy-one percent of the students 
knew that a computer hacker is "a technically sophisticated 
computer enthusiast who enjoys making modifications to programs 
or computer systems."  Fifty-percent of the students surveyed 
thought that computer crime has a big impact on our world 
today.  The other 50% thought that computer crime does not have 
a big impact on our world today.  A large majority of 80% of 
the students surveyed knew that computer crime can be used as 
another form of terrorism.  Eighty-three percent of the 
students agreed that the public should be made aware of 
computer crime.  A large majority of 84% of the students knew 
that hackers can "break into" school files and change grades.  
A majority of the students surveyed knew that the Internet can 
be used to "steal" and "smuggle" information such as phone card 
numbers, credit card numbers, money, computer software not 
released to the public, personal e-mail, credit and financial 
information about a person, and top secret government and 
military information.  Fifty-seven percent of the students 
thought that they could do nothing about the safety of their 
computer information when connected to a telecomputing network.  
Sixty-six of the students said that they never worry about 
computer crime.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

A majority of the students know what a hacker is.  They think 
that computer crimes do not have a big impact on our world 
today.  Students know that computer crime can be used as 
another form of terrorism, but only a small majority worry 
about computer crime.  We learned that most students are aware 
of computer crime.  Seventy-one percent of the students 
responding to our questionnaires reported that they knew what a 
computer hacker is.  Therefore, we accept our hypothesis which 
stated that the majority of the students knew what a computer 
hacker is.

V.  APPLICATION:

We found out that students know about computer crime and know 
what a hacker is.  We also found out that students do not worry 
about computer crime.  Teachers should instruct their students 
about how big a problem computer crime is and how to protect 
themselves from computer crime.  This will be very important 
information to know in years to come.



TITLE:  A Student View of School Overcrowding

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Adam French and Kristi LeBlanc  
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

We would like to do a survey research project on school 
overcrowding and what schools do about it.  Our hypothesis 
states that 80% of the students we survey will think that their 
school is overcrowded.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First,  we picked our topic.  Second, we came up with our 
statement of purpose.  Next, we gathered information on our 
topic and conducted our review of literature about school 
overcrowding.  Then we developed our hypothesis from the 
information in our review of literature.  Fifth, we wrote our 
methodology.  Then we developed our questionnaire.  After that 
we choose a random sample population of sixth graders at 
Mandeville Middle School to survey and distributed our 
questionnaire to them.  We also sent out the questionnaire on 
the Internet to student all around the country.  When they were 
returned we scored the questionnaire.  Eighth, we analyzed our 
data.  Next, we wrote our summary, conclusion, and our 
application.  Finally, we published our abstract.     

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

We received a total of fifty-eight responses to our 
questionnaire.  Thirty-two responses came from Texas, Missouri, 
Hawaii, Utah, Iowa, and California as E-mail via National 
Student Research Center's Electronic School District on the 
Internet.  Twenty-six responses came from Mandeville Middle 
School in Mandeville, Louisiana.  

A majority of fifty-six percent of the students who responded 
to our survey had fifteen to thirty students in their class.  A 
majority of 60% said that they did not have trouble getting to 
a school/classroom facility because of the number of students 
in their school.  Yet, fifty-two percent of the students said 
their school was overcrowded.  A majority of 70% said it was 
better to have fewer students in the classroom.  A majority of 
72% said that they did not enjoy learning in a classroom with 
more than thirty students.  A large majority of 88% thought 
that America has many overcrowded schools.  A majority of 59% 
think that fifteen is the ideal number of students that should 
be in a classroom.  A majority of 77% think that discipline 
problems in a classroom would be reduced if the number of the 
of students was reduced.  A majority of 59% think that the 
number of students in their classroom limits the amount of 
attention the teacher offers to them.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

A small majority of the students have fifteen to thirty 
students in their classroom and think that fifteen should be 
the ideal number of students  in a classroom.  Fifty-two 
percent said that their school was overcrowded.  Therefore, we 
reject our hypothesis which stated that 80% of the students we 
survey would think that their school was overcrowded.  Schools 
are not as overcrowded as we thought they would be.

V.  APPLICATION:

We can apply this information to the world outside the 
classroom by telling the superintendents of school systems that 
they should pay more attention to the size of the student 
populations in their schools.  We can also tell them that most 
students think that classrooms should not exceed thirty 
students.  The students we surveyed said that the ideal number 
of students in the classroom should be about 15 students.



TITLE: How Do Students Feel About School Discipline?  

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Mark Richard and Sarah Robison 
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS: 

We want to find out how students feel about the discipline 
program at their school.  Our hypothesis states that the 
majority of the students surveyed will feel that their school's 
discipline rules are too strict.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, we stated our purpose and reviewed the literature about 
guidance and counseling.  Second, we developed our hypothesis 
and wrote our methodology.  Third, we developed a 
questionnaire.  Then we drew a random sample of students in the 
sixth grade at Mandeville Middle School and sent it to them.  
We also sent out the questionnaire to students who 
telecommunicate on the Internet.  Next, we scored our 
questionnaires when they were returned and analyzed our data.  
Finally, we wrote our summery and conclusion were we rejected 
or accepted our hypothesis.  Then we applied our findings to 
the world outside of the classroom.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

We received a total of 67 responses to our questionnaire.  
There were 26 written responses from sixth graders at 
Mandeville Middle School in Mandeville, Louisiana.  We received 
one e-mail response from Utah and one from Iowa.  We also 
received 26 E-mail responses from California and 13 from 
Michigan.  

We found that a majority of 65% of the students we surveyed 
said their school rules were too strict.  A large majority of 
87% said they feel safe at their school.  A majority of 67% 
said that they do get rewarded for good behavior.  A small 
majority of 54% did not know if their school offered 
alternatives to suspension, although 29% said that their school 
did not.  A majority of the students said that fighting, drugs, 
and students threatening other students were the biggest 
problems at their school.  A large majority of 94% said that 
corporal punishment was not allowed at their school.  A large 
majority of 87% said that corporal punishment should not be 
allowed at school.  A small majority of 53% thought that the 
dress code at their school was not appropriate.  A large 
majority of 82% of the students said that they did not have any 
input into the development of their school rules or discipline 
programs at their school.  

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

Students said that fighting, threats, and drugs were big 
problems at their school.  Both the school districts and the 
students didn't think that corporal punishment should be 
allowed.  Students feel that they do not have any input into 
the development of their school rules or discipline programs at 
their school.  They also felt that the dress code at their 
school is inappropriate.  The majority of the students said 
that their school discipline rules were too strict.  Therefore, 
we accept our hypothesis which stated that the majority of the 
students will feel that their school discipline rules are too 
strict.

V.  APPLICATION:

We can apply our findings to the world outside of the classroom 
by sending our research to teachers to tell them to give their 
students more input into the development of their school rules.

© 1995 John I. Swang, Ph.D.