Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Background Music On Initial Counseling Sessions, Stella Elaine Dial

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Active Participation Instructional Strategies Increasing Student's Higher Order Thinking Skills, Scottie J. Griffin

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Special Service Needs Of Adult Students Attending Weekend College At Western Michigan University, Patricia A. Dolly

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the needs of the adult learner and how or if these needs are being met in the Campus Ill/Weekend College program at Western Michigan University. Specifically, factors that explain the rise of adult learners on college campuses and demographic information on this rising student population are presented. In addition, the reasons for returning to school and differences between traditional and nontraditional students are examined. Institutional, situational, and dispositional barriers confronting adult students are discussed; a model is put forth along with strategies to overcome barriers offered.

Current services for adult learners attending Weekend College at Western Michigan …

A Study To Determine The Relationship Between Perceived Communication Practices Of Leaders And Subordinate Response To Change, Catherine L. Chevalier

Dissertations

Organizational change continues to challenge leaders as they are charged with transforming their followers from a present state to a future state. This research examined the relationship between perceived communication practices of leaders and employee response to change in a natural setting. Randomly selected employees from the research and development division of a mid-size Fortune 500 company located in the Midwest comprised the sample (N. = 110). The study was executed upon completion of a large-scale change in policy which was formally communicated according to a protocol established by senior management. The participants completed three survey instruments: (1) Communication Environment …

An Analysis Of Saudi Arabian Employee Performance In Selected Public Sector Service Organizations, Yousif Mohamad Saad Al-Hendy

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Teachers' Beliefs Concerning Evaluation Procedures And Criteria And Their Willingness To Assume An Active Role In The Process, Terina Walker-Harvey

Dissertations

Teacher evaluation has received less than favorable reviews over the decades. Reports comment on the unsound practices, inappropriate assessment methods, and inadequate performance criteria. As a result, teachers in some cases come to view the process as ineffective and inadequate. This study hypothesized that (a) teachers who believe in evaluation hold different beliefs regarding evaluation specifics compared to those who disbelieve, (b) teachers who believe in evaluation and view professional development as the purpose for conducting evaluation hold different views regarding evaluation specifics compared to those who disbelieve and view personnel decisions as the purpose for evaluation, and (c) those …

Attitudes Of Black Secondary School Teachers Toward School Guidance In The Potchefstroom Area, South Africa, Elias H. Masibi

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Acceptance Of Computers By Administrative Leadership At Baker College, William Mccormick Luczyk

Dissertations

Procedures for recording information, capturing data for distribution to faculty, students, and other campuses was often being done manually by administrators at Baker College. Because of either a lack of access, or a lack of knowledge and training, simple computer data searches, spreadsheets, and telecommunications were difficult to accomplish and in some cases could not be done by Baker College administrators.

The sample population for this research consisted of forty-six males and forty-seven females for a total of ninety-three existing Baker College administrators, from nine campuses of varying size, throughout the State of Michigan. Data in the areas of computer …

Intrinsic Motivation For Learning Of The Adult Graduate Student At Western Michigan University, Phyllis Crandall

Dissertations

The perceptions of adult graduate students concerning barriers to the educational process and their levels of motivation for pursuing a graduate degree were investigated. The established motivational theory first expressed by Abram Maslow in 1954 was used in defining the first variable of motivation to learning when pertaining to the healthy self-actualized individual. The second variable chosen was a listing of student perceived barriers to the educational process as defined by H. G. Schulze in 1987. It was hypothesized that the higher the level of the barriers overcome per Schutze's scale, the higher the level of intrinsic motivation in the …

State Terrorism In The Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Social Constructionism And The Question Of Power, Amani Michael Awwad

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Participation In Design On Trainee Satisfaction, Abdullatif S. Al-Abdullatif

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Professional Disclosure Statements On Counselors-In-Training Perceptions Of Supervision, John Richard Howie

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Separation Of Aqueous Iron Species Found In Stepwise Complexation By Capillary Electrophoresis With Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Detection, Robert E. Sutton

Dissertations

A capillary zone electrophoresis system was interfaced to an atomic absorption spectrom eter to permit the separation and detection o f various species of iron found in step wise complexation in aqueous solutions. The samples were introduced at the anodic end of the column employing the electroosmotic flow to drive all the species to the detector at the cathodic end. Aqueous solutions of iron(II) and iron (III) chloride salts were among the compounds studied. The buffer employed w as a 20 millimolar (2-[N-morpholino]ethanesulfonic acid adjusted to a pH of 6 with 6 .6 millimolar potassium hydroxide. The detection limit was …

