Education Commons^™

Treatment Techniques To Encourage Lip Closure And Decrease Drooling In Cerebral Palsy, Kim M. Samelstad

Masters Theses

This study was designed to test the effectiveness of oral sensorimotor techniques in decreasing drooling. A withdrawal a₁-b-a₂ design was used with two subjects diagnosed as having mental retardation and cerebral palsy. The baseline phase consisted of 20 minute sessions of play, followed by a 45 minute period during which the subjects wore a bib. The treatment phase was identical to the baseline phase except that the 20 minutes of play was replaced with 20 minutes of treatment. The treatment techniques that were used included the following: light touch to the midline of the lips, maintained pressure …

Academic-Point Incentives And College-Student Use Of Study Skills, Afnan Ma'rouf Almasri

Masters Theses

This was a study of the effects of academic-point incentives on the use of study skills by thirty high-risk undergraduate students. The students completed a four-session study-skills training program consisting of time management, concentration and memory, note taking, and test taking. They contracted to accomplish tasks specified weekly according to their class syllabus using special forms that specified the targeted study skills. The mean use of the study skills was 95.8% when points were given and decreased to 38% when points were withdrawn; but the use of study skills increased to 98.9% when points were again given.

A Proposed Procedure For A Secondary School Teacher To Gain Entry Level Knowledge And Skills To Become A High School Principal, Wayne E. Mason

Masters Theses

The proposed procedure for a secondary teacher to gain entry level knowledge and skills required to assume a high school principalship was to examine the scope of the duties of a high school principal and to acquire knowledge, skills and administrative experience by assisting a high school principal as he performs his daily responsibilities.

The experience focused on procedures used to close and reopen a high school, practices used in handling student discipline, office duties needed to meet student needs, practices used to monitor facility maintenance, the practices used to maintain and improve community relations.

The experience brought to light …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Local Superintendents' Expectations And Perceptions Of Actual Performance Of Michigan Intermediate School Districts, Ted J. Culver

Dissertations

The changing concepts of the role and function of education as well as the economic and social developments in our society have placed new and increased demands on our educational system. The concept of a regional education service agency as an approach to providing improved services to K-12 school districts is a method adopted in Michigan. This agency is called an intermediate school district (ISD).

The purpose of the study was to discover the difference between what K-12 superintendents expect from an ISD and their perceptions of the value of the services received. The data gathered could provide decision makers …

A Study Of Some Characteristics Of Chippewa Valley Public School Teachers And Their Attitudes Toward Merit Pay, Michael D. Samulski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between certain personal characteristics, educational background, and educational philosophical opinions of teachers and their level of support of merit pay and related forms of compensation. It was also the purpose of this study to determine if there is a relationship between personal characteristics, educational background, and educational philosophical opinions of teachers and the extent to which they think merit pay has an effect on learning. Teachers in the Chippewa Valley Schools in Macomb County, Michigan, were the subject of this study.

A survey questionnaire was sent to …

The Efficacy Of Relaxation Training On The Affective Behavior Of Early Elementary Minority Students, Mary L. Veele

Dissertations

The relationship between affective behavior and academic achievement has been addressed by a community based education program for minority student achievement in a southwestern Michigan school district. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the effectiveness of selected components of the intervention program whose design or goal was to change the affective behavior of early elementary Black students enrolled in the community based education program. It was hypothesized that there would be a difference in affective behavior between groups of children who received regular training or intensive relaxation training; between boys and girls; and among Grades 1, 2, …

The Relationship Between Leadership Behavior And The Awareness Of Organizational Culture In American And Japanese Corporations, Ikuko Torimoto

Dissertations

Literature has revealed that the leadership behavior of executives and upper level managers had a significant effect on organizational culture which offered members of the organization meaningful goals and purposes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the awareness of organizational culture and leadership behavior of executives and upper level managers in American and Japanese multinational corporations.

The investigation was conducted using two instruments, Cultural Awareness Checklist and Leader Behavior Descriptive Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 256 employees: 117 executives and upper level managers and 139 middle and lower level managers and other employees not holding …

The Perception Of Single-Parented And Dual-Parented Children By Married And Divorced Teachers, Larry A. Blackmer

Dissertations

The single-parented child has become a focal point of attention for many educators. Concomitant to the increase in the number of children coming from families that have experienced divorce of parents is an increase in the number of professional persons who have experienced divorce as adults. The nation's schools are becoming more populated with single-parented children, and are being taught by teachers who are divorced or have experienced divorce.

The problem presented in this study questions if the interaction of the marital status of the teacher (divorced or married) and the status of the child (single-parented or dual-parented) will affect …

The Effects Of Mechanically-Delivered Human-Delivered Reinforcement And Human-Delivered Reinforcement On Intrinsic Interest, Duangkaew Ungsrithong

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of mechanically-delivered and human-delivered reinforcement on the performance of intrinsically interesting tasks. The study used a multiple-trial within-subject comparison design in which two reinforcement phases (a human-delivered reinforcement and a mechanically-delivered reinforcement phase) were alternated with two post-reinforcement phases. Three of the four subjects did not show performance decrements following mechanically-delivered reinforcement while three did show decrements following human-delivered reinforcement. These data indicate that post-reinforcement decrements may be more likely when reinforcement is delivered socially, suggesting that such decrements may not be due to the reinforcers per se but to …

The Identification And Assessment Of Interaction In Educational Microcomputer Software, Pamela J. Zeller

Dissertations

Many professionals involved with the educational use of microcomputers have indicated that criteria for evaluating software are often based on speculation and intuition and that there is a need to establish valid evaluative criteria. Among the elements comprising most evaluation schemes is interaction. The literature suggests that both an operational definition for the term interaction as applied to educational microcomputer software and a means to validly assess such interaction are necessary. The purpose of the study was to systematically develop such an operational definition and to develop and validate an instrument and a procedure to assess this interaction. Using a …

Recidivism Of 17-21 Year-Old Misdemeanants Participating In A Prosecution Diversion Program, Gerald D. Snodgrass

Dissertations

Criminal activity involving the youthful offender is a serious problem in law enforcement. The monetary considerations of processing a criminal case in the established criminal justice system are not declining. Youthful crime, like all forms of criminal activity, is a considerable drain on the resources of this country. The personal costs to the 17-21 year-old offender may include curtailment of employment opportunities, limited educational prospects, and the establishment of adverse life patterns, leading to further criminal involvement. The youthful offender who resorts to crime again and is arrested because of such criminal activity adds additional costs to the criminal justice …

The Impact Of A Middle Management Union On The Function Of The Management Team Concept As Perceived By Selected School Administrators, Samuel L. Barresi

Dissertations

This study investigated the impact that a middle management bargaining union had on the function of the management team concept as perceived by selected elementary school principals and selected superintendents of schools in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in the state of Michigan. Perceptions were solicited from school superintendents employed in school districts where a middle management bargaining unit exists and elementary principals in the same school districts who held membership in the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association. The objective of the study was to provide insights as to the impact that a middle management bargaining union had …

A Study Of Stress Factors Related To The Attrition Of Christian Reformed Church Missionary Personnel In A West African Work Environment, Dirk W. Vander Steen

Dissertations

Missionary attrition is a costly experience for North American mission boards. Debilitating stress, related to resignations and early withdrawal of missionaries has led to human suffering on the part of missionaries and financial losses for those who sponsor the mission overseas.

This study investigated the factors that were stressful for missionaries of the Christian Reformed Church that worked in West Africa and attempted to identify those stress factors that are primarily responsible for missionary attrition. Previous research, with other missions on other continents provided the basis for identifying factors related to missionary stress. A Likert-like scale was used to measure …

A Study Of A Prekindergarten Screening Test: The Project Intercept Inventory, Francis J. Rutowski

Dissertations

The emphasis on the importance of early childhood education has brought attention to techniques used in determining the readiness of young children to successfully undertake kindergarten programs.

The Project Intercept Inventory is a criterion-referenced prekindergarten screening test that has been used in the Grand Rapids, Michigan public schools for 12 years. The test consists of 21 items distributed among seven developmental areas. The test was locally developed and no previous analyses had been done to determine the reliability and validity of the test.

The information gained from the use of this test has been used in making educational programming recommendations …

Alcoholism Treatment And Its Effect On Subsequent Health Care Costs: A Medicaid Study Of Cost Differences By Treatment Setting, Edmund Paul Kemp

Dissertations

In an attempt to slow and reduce this nation's costs for alcoholism services under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Health Care Financing Administration and the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse in 1981 collaborated and jointly developed the Alcoholism Services Demonstration (ASD). The major project goal of the Alcoholism Services Demonstration was to demonstrate that cost savings could be derived by providing alcoholism services to Medicare- and Medicaid-eligible recipients in freestanding alcohol treatment centers.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate Michigan's experience under the national demonstration project with a major focus on the following questions: (a) …

A Report Of A Review And Synthesis Of Findings Of Research Studies About Academic Achievement Of Ethnic Minorities In K-12 Education, Harold C. Wheeler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this report is to review and synthesize findings of research studies about academic achievement of ethnic minorities in K-12 education.

In this paper, the literature in Chapter I is related to findings about children as a result of school desegregation. Specifically it focuses on the effects which desegregation has had on motivation, and social-psychologic development of black and white children.

The second chapter begins with a historical background and discusses the life of economic and political oppression and the attitudes toward education that have shaped black school achievement over time.

In Chapter III, race and academic performance …

Preventing The "All But Thesis" Phenomenon, Maria Emma Garcia

Dissertations

Twenty-three to 54% of the students who enter graduate programs never obtain their degrees. A high percentage of those students drop out after the completion of all the academic requirements except their master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The literature makes reference to the "all but thesis" (ABT) and the "all but dissertation" (ABD) phenomenon.

The present study involved the implementation of a research supervisory system designed to help students complete their theses and dissertations, therefore preventing the ABT and ABD problems. Twenty-nine graduate students in psychology formed the research supervisory group and 53 graduate students from several departments formed a …

The Certification Of Training And Development Professionals: Employers' Perception Of Problem Prevalence And Certification's Efficacy, Susan Lynn Atchison-Day

Dissertations

The certification of training and development (HRD) professionals is under consideration by professional training associations. Certification programs can be advantageous; however, they are also costly and present potentially undesirable side effects. Therefore, verifying the worth of a certification program is a logical prerequisite to design and implementation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems for which intervention, through a certification program, might be needed and the ability of certification to meet the need.

This study gathered data to determine whether companies: (a) had experienced common problems for which certification might be a solution; (b) viewed certification as …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Occupation, Learning Style, And Productivity Preference, Charlotte Wenham

Dissertations

Businesses spend millions of dollars each year on selection and placement of personnel, on training, and on organizational development activities. Each one involves the learning processes of the individual; the effectiveness of these activities is dependent upon the receptiveness of the individual learner or worker to the specific activity. The purpose of this study was to verify if certain occupational groups demonstrated particular learning styles and productivity preferences and to determine if there were systematic differences among the occupational groups and the magnitude of those differences. Members of nine different occupational groups working in a branch facility of a Fortune …

Leadership In A Juvenile Detