Education Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Expressed Needs For Vocational Education In Secondary Schools In Barbados, Jonathan H. Lewis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the views held by administrators, teachers, students, and parents regarding the expressed needs for vocational education in secondary schools in Barbados.

The survey method was used to gather the data. All respondents were asked to complete a 42-item questionnaire. The population sample was 762, which was made up of 122 administrators, 224 teachers, 274 students, and 142 parents. The data were analyzed using the t-test and one-way analysis of variance.

The major findings in the study were: (1) All groups were homogenous in their response and expressed a strong need for all …

The Relationship Among Selected Personality, Identity Status, And Academic Achievement Factors Among Black Adolescents, Juliet P. Sayles

Dissertations

Problem. The academic performance of Blacks has been documented as being much below that of other racial and ethnic groups (Castenell, 1984; Jordan, 1981; Lee, 1985; Mboya, 1986; Mickelson, 1990; Herrnstein & Murray, 1994; White, 1984). This study attempted to determine the relationships among personality, the development of identity status, and academic achievement among Black adolescents. -- Method. A total of 136 Black adolescent students (64 males and 72 females) was used in this study. They were in the age range of 13 to 18 years and were members of classes from integrated middle, junior high, and high schools. The …

Descriptive Case Studies Of The Socialization And Acculturation Of Two Mentored First-Year Elementary Teachers Within The Seventh-Day Adventist School System, Carole B. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. A qualitative design was employed in this study to: (1) investigate the experiences and perceptions of two first-year elementary teachers within the Seventh-day Adventist educational system, (2) gain a better understanding of new teachers’ socialization and acculturation during their first year of teaching, and (3) use beginning teacher concerns gleaned from this study and previous studies to identify the kinds of support that need to be offered in a new teacher induction program within the Adventist educational system.

Method. I studied two first-year teachers, employed full-time at the elementary level by Scenic Vista Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Qualitative data …

Vision And The Ideal Teacher: Implications For Educational Practice, Rosalind Victoria Aaron

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe how and why teachers with a vision of an ideal teacher have chosen teaching as their profession and to articulate how that vision has influenced their educational practice.

Procedure. This study was conducted in the classroom setting using qualitative methods. The qualitative techniques were informal and formal interviews, non-participant observations, and personal journal entries.

Conclusions. The findings of the study revealed that the three teachers do have visions, which they clearly articulated. Their visions resulted from their interaction with others, but specifically with some of their former teachers. As new ideas, …

Teacher Efficacy And The Use Of Specific Instructional Practices By Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Science Teachers In The United States, Larry Dale Burton

Dissertations

Problem. Current reform efforts in science education are constructivist in nature and call for major changes in the way science has been taught in the schools. Teacher efficacy, a measure of perceived instructional empowerment, is one variable which has been linked to teacher change and general classroom innovation. However, the specific relationship between efficacy and innovative science instruction had not been examined.

Method. This descriptive study employed a correlational design utilizing cross-sectional survey methodology. Data were collected via a three-part survey instrument. The purpose ofthis design was to gather descriptive data on science education in seventh- and eighth-grade classes in …

A Descriptive Multiple Case Study Of Three Elementary Schools In Project Homecoming, The Inclusion Program Within The Dallas Independent School District, Sharron A. Caraker

Dissertations

Topic. The focus of this study was the actions, policies, and procedures used in the successful implementation of an inclusion program in three elementary schools participating in Project Homecoming within the Dallas Independent School District. I was interested in how these actions, policies, and procedures affected the different groups within the schools--students, parents, certified staff, and non-certified staff as well. The data gathered in this study should be useful to other school districts in the process of developing an inclusion program in the elementary school.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the actions, policies, and procedures needed …

A Model For Marketing Agricultural Programs [In] Private Colleges And Universities, Thomas N. Chittick

Dissertations

Problem. Enrollment in agriculture programs has been declining despite a shortage of qualified graduates to meet the current needs of the agriculture industry. Although the principles of marketing have been applied to higher education, little has been written about the marketing of agriculture programs in a liberal arts institution.

