Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of Junior High Schools To Middle Schools With Respect To Achievement And Attendance, Darrell Clay

Dissertations

During the past 30 years, the middle school movement has been a comprehensive effort to restructure middle level education. Literally thousands of school districts have chosen to change from junior high schools to middle schools for a variety of reasons. Research to support this massive reorganization of American schools has not been evident. The early research did not provide consistent evidence of improvement for middle school students. Most of this early research was based solely on the grade configuration of the schools being compared rather than the conceptual framework of the school.

The purpose of this study was to compare …

A Comparative Study Of High And Low Achieving Inner-City African-American Sophomore Males’ Expectations Of Self, In-School And Out-Of-School Support, John L. Jackson Sr.

Dissertations

Academic and personal successes and failures of young inner-city African- American males are invariably linked to the dynamics of family life, societal acceptance, economic and political opportunities and participation, and cultural expressions and peculiarities. Additionally, there may be other important factors, such as personal meanings, present and projected insecurities, differing values, hopes, and so forth, which may be highly contributive to determining the extent to which these youngsters perceive their chances of succeeding in the larger society. The implication here is that academic and other life successes are not only depended on individual responsibility and commitment, but also the supportive …

Spatial Visualization And Leadership In Teaching Multiview Orthographic Projection: An Alternative To The Glass Box, Mark A. Curtis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of using one instructional method versus another in teaching multi view orthographic projection to college students possessing varied spatial visualization abilities. Two instructional methods were used: (1) the traditional hinged glass box method and (2) an unconventional method in which an object is placed in the middle of a bowl/ hemispheric shape where the front view of the object is seen by looking directly into the bowl. Other views are developed by sliding the object along the surface of the bowl until they are at right angle to the viewer's …

Competencies Needed For Effective Church Leadership From The Perspective Of Current Pastors, Cecile Elizabeth Fransman Hewitt

Dissertations

Contemporary needs of the African-American church are both deeply spiritual and agonizingly physical, and the resultant burden of the church has never been more challenging. Today's needs in the church call for diverse leadership.

This study generated and measured the perception of importance of 22 competencies for effective leadership as pastors of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The study also sought to determine which of the competencies were performed, shared, delegated, or not performed at each responsive church. Finally, the study sought to determine the extent to which selected demographic factors were related to the perception of importance.

The perceptions …

A Study Of The Effects On Second-Grade Students Of A Leadership Curriculum, Michael Frazee

Dissertations

Investigators of leadership behavior have largely overlooked the period during early childhood when adjustment to the group is initially acquired and practiced. This study was designed to determine whether leadership skills could be taught to second-grade students. The purpose of the research was to determine the effectiveness of the Leadership Is Vital to Education (L.I.V.E.) (Lockett, 1982) leadership curriculum.

A major assumption in this study was that leadership development could be an appropriate outcome of the elementary school curriculum and could be facilitated by introducing a specific leadership-training component into the existing curriculum. The objective was to determine whether the …

The Influence Of Junior First Grade On Academic Ability And Self-Concept Of Academic Ability, Mary Ann Boettger

Dissertations

The educational practice of retaining students in junior first grade for a year between kindergarten and first grade was the focus of this study.

Four groups of 1983-1984 students were compared in 1990-1991: (1) those recommended for first and placed in first grade (F-F), (2) those recommended for junior first and placed in junior first grade (JF-JF), (3) those recommended for junior first and placed in first grade (JF-F), and (4) those borderline between junior first and kindergarten, but placed in first grade (B-F).

The groups were compared on gender, birth month, retention, absences, and lunch status, as well as …

Teacher Retention And Teacher Satisfaction In Lutheran Secondary Schools, Cary L. Stelmachowicz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between teacher retention and the nine subscales of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Teacher Satisfaction Survey (Schmitt & Loher, 1986) for teachers in Lutheran secondary schools. Both former and current Lutheran secondary teachers (262) were surveyed to identify sources of satisfaction levels that may induce teachers to leave Lutheran secondary education.

The survey instrument used was the Teacher Satisfaction Survey developed by the NASSP. The survey includes nine subscales of satisfaction: administration, compensation, opportunities for advancement, student responsibility and discipline, curriculum and job tasks, coworkers, parents and …

The Relationship Between Dropout And Peer Mentoring In An Adult High School Completion Program, Jo Ann Pastor

Dissertations

Adult education encompasses a broad spectrum of institutions and activities which share a universal problem of retaining participants. Dropouts from adult high school completion programs are at a particular disadvantage economically. The literature is inconclusive on the causes of or remedies for program attrition. Although mentoring has been promoted and researched as a component of adult development, its use as a dropout prevention strategy for adult high school completion students is not reported in the literature.

An experimental study was conducted to test the relationship between peer mentoring and the dropout rate in an adult high school completion program. The …

Frequency Of Job Skills Deemed Critical By Employers Appearing On The Individualized Education Plans (Ieps) Of Moderately Retarded Students, Linda Dagen Mccrea

Dissertations

The successful employment of moderately retarded students is dependent upon an educational program which is focused upon employment as an expected outcome. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative frequency that work-related skills deemed critical by employers appear on the exiting Individualized Education Plans (lEPs) of moderately retarded students (i.e., those labeled trainable mentally impaired students [TMI] in the state of Michigan).

An extensive literature review was conducted and found 49 job skills and/or work behaviors that employers view as critical for job success. An expert group sorted these critical job skills into three work-related behavior categories. …

Strategic Planning In Michigan Community Colleges And Its Effect On Organizational Climate, Dennis Patrick Mccarthy

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of strategic planning in Michigan community colleges and to determine what effect the planning had on selected climate factors. The data on strategic planning were collected using a questionnaire developed by this investigator and validated by a panel of 15 national experts. The presidents and the next-in-charge when it came to strategic planning at all 29 Michigan community colleges formed the population for the strategic planning aspects of the study. Administrators from 6 of the 27 responding colleges formed the population for the climate investigation. The Work Environment Scale (WES) …

Reinforcement Effects On The I.Q. Scores Of Institutionalized Children And Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Jody Robin Lewis

Masters Theses

Eighteen institutionalized school-age and adult subjects with severe/profound developmental disabilities were evaluated for the effects of self-selected reinforcement for correct responding on their I.Q. scores when tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Terman & Merrill, 1960) or the Leiter International Performance Scale (Arthur, 1952). Subjects were tested under both standard and reinforcement conditions. The results indicated that overall, subjects when tested under reinforcement conditions showed a significant increase in mean I.Q. scores when compared with the same subjects tested one month previously under standard conditions. Several features of the data reveal intriguing results with regard to subjects and related preexisting …

Cocaine And Timing: Drug Effects Under A Mixed Fixed-Interval Extinction Schedule, Vincent O. Hodge

Masters Theses

The effects of cocaine hydrochloride (3.2-56.2 mg/kg) were determined in rats performing under a mixed fixed-interval 60-seconds extinction 120-seconds schedule of food delivery. Responses were recorded in successive 5-second bins. With the exception of the highest dose (56.2 mg/kg), cocaine did not significantly affect rate of responding under the fixed-interval component or extinction component, or the time of peak responding under the extinction component. The highest dose significantly reduced response rates and shifted the time of peak responding leftward to quicker and earlier moments. Results are discussed in terms of possible rate- and time-dependent effects of stimulant drugs.

A Classroom Meeting Model For Teacher Use In Classroom Management, Gerald L. Lecureux

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate, and field test a classroom meeting model to aid in classroom management. In the review of literature, six common beliefs were found. Four classroom management models were discussed in relationship to each belief and a classroom meeting model was then developed. Control Theory (Glasser, 1984) was selected as a psychological base.

The Classroom Meeting Model may be illustrated as an equilateral triangle. The angles represent three types of classroom meetings: relationship development, rule and consequence determination, and problem solving. Along the sides, elements of the meetings are represented: basic needs, components …

Developing Language Through A Musical Program And Its Effect On The Reading Achievement Of Spanish Speaking Migrant Children, Dora Dominguez

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a language development program that uses music as a medium of instruction on the reading achievement of Spanish speaking migrant children. Fifty-one preschool aged subjects from a Title I (Michigan Department of Education, 1987) Summer Migrant Education Program participated in the study.

The subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups. They were provided oral language instruction to help them acquire the language of the basal readers. In other words, the vocabulary and language patterns found in a basal reading program were built into the daily language lessons. In the …

Characteristics Of Nursing Home Administrators: Perceived Influencers On Own Career Paths, Shirley L. Cornelius

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the positive and negative influencers perceived by men and women as having contributed to their successful attainment of the position of nursing home administrator, focusing attention especially on any differences between male and female respondents as to the influences reported.

