The National Student Research Center

E-Journal of Student Research: Social Studies

Volume 4, Number 5, July, 1996

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. Student Knowledge of Poverty in the U.S.A.
2. Student Knowledge of Breast Cancer
3. Student Knowledge of Child Abuse
4. The Truth About Smoking
5. Student Knowledge of Acid Rain
6. Student Knowledge of Human Rights Abuse
7. Student Knowledge About the Disposal of Solid Waste
8. Video Game Violence

TITLE:  Student Knowledge of Poverty in the U.S.A.    

STUDENT RESEARCHERS:  Angela Geraci and Bethany Kurrus
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 about student 
knowledge of poverty in the USA.  Our hypothesis states that 
students will not know that in 1991 over 34 million people in 
the USA were living in poverty.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, we wrote our statement of purpose and review of 
literature.  For this study, poverty is defined as a lack of 
goods and services needed to have a minimal standard of living.  
A family of four was classified as poor if it had a cash income 
of less than $13,924 in 1991.  Second, we developed our 
questionnaire.  Then we drew a random sample of 36 students at 
Mandeville Middle School and administered our questionnaires to 
them.  Fourth, we administered the questionnaire over the 
NSRC's International Electric School District and got students 
from other states in the USA and countries to respond.  When 
our questionnaires were returned we scored them and analyzed 
our data.  Sixth, we wrote our summary and conclusion in which 
we accepted or rejected our hypothesis.  Then we wrote our 
application.  Finally, we turned in our report and published 
our abstract in a student research journal.  
   
III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

A population of 900 students in grades 5-12 responded to the 
questionnaire.  Survey responses were returned from schools in 
Illinois, Michigan, Wyoming, Missouri, Oregon, Georgia, 
Colorado, Texas, Indiana, and Louisiana.  There were 813 
American students.  We also received surveys from Norway and 
the United Kingdom.  There were 87 foreign students.  A 
majority of 68% of the students were from the middle socio-
economic status.

A majority of 84% of the American students and 98% of the 
foreign students knew that there are more U.S. citizens living 
in poverty today than in 1978.  A majority of 76% of the 
American students did not know that over 34 million people were 
poor as of 1991, while a majority of 57% of the foreign 
students did know.  A majority of 60% of the American students 
and 59% of the foreign students knew that 12% of the elderly 
are poor in the USA.  A majority of 61% of the American 
students and 59% of the foreign students did not know that 24% 
of American children live in poverty.  A majority of 64% of the 
American students did not know that 11% of all the adults in 
the USA live in poverty, while 52% of the foreign students did 
know that.  A majority of 57% of the American students and 51% 
of the foreign students did not know that males are the least 
likely to live in poverty in the U.S.A..  A majority of 75% of 
the American students and 84% of the foreign students knew that 
the highest rates of poverty occur among minorities.  A 
majority of 69% of the American students and 95% of the foreign 
students did not think that poor people are lazy.  A majority 
of 55% of the American students and 76% of the foreign students 
agreed that it is their responsibility to help poor people.
A majority of 61% of the American students and 63% of the 
foreign students did not know that the Congressional Budget 
Office estimates that 20% of all American families live in 
poverty.  A majority of 54% of the American students did not 
think that taxes on the rich should be greatly increased in 
order to eliminate poverty.  A majority of 69% of the foreign 
students felt that taxes on the rich should be increased.  A 
majority of 94% of all students who answered the question felt 
that the amount of poverty which exists in the USA is a 
national disgrace.  A majority of 65% of all students who 
answered the question felt that the U.S. Government is not 
doing all it can to eliminate poverty among it citizens.  

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

Students are aware that poverty has been on the increase in the 
USA for many years.  Students did not know that poverty strikes 
women and children most often.  They do not think that the poor 
are lazy and they believe that it is their responsibility to 
help the poor.  They feel that the amount of poverty in the USA 
is a national disgrace and that the US Government is not doing 
enough to eliminate poverty.

Only 48% of the American students' responses to the factual 
questions on the questionnaire were correct.  A majority of 58% 
of the foreign students' responses were correct.  It would seem 
that of the students surveyed, the foreign students know more 
about poverty in the USA than the American students.

Finally, over three-quarters of the American students 
incorrectly thought that there were only 2 to 6 million people 
living in poverty in the USA.  Therefore, we accept our 
hypothesis which stated that students will not know that in 
1991 over 34 million people in the U.S.A. were living in 
poverty.  

V.  APPLICATION:

The majority of American students do not know about the extent 
of poverty in the USA today.  Teachers should teach their 
students more about this terrible problem in the USA, if we are 
to solve it.



TITLE:  Student Knowledge of Breast Cancer

STUDENT RESEARCHERS:  Andrew Lorenz, April Needham, Brian South
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 breast cancer.  Our hypothesis states that a 
majority of the students we survey will know that breast cancer 
is the third leading cause of all cancer deaths.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, we wrote our statement of purpose, reviewed our 
literature, and developed a hypothesis.  Then we developed our 
questionnaire and drew a random sample of 36 sixth grade 
students at Mandeville Middle School.  We then administered the 
questionnaire to the randomly selected students.  Next, we went 
to the National Student Research Center's electronic school 
district and sent our questionnaire world-wide.  When all of 
the questionnaires were returned we scored them and analyzed 
the data.  Then we wrote our summary and conclusions, accepted 
or rejected our hypothesis, and applied our findings to the 
real world.  Finally, we published the abstract of our research 
in a journal of student research.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

There were 287 responses to our questionnaire.  Students, in 
grades 6 - 12, attended schools in Illinois, Indiana, 
Massachusetts, Texas, Louisiana, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, 
Canada.  A majority of 51% of the students were female.  A 
majority of 62% of the students didn't know that breast cancer 
is the third leading cause of all cancer deaths.  A majority of 
61% of the students didn't know that the study of cancer is 
known as oncology.  A majority of 81% of the students agreed 
that breast cancer was something that students their age should 
know about.  A majority of 74% of the students didn't know that 
70% of all female breast cancer patients recover.  A majority 
of 58% of the students did not know that chemical pollution, 
electromagnetic radiation, genetic transference, and estrogen 
therapy are known or suspected causes of breast cancer.  A 
small majority of 53% of the students knew that antibiotics are 
not a known treatment for breast cancer and 43% did not know 
that chemotherapy, radiation, and lumpectomies are treatments 
for breast cancer.  A majority of 86% of the students knew that 
breast cancer is an important medical problem for women ages 35 
and older.  A majority of 55% of the students knew that 
physical therapy is not a method of preventing breast cancer 
and 45% of the students didn't know that self-examinations, 
mammography, low fat / high fiber diets, and high doses of 
vitamins A, C, and E are thought to help prevent breast cancer.  
A majority of 74% of the students didn't know that a carcinogen 
is a cancer causing agent.  A majority of 75% of the students 
had not been educated on the topic of breast cancer.  A 
majority of 80% of the students knew that female breast cancer 
rates have steadily climbed over the past 30 years.  A majority 
of 77% of the students said that no one in their family had 
ever had breast cancer, but 23% did.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

From the data, we found that the majority of the students we 
surveyed didn't know that breast cancer is the third leading 
cause of all cancer deaths.  Therefore, we reject our 
hypothesis which stated that the majority of the students we 
survey will know that breast cancer is the third leading cause 
of all cancer deaths.  A majority of 57% of the responses to 
our questionnaire were incorrect.

V.  APPLICATION:

Now that we know that most students haven't been taught about 
breast cancer, we can suggest that students be better educated 
on this topic.  It is an important medical problem for women in 
the world today and knowledge about breast cancer could save 
the lives of many female students as they grow up to become 
adults.



TITLE:  Student Knowledge of Child Abuse

STUDENT RESEARCHERS:  Brian South and Andrew Lorenz
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 scientific research project on how much 
students know about child abuse.  Our hypothesis states that 
25% of the students will know that 2-3 million children are 
abused each year in the United States.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, we stated our purpose.  Then we went to the National 
Student Research Center's electronic school district and found 
two students from Dawson School in Holden, Massachusetts to 
collaborate with us.  Next, we asked them to join our efforts 
in researching student knowledge of child abuse by 
administering our questionnaire in their area.  Then we 
reviewed our literature, developed our hypothesis, and wrote 
our questionnaire.  Then we sent the questionnaire to the 36 
randomly selected students at Mandeville Middle School.  In 
addition, we sent a copy to the student researchers in 
Massachusetts for distribution there.  When all of the 
questionnaires were returned, we scored them and analyzed the 
data.  Then we accepted or rejected our hypothesis, wrote our 
summary and conclusion, and applied our findings to the real 
world.  

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

Of the 36 questionnaires sent out at Mandeville Middle School, 
31 were returned.  Eighteen questionnaires came back from the 
fifth grade students at Dawson School for a total of 49 
questionnaires.  A majority of 35 did not know that 2-3 million 
children are abused each year in the United States.  A majority 
of 26 knew that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 11 boys fall victim to 
sexual abuse before turning 18.  A majority of thirty agreed 
that child abuse is the worst thing that you can do to a child.  
A majority of 32 knew that children are mainly abused by a 
parent or parent substitute.  A majority of 32 did not know 
that women are most often the perpetrator in physical abuse 
cases.  Seventeen knew that 90% of the sexual abuse cases are 
committed by males.  A majority of 26 did not know that there 
are three types of child abuse; physical, sexual, and 
emotional. The majority of the students said that a child 
should tell someone or call the police if he or she is being 
abused.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

We found that only 29% of the students knew that 2-3 million 
children are abused each year in the United States.  Therefore, 
we accept our hypothesis.  Fifty-three percent of the responses 
to the questionnaire were correct.  

V.  APPLICATION:
 
We could apply this data to the real world by trying to get 
schools and parents to teach their children more about child 
abuse.  Even though 53% of the student responses to the 
questionnaire were correct, there was a significant number of 
students that did not know about this topic.  We think that 
schools need to teach more about child abuse, so that children 
can protect themselves better from this crime.




TITLE:  The Truth About Smoking

STUDENT RESEARCHERS:  Health class
SCHOOL:  North Stratfield School
         Fairfield, Conn.
GRADE:  4
TEACHER:  Vinny Carbone


I. PURPOSE STATEMENT AND HYPOTHESIS:

We want to find out what the average fifth and sixth grader 
knows about    smoking.    We think that the average fifth and 
sixth grader will be able to correctly answer 75% of the 
questions on our questionnaire about smoking.

II. METHODOLOGY:
     
We will review the literature and find out information on 
smoking.  We will then make up a questionnaire from our 
research.  We will distribute the questionnaires to fifth and 
sixth graders at random.  Then we will analyze the results.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

Thirty-nine students responded to our questionnaire.  All the 
students knew that smoking is associated with all of the 
following diseases: lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, gum 
disease, lip cancer, leukemia, oral cancer, vascular diseases.  
No student identified complications to pregnancy as being 
associated with smoking.  A majority of 34 students did not 
know that cigarette smoking causes over 325,000 deaths per 
year.  A majority of 37 students knew that nicotine in 
cigarettes causes: the heart to beat faster and work harder, 
raises blood pressure, causes heart attacks and death, shortens 
the life span, causes nervousness, stress and strokes, and 
makes you feel sick.  A majority of 34 students knew that if 
you start smoking in the early teenage years, you have a 
greater chance for heart disease.  All students knew that low 
tar and nicotine cigarettes are not safe.  Only five students 
knew that cigarette companies spend $2,000,000,000 a year on 
advertisement.  All students knew that a pack of cigarettes a 
day can affect your health in the following ways:  cancer, 
addiction, make you faint, darken your lungs, yellow your 
teeth, give you bad breath and lung disease, takes years off 
your life, makes you sick and cough, causes strokes, high blood 
pressure and heart attacks. A majority of 34 students knew that 
filter on cigarettes do not make smoking safe.  Students 
reported that some of the reasons teen smoke are: looks cool, 
peer pressure, calm nerves and feel less depressed, make 
parents mad, curiosity, to be like parents, social acceptance, 
to stop worrying, and to feel good.  A majority of 26 students 
knew that if you stop smoking, you lessen the chance of having 
a heart attack.  

IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

We found out that 5th and 6th graders correctly answered 70 % 
of the questions on our questionnaire.  The majority of 
students knew the answers to questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 ,and 
10.  Therefore, our hypothesis was rejected.

V. APPLICATION TO LIFE:
    
This information encourages us not to smoke.  Teachers are 
doing a pretty good job of teaching school children about the 
dangers of smoking.  Teachers ought to focus on the questions 
the students did not do too well on. 



TITLE:  Student Knowledge of Acid Rain

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Andrew Lorenz
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

I would like to do a survey research project to see what 
students know about acid rain.  My hypothesis states that 50% 
of the students that I survey will not know that the sulfur 
dioxide produced by burning coal is a major cause of acid rain.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, I wrote my statement of purpose, reviewed my literature, 
and developed my hypothesis.  Then I developed my 
questionnaire.  Next, I took a random sample of 18 sixth grade 
students and administered my questionnaire to them. After the 
questionnaires came back, I scored them and analyzed the data.  
Next, I wrote my summary and conclusion in which I accepted or 
rejected my hypothesis.  Then I applied my findings to the real 
world.  Finally, I published my study in a journal of student 
research.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

Of the 18 questionnaires sent out, 13 were returned.  A 
majority of 69% of the students surveyed knew that acid rain is 
the name for nitric oxides in the atmosphere.  A majority of 
62% of the students surveyed knew that acid rain poisoned lakes 
and farmland.  A majority of 52% of the students surveyed knew 
that sulfur dioxide, produced by burning coal is a major cause 
of acid rain.  A majority of 76% of the students surveyed knew 
that winds can carry pollutants thousands of km. from there 
source.  A majority of 62% of the students surveyed knew that 
the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970.  A majority of 54% of the 
students knew that the NAPAP or the National Acid Precipitation 
Assessment Program was created in 1980.  A majority of 76% of 
the students surveyed agreed that we should stop the burning of 
fossil fuels which cause acid rain.  A majority of 52% of the 
students surveyed did not know that nitric oxides are also 
causes of acid rain.  A majority of 51% of the students 
surveyed knew that equipment for cleaning the air is expensive.  
A majority of 62% of the students surveyed knew that sulfur 
dioxides mixes with nitric oxides to make acid rain.  A 
majority of 100% of the students surveyed knew that acid rain 
can kill trees and lakes.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

A majority of 52% of the students surveyed knew that sulfur 
dioxide produced by burning coal is a major cause of acid rain.  
Therefore I reject  my hypothesis which stated that 50% of the 
students surveyed will know that sulfur dioxide produced by 
burning coal is a major cause of acid rain.

V.  APPLICATION:

I could apply this data by suggesting that teachers teach more 
about the subject of acid rain because it is a serious 
environmental problem of today and almost half of the students 
don't know a lot about it.




TITLE:   Student Knowledge of Human Rights Abuse

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Angela Geraci
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

I would like to do a scientific research project on student 
knowledge of human rights abuse.  My hypothesis states that a 
majority of the responses to my questionnaire will be 
incorrect.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, I wrote my statement of purpose and review of 
literature.  Second, I developed my hypothesis and 
questionnaire.  Third, I drew a random sample of 18 6th grade 
M.M.S. students and administered my questionnaires to them.  I 
scored my questionnaires and wrote my analysis of data.  Fifth, 
I wrote my summary and conclusion and application.  Finally I 
turned in my abstract to be published in the journal of student 
research.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

Fifteen of my questionnaires were returned.  A majority of 94% 
of the students agreed that human rights abuse is a terrible 
thing.  A majority of 53% of the students said that the 
descendants of slaves should not be paid money for human rights 
abuse shown to their ancestors.  A majority of 73% of the 
students knew that Rodney King's human rights were violated.  A 
majority of 93% of the students knew that human rights 
violations are occurring in the U.S.A.  A majority of 80% of 
the students knew that summary execution  is a violation of 
human rights.  A majority of 60% of the students agreed that 
human rights abuse takes away your sense of worth.  A majority 
of 53% said this questionnaire has influenced their knowledge 
of human rights.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

A majority of 63% of the responses to the factual questions on 
my questionnaire were correct.  Therefore I reject my 
hypothesis which stated that a majority of the responses would 
be incorrect.

V.  APPLICATION:

Although a majority of 63% of the responses to my questionnaire 
were correct, 37% of the responses were incorrect.  Teachers 
should teach more about this topic.



TITLE:  Student Knowledge About the Disposal of Solid Waste

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Jack Swetland
SCHOOL:  Mandeville Middle School
         Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  John I. Swang, Ph.D.


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

I would like to do an survey research project on students' 
opinions and knowledge about the control and disposal of solid 
waste.  My hypothesis states that less than 50% of the students 
surveyed will know that the United States produces over 180 
million tons of solid waste annually.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, I wrote my problem, reviewed the literature, and 
developed my hypothesis.  Then I formulated a questionnaire and 
sent it to 18 randomly chosen students at Mandeville Middle 
School. I tallied the results of the questionnaires and 
calculated the percent of correct responses on each question.  
Then I analyzed my data, accepted or rejected my hypothesis, 
applied my project to real life, and published the complete 
report.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

Fifteen questionnaires were returned.  A majority of 73% of the 
students did not know that the USA produces over 180 million 
tons of solid waste annually.  They believed that only 1 
million tons of solid waste are generated in America annually.  
A majority of 66% knew that recycling, incineration, and 
landfills are ways of dealing with the solid waste problem. A 
majority of 54% did not know that landfills are the most 
widespread method of disposing solid waste.  A majority of 60% 
did not know that recycling is the fastest growing method of 
disposing solid waste.  A majority of 53% did not know that 
harmful gases, lack of space, and toxic chemicals that pollute 
ground water supplies are major problems associated with 
disposing solid waste in landfills.  Half of the students knew 
that solid waste incineration was the burning of waste.  100% 
of the students agreed that recycling is the most ecological 
way to dispose of solid waste.  A majority of 58% disagreed 
that Americans don't care about how they dispose of solid 
waste.  A majority of 57% knew that America is the most 
wasteful country in the world.  A majority of 79% knew that 
Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago were the four 
most wasteful cities in the world.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

On the total questionnaire, there were 52 correct responses and 
65 incorrect responses to the factual questions.  A majority of 
56% were incorrect responses.  A majority of 73% of the 
students did not know that America produces over 180 million 
tons of solid waste annually.  Therefore, I accept my 
hypothesis which stated that less than 50% of the students 
surveyed will know that America produces over 180 million tons 
of solid waste annually.

V.  APPLICATION:

I could use the information from this project to inform 
teachers that students need to be taught more about the growing 
problem of solid waste disposal if we are to solve it.



TITLE:   Video Game Violence 

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Scott Gardner
SCHOOL:   Mandeville Middle School,
    Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE:  6
TEACHER:  Ellen Marino,  M.Ed.


I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

I wanted to know what the sixth grade students at Mandeville 
Middle School thought about violent video games.  My hypothesis 
states that the majority of the sixth grade students at MMS 
will like violent video games and will think that they should 
not be banned.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

First, I wrote my statement of purpose, reviewed my literature, 
and developed my hypothesis.  Next, I wrote, administered, and 
scored my questionnaire.  Then I wrote my analysis of data and 
summary and conclusion.  Finally, I applied what I learned to 
the real world.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

I received back 17 surveys out of the 18 I sent out.  Everyone 
surveyed played video games on a regular basis.  Fourteen 
students said they have played a violent video game.  Nine of 
the students surveyed disagreed with the statement that violent 
video games make kids act more violent.  Ten students disagreed 
with the statements that video games with more blood are more 
fun than games without blood and that video games with 
excessive violence should be banned.  Sega of America now rates 
their games MA, MA-13, and GA.  The majority of students did 
not know what they stood for (mature audiences and general 
audiences).

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

I partially accepted my hypothesis which stated that the 
majority of the sixth grade students at MMS will like violent 
video games and will not want them to be banned, because the 
majority of the students did not like violent video games, but 
the majority also did not think they should be banned.

V.  APPLICATION:

I could tell video game retailers that kids like non-violent 
video games.

© 1996 John I. Swang, Ph.D.