Facilitative Characteristics Of Supervisors, Elizabeth A. Olson

Dissertations

The relationship between supervisors’ facilitative characteristics and students’ willingness to learn and receptivity in supervision was the focus of this study. Forty Master’s level students, enrolled in a clinical practicum, rated their supervisors’ Empathetic Understanding, Regard, Congruence, Unconditionality, and Willingness to be Known on the Revised Relational Inventory (RRI) (Barrett-Lennard, 1962; Schacht, Howe, & Berman, 1988) and evaluated themselves on their willingness to learn in supervision and receptivity to supervisors’ feedback using the Supervision Perception Form (SPF) (Heppner & Roehike, 1984). Supervisors also participated by rating themselves with each student on these five relational characteristics and evaluating each student on …

Toward A Comprehensive Model Of Parent-Teen Socialization: The Antecedents And Consequents Of Parent-Teen Interaction, Gregory L. Sanders

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adult Male Assaultive Behavior And Correlates With The Mmpi-2, Tom G. Lanning

Dissertations

This study was descriptive in nature and examined the relationship between demographic variables, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) variables, and levels of violence as measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) (Straus, 1979). The research sample consisted of 44 males entering a treatment program for male batterers. All participants completed a research protocol during a required assessment consisting of: (a) a General Information Sheet, (b) the MMPI-2, and (c) the CTS. The CTS was the only instrument administered solely for research purposes.

The MMPI-2 data were used to construct a sample composite mean profile. MMPI-2 data were also divided into …

Recombination In Kr^34+ + H2 And 0^6+ + He Collisions, Konstantinos Zaharakis

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Multiple Personality Disorder And Major Depression: A Comparative Study, Mary L. Wassink

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Pediatricians' Diagnostic Practices: An Analogue Study Of Responses To Adhd-Like Presentations In Preschoolers, Helle Augustesen

Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been considered one of the most chronic behavior disorders observed in the preadolescent population and is one of the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorders in North America. Currently, however, there is little consistency in terms of identifying specific criteria which need to be present in a child's behavior to make a diagnosis of ADHD. This difficulty is even more pronounced in very young children of preschool age. This study utilized a three year old male child shown to 80 subjects on a videotape engaging in either a high or a low level of activity. …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Critical Thinking Skills And Preferred Learning Styles Of First Year Nursing Students, Gloria J. Clocklin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between the manner in which nursing students preferred to learn and their ability to think critically. First year nursing students (N = 197) from four colleges in a rural Midwestern geographic region were the subjects for the study. Students represented practical nursing, associate degree nursing, and baccalaureate degree nursing programs and were all in their first nursing course. Entire cohort groups from each college were included in the study.

The Kolb (1985) Learning Style Inventory and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA, Watson & Glaser, 1980) were administered …

The Level Of Management Support Behaviors And The Effect On Participation Rates In Corporate Fitness Programs, Diane Braatz

Dissertations

Survey methods were used to evaluate the relationship between the nature and degree of management support provided to corporate fitness programs and employees' participation rates in those programs. A questionnaire requesting information about demographics, participation rates, and supportive management practices in the areas of coaching, modeling, and reinforcing, was sent to representatives of 400 companies. Completed questionnaires representing 157 organizations were returned. Across all respondents, the mean reported level of employee participation in fitness programs was 20.7%; the range was 2 to 67%. The level of employee participation was positively related to the total level of management support (i.e., combined …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And School Climate, Christine L. Jensen

Dissertations

The study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and school climate in elementary schools in w est Michigan with enrollments of 200-800 students. Eighteen school districts with 294 participating teachers completed two questionnaires.

The independent variable of transformational leadership was investigated by using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire to measure teachers' perceptions of leadership factors. The dependent variable of school climate was investigated by using the Organizational Climate Descriptor Questionnaire-Revised Elementary. The questionnaire was used to determine teachers' perceptions of principal openness, teacher openness, and overall school climate.

As a result of the data analysis, the investigation supported that there was …

A Grounded Theory In The Development Of The Tantric Proposition In Leadership Education, Marsha Wislocki Goin

Dissertations

The advancement of a new theory in the field of leadership education directed the focus of this study. A new paradigm directed toward an inclusive leadership model was advanced and the findings integrated, resulting in the development of a model reflecting four dimensions of leadership theory: (1) transformational, (2) transactional, (3) charismatic, and (4) intuitional.

These four dimensions, supported within a quadrilateral design and incorporating an Eastern philosophical motif represented as a mandala, were then interfaced with the four dimensions of tantric philosophy: (1) spiritual, (2) emotional, (3) intellectual, and (4) sensing, resulting in a tantric mandala of leadership design. …

Women And The Public School Superintendency: An Integrative Review Of The Dissertation Research, Carol A. Swingle

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to prepare a comprehensive summary, evaluation, and synthesis of the dissertation research conducted from 1970 to 1994 regarding women public school superintendents.

The units of study for this research synthesis were the 79 criterion-selected doctoral dissertations completed at colleges and universities in the United States between 1 970 and 1994 that utilized women public school superintendents as their sole, or primary, data set.

Data were collected relative to both the content and the quality of the selected dissertations. Data analysis was completed using the integrative research review techniques of listing factors, taking a vote, …

Autocorrelation In Single-Subject Data: A Meta-Analytic View, Laura L. Methot

Dissertations

Recent work by Huitema and McKean (1991, 1994a, 1994b, 1994c, in press) has shown that the most frequently used statistical methods for performing conventional time-series analyses lead to gross distortions of results when these approaches are applied in the context of the typical behavioral research study. Most of these problems could be avoided if researchers were aware that the time-series methods recommended in many areas are not generally needed. The appropriate evidence regarding the need for complex time-series methods requires a meta-analysis of the autocorrelation present in behavioral studies. The project involved: (a) sampling several hundred research articles published in …

The Use Of Analogies In An Industrial Environment To Facilitate Status Changes For Radiation Science Concepts, Charles Thomas Lohrke

Dissertations

The focus of this study was the effect of two analogies on the status of industrial technical center employees for three radiation science concept areas. The analogies used were of melting ice and falling tacks. The three radiation concept areas examined were radioactive material decay, radioactive material half-life, and radioactive material activity.

Forty-four adults participated in the study. Thirty-five of these participants took pre- and post-lesson multiple-choice tests to determine the effect that the analogies had on their intelligibility of the three radiation science concept areas. Nine participants also took pre- and post-lesson clinical interviews to assess their intelligibility, plausibility, …

The United Center: A Community-Based Corrections Project, William George Hinkle

Dissertations

The United Center is a community-based corrections center located in Middletown, Midwest. Funded by the Midwest Department of Corrections, and administered by local county government, it provides a sentencing alternative to the county's jail, and the state's prison system. Defined as a correctional "halfway-in house," the program provides offenders with employment and education related services, job placement, mental health services, and drug and alcohol counseling in a highly structured, but supportive environment. In operation since the early 1980's, the program has serviced some 400 offenders sentenced to short prison terms for low-level property and drug offenses. Compared to national rates …

Evaluation Of A Computer Simulation To Assess Subject Preference For Different Types Of Incentive Pay: Part Two, Stephen Mark Sundby

Dissertations

This study further investigated the use of a computer simulation to assess subject preference for different types of pay systems. Subjects were eight undergraduates recruited from psychology classes at Western Michigan University. The dependent variable was the subjects’ choice of pay system, either simulated hourly pay or base pay plus incentive. Simulated work performance was determined by the computer with 0.50 probability of low or high performance. For Experiment 1, the independent variable was the maximum amount of simulated pay that subjects could earn under each pay type. For Experiments 2 and 3, the independent variable was the percentage of …

The Effects Of Intensive, Structured Study On Gre Verbal And Quantitative Scores, Jan Marie Miller

Dissertations

This research served as a follow-up to previous research (Goodyear-Orwat and Malott, 1994) in which students engaged in self-study utilizing various study materials. Three courses (spring, summer, and fall) were offered to further examine the effects of intensive, structured study on Graduate Record Examination verbal and quantitative scores.

Twenty undergraduates enrolled in Graduate Record Examination preparatory courses studied from 66 to 105 hours. An attendance and participation contingency was established to encourage adequate study time. The courses were structured to allow students to assess and manage their own performance, utilizing standard, self-instructional texts and computerized drill programs. Students worked at …

College Physics Students' Conceptual Understanding Of Area And Volume, And Relationships Between These Concepts And Students' Understanding Of Physics Concepts, Jiang Yu

Dissertations

Concepts such as area and volume are foundational ideas for many concepts introduced in introductory science courses. At the college level, most instructors typically assume that incoming students have already developed an understanding of these underpinning ideas. However, doubt has surfaced in recent years about students' depth of understanding and mastery of these fundamental concepts. Because deficiencies in understanding basic concepts may relate to the learning of subsequent concepts, instructors have expressed concerns about students' understanding of fundamental ideas and if the failure to understand these ideas hinders students' subsequent progress.

This study was designed to (a) investigate the nature …