Method. Information about marketing educational programs was reviewed in the literature and knowledge of current marketing practices of liberal arts colleges with agriculture programs was assembled by conducting site visits at seven colleges selected for the study. This information was the basis for the development of a marketing model. The model …

The Relationship Of Leadership Style And Organizational Climate To Job Burnout Levels Among Taiwan Public Secondary-School Teachers, Jerry Liang-Yueh Chi

Dissertations

Problem. This study is to examine the burnout levels of secondary-school teachers in Taiwan and to determine if leadership style, organizational climate, and demographic variables are related to teacher burnout.

Methods. This quantitative research based on empirical data collection utilized the following instruments: (1) the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), (2) the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), and (3) the Organizational Climate Index (OCI). The four instruments are translated into Chinese and administered to 809 secondary teachers serving in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Multiple regression and Analysis of Variance were used to determine what kind of leadership style and organizational climate factors, as …

Interactional Effects Between Levels Of Biofeedback Confidence And Measures Of Assertiveness On Biofeedback Treatment Outcome, Dora D. Clarke-Pine

Dissertations

Problem. Not all individuals who enter a biofeedback program obtain the relief that they are seeking from their various pain-related or anxiety-related complaints. Some individuals obtain little or no relief, whereas others may eliminate their pain-related or anxiety-related complaints completely. Understanding more clearly the reasons for such variance is considered important in that such understanding may encourage the development of techniques that elicit greater biofeedback efficacy rates.

This research study was an attempt to determine some of the factors that may help contribute to a successful biofeedback program. Specifically examined were interactional effects between levels of biofeedback confidence and measures …

Instructional Approaches To Conventional Spelling In Holistic Classrooms : A Descriptive Study, Laurie Sue Hale

Dissertations

Problem. Spelling instruction in American schools has adhered to the same traditional format for more than 40 years. However, the whole-language philosophy advocates the delivery of spelling instruction through meaningful interactions with receptive and projective print. Since the whole-language movement is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning, rather than a prescriptive instructional model, perhaps many teachers who do not teach spelling holistically simply do not know how.

This study looks at the instructional components and contextual milieu in which holistic spelling instruction occurs. It also presents the strategies for conventional spelling that are used by teachers and students …

A Descriptive Case Study Of Teacher Study Groups And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Study Groups On Professional Growth, Rita Henriquez-Roark

Dissertations

Problem. Few studies have focused on defining and delineating the essential characteristics of veteran teacher study groups or the perceptions of teachers about how study groups affect their professional growth.

Purpose. The purposes of this study were to: (1) define and delineate the essential characteristics of existing study groups; (2) describe the effects of study groups on the professional growth of the teacher in the workplace and; (3) explore the implications of ongoing study groups on school change, school improvement, and staff development.

Methodology. This study used a descriptive, qualitative case study method based on interviews, observations, surveys, documents, and …

Student Evaluations Of Teachers, Student Ratings Of Teacher Behaviors, And Their Relationship To Student Achievement : A Cross Ethnic Comparison, Trudy Ann Holmes

Dissertations

Problem. This study was conducted to determine (1) whether student evaluations of teachers and ratings of teacher behaviors are related to the ethnicity of the students, (2) the relationship between overall student evaluations of teachers, classes, and ratings of teacher behaviors, and (3) the relationship between student evaluations of teachers, ratings of teacher behaviors, and student achievement.

Method. Two teacher evaluation instruments were administered to students in undergraduate classes at a Christian college and a Christian university. The Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) was used as a high-inference evaluation form and the Teacher Behavior Inventory (TBT) was used as …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Moral Developmental Theory: The Influence Of Collectivism On Moral Reasoning Of Asian Students And Caucasian American Students, Chang-Ho Clyde Ji

Dissertations

Problem Statement. Lawrence Kohlberg's stage model of moral development has attracted agreat deal of attention from educators and psychologists. Not surprisingly, his work has also inspired considerable criticism and revisionism. A number of authors have argued that Kohlberg's theory does not incorporate the collectivistic moral reasoning that emphasizes human relationships among individuals, families, the community, and society in general.

Methodology. Analyses of variance, t-test, correlational analyses, and regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, moral reasoning, and collectivism using the Defining Issues Test (DIT) and the Individualism-Collectivism (INDCOL) Scale. These scales were administered to 179 Asian students …

Investigation Of The Prevalence Of Learning Disabilities Within The Home-School Population Of Southwest Michigan, Paul Steven Kitchen

Dissertations

Problem. The special education needs of home-school children have rarely been studied. This research utilizes the homeschool population of Southwest Michigan to investigate the incidence of learning disabilities (LD) within this group. At the same time, it is possible to investigate some of the criticisms of the learning disability field of study.

Method. Two hundred ninety-eight home-school children in southwest Michigan were assessed for LD using the Michigan State Board of Education definitional criteria. Achievement was assessed by use of the Wide Range Achievement Test, third revision. Ability was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third revision. …

An Analysis Of The Personalities Of A Sample Of Students At Grand Valley State University Who Consume Alcohol, Jeanette Mcdowell

Dissertations

Problem. Literature on alcohol abuse among college students suggests that drinking patterns differ according to the expectations that people have about consuming alcohol. These expectations are strongly aligned to the personality traits/characteristics of theconsumer. At Grand Valley State University, alcohol abuse on campus is a great concern. The purpose of this study was to analyze the personalities and needs of some students at the university who have been participants in the Time Out program--a program structured for those who have been involved in alcohol use and have violated the rights of others while under the influence.

Method. Three instruments, a …

Comparative Study Of Needs-Assessment Methodologies As They Apply To The Development Of A University Computer Science Curriculum In A Central African Country, Perry Munger

Dissertations

A Central African society consisting of two local ethnic groups, as well as Europeans, Asians [Pakistanis and Indians), and North Americans, provided a milieux for the evaluations of five needs-assessment methodologies as to their appropriateness in a multi-ethnic environment. Five methodologies, a questionnaire, a job analysis log, audio and video interviews, and an informal indigenous contact, were used in a needs assessment for the computer science department of the Adventist University of Central Africa, a private church-operated university, located at Mudende, Gisenyi, Rwanda, Central Africa. The five methodologies were evaluated in two different manners:

1. An evaluation of the appropriateness …

The Perceived Adequacy Of Vocational And Technical Education In Nigeria And The Administrative Problems In Staffing The Programs, James Dele Owolabi

Dissertations

Problem

This study was to examine the perceived adequacy of technical education in Nigeria and the problems that administrators face in staffing the programs. The aims and objectives of technical education were examined as written in the Fourth National Development Plan and National Policy for Education.

Method

Two instruments were utilized for data collection: (1) a survey questionnaire for the opinions of Nigerian technical educators, and (2) a set of structured questions to interview selected executives in industry. The researcher travelled to Nigeria's technical institutions for distribution of questionnaires and for on-the-scene assessment of technical programs. Collected data and government …

Implementing Innovative Pedagogy In The First Course In Accounting And Its Relationship To Student Attitudes Toward The Profession, Henry L. Foster

Dissertations

Problem. The traditional accounting pedagogy that served the industrial era effectively is losing its relevance. Not only do accounting graduates lack the kind of skills called for in an information age but the profession is no longer successful in attracting sufficiently large numbers of quality students. During the 1980s, professional and academic accountants as well as employers of accounting graduates began to voice their complaints about an accounting education model that had not experienced significant change in about a half century. In 1989 the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) was established to stimulate change and to act as a clearing …

Arthur Whitefield Spalding : A Study Of His Life And Contributions To Family-Life Education In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Allan William Freed

Dissertations

Problem. Using the historical-documentary research design, this study documented the contributions of Arthur W. Spalding to family-life education within the Seventh-day Adventist church. The contextual milieu revealed that Spalding was current with his times in fostering family-life education, but unique in his approach.

Method. The author examined primary documents from four archival sources, as well as reference holdings in two libraries. All book and article publications by Spalding were also examined. The findings were analyzed and compared. Agreements and inconsistencies were noted to maintain internal reliability. Secondary sources were utilized to create the contextual milieu and to supplement the primary …