A survey was sent to a random sample of 325 individuals (26% of 1,250) who held a license to practice as a nursing home administrator in the state of Michigan. There were 197 completed responses, resulting in a response rate of 60.6%. Of those responding, there were 86 males (43.7%) and 111 …

Spiritual Care Given By Nurses And Spiritual Well-Being Of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients, Patricia Sanders Broten

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to explore: (1) cancer patients' perceptions of spiritual care given by nurses, (2) the documentation on records of the provision of care, and (3) the relationship of spiritual care provided to the spiritual well-being of patients.

Forty terminally ill cancer patients hospitalized on oncology units at three medical centers were surveyed about the nature and scope of spiritual care provided by nurses and others, and their perceptions of their spiritual well-being. Data were collected by trained registered nurses who administered two questionnaires to which patients responded orally.

The following is the list of spiritual …

Using Technology To Improve Equity Of Curriculum Access For Students In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Herbert L. Harroun

Dissertations

In this study, the curriculum offerings available to students attending 50 of the 54 high schools in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U .P .) that responded to the survey were compared to the offerings identified as requisites of a modern comprehensive Michigan high school, particularly in the areas of English and communications skills , social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign languages. Upper Peninsula student enrollment levels in those core curriculum areas in 1989-90 were analyzed to determine the impact the adoption of the course study recommendations in the Michigan K-12 Program Standards of Quality (Michigan State Board of Education, 1987) throughout …

Activity Between Supervisors And Supervisees Outside Of Their Supervisory Sessions, Paul R. Ginter

Dissertations

The present study explores non-sexual activities between supervisors and supervisees outside the context of psychotherapy supervision. The two general questions posed in this study are (1) what is the nature of non-sexual activity between supervisors and supervisees outside of supervision, and (2 ) what is the perceived impact (if any) on the supervision process?

Questionnaires were distributed to matched pairs of supervisory dyads at APA-approved predoctoral internship sites. The two types of internships included in the study were counseling centers at universities, and psychiatric hospitals. Sixty-six supervisory dyads were included in the analysis, selected from 152 returned questionnaires. The respondents …

The Relationship Of Student Perceptions Of School Climate And Student Retention, Frank D. Garrett

Dissertations

The purpose of this field research study was to describe the differences in perceptions of school climate , as measured on the 10 subscales of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP, 1987) School Climate Survey, for at - risk students as compared to students not classified as at - risk. The population of this study was 6,250 students from three Michigan public high schools, urban (U ), suburban (S ), and rural (R ). In each school two subgroups were identified with 30 in each subgroup. Random sampling procedures were used to identify 30 at-risk and 30 not-at-risk …

The Academic Coordinator Of Clinical Education In Physical Therapist Educational Programs, Norene Clouten

Dissertations

In physical therapist educational programs the faculty member responsible for the clinical education portion of the curriculum is the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE). The factors that attract individuals to the career of ACCE and that influence them either to leave or remain in the position are of interest and concern to those planning for the future of the profession. The purpose of this study is to gather information about the career of the ACCE. The study was designed to determine the: (a) Personal characteristics and occupational status of ACCEs, (b) preparations made for the career of ACCE, (c) …

The Impact Of A Realistic Training Preview On Subsequent Transfer Of Training, Duangkaew Ungsrithong

Dissertations

The issue of transfer of training and its problems have been studied by a number of researchers and practitioners in training and development. Many of these (Broad, 1982; Huczynski & Lewis, 1980; Leifer & Newstrom, 1980) have reported that pre-training information enhances trainee learning and transfer. Many questions remain, however, as to what types of pre-training information might impact on learning and subsequent transfer of learning.

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of two different types of training “preview” on subjects: (a) reactions to training, (b) acquisition of knowledge (learning), and (c) transfer of …

Faculty Satisfaction With Their Position Functions Of Teaching, Research, And Service Across Venezuelan Teacher Colleges, Ana Gil-Garcia Serafin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate the interrelations of faculty satisfaction with the functions of teaching with research and service, and research with service across Venezuelan teacher colleges, and (b) to determine if there were significant differences between faculty satisfaction with their position functions relative to teaching, research, and service across teacher college campuses of Venezuela. Randomly selected full-time faculty members from the Universidad Pedagogica Experimental Libertador, composed of seven branches, were the sample (N^ = 234). The satisfaction of faculty regarding teaching, research, and service were compared across different capital city, state capital city, and rural …

Nurse Leaders: The Relationship Between Return To School And Sex Role Traits, Family Demographics And Household Responsibilities, Mary Lynn Anderson

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (a) to describe differences , if any, in sex-role traits, age and number of children, proportionate income, and responsibility for household tasks and childcare between female registered nurses who return to college and those who do not; and (b) to extend the research regarding the adult learner's return to college in the specific area of baccalaureate degree completion by registered nurses. Chi square and analysis of variance of survey data, and interviews were used in determining differences between the student and nonstudent groups.

Four hypotheses were tested. The only hypothesis which was supported was …

Effect Of Modified Instructions On Test Performance Of First Graders, Lisa J. Nuss

Masters Theses

This study uses a simple experimental design to examine the effect of standardized and adapted instructions on first graders' performance on selected subtests of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (Bruininks, 1G78). The mean age of the 20 female and 24 male subjects was 6.77 years. Subjects were randomly assigned to the two experimental conditions. Although the findings for both subtests are not statistically significant at the p<.05 level, they do indicate that motor performance of some populations may not be compromised by altering the wording of the standardized assessment directions. The implications of this study and the need for future research in this area are discussed.

A Replication Of The National Association Of Secondary School Principals Study Of High School Principals And Their Schools In Michigan, Helen M. Potoczak

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to replicate in part and with revisions in the state of Michigan the 1987 National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) study of high school principals and their schools (Pellicer, Anderson, Keefe, Kelley, & McCleary, 1988). The research questions were (a) to determine if the personal and professional characteristics of high school principals in Michigan were similar to those throughout the United States; (b) to determine if the data of the national study compared to Michigan in regard to selected demographics and job related tasks of principals; and (c) to determine when the data …

Performance Evaluation In Athletic Training: Perceptions Of Athletic Trainers And Their Supervisors, R. Richard Ray Jr.

Dissertations

Three research questions were investigated in this study: (1) What is the status of performance evaluation as practiced within the profession of athletic training? (2) Do athletic trainers and persons who supervise them share common perceptions regarding the status of performance evaluation in athletic training? (3) Do athletic trainers who work in the four major employment settings share common perceptions regarding performance evaluation? The four major employment settings for athletic trainers are professional athletics, colleges and universities, high schools, and sports medicine clinics. A proportional random sample, stratified by employment group, was selected from the population of all National Athletic …

The Relationship Between School Readiness Placement And Student Achievement, Jayne Mohr

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between school readiness placement and student achievement. A descriptive comparison in first grade of the three student groups placed in kindergarten (K, n = 194), developmental kindergarten (DK, n = 58) or waived to kindergarten (WK, n = 25) was completed.

Math and reading scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) were analyzed through an analysis of variance and Tukey/Kramer post hoc analysis. The relationship between level of education of the mother (LEM) and total reading and math ITBS scores was measured with a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. …

Standardized Testing Practices: A Comparison Of Michigan Public School Districts From 1976 To 1986, Richard J. Syrek

Dissertations

In 1976 and again in 1986, surveys were completed by participating school districts in the state of Michigan pertaining to the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) (developed by the Michigan Department of Education and published annually) testing. The findings of these two surveys are compared in this study.

A comparison of testing practices over a 10-year period can reflect educational changes in Michigan. The purposes of this study were to compare changes, if any, which occurred between 1976 and 1986 in the areas of the uses of MEAP data; personnel involved in testing programs; personnel involved in the development, review, …

Self-Reported Leadership Styles Of Higher Education Administrators In Venezuela As Related To Selected Demographic Variables, Julian Serafin Martin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the self-reported leadership style of higher education administrators in Venezuela as related to six selected demographic variables: age, sex, highest academic degree earned, years of experience in either colleges or technological institutes, marital status, and union experiences. The subjects of the study were 58 directive council members of three colleges and five technological institutes in Venezuela. Eighty-three percent of all potential subjects participated in the study. Two instruments--the LBA-II-Self (Spanish version produced by Blanchard Training and Development, Inc.) and a demographic data form--were used to gather data.

The validity and reliability of …

The Museum Director's Chair: An Ethnography, Mark Richard Jenness

Dissertations

This study reports the findings of a longitudinal case study of the director of one community museum over an eight-month period utilizing ethnographic research methods. A significant gap exists in research-based museum literature about the administrative functions of museums. To help address this lack of information, this study was conducted to determine the role of the chief administrator of a community museum by describing the daily activities and behaviors of the director while interacting with the people, places, and things of the museum. Unique in American society, museums represent our "collective memory" by preserving, conserving, researching, and interpreting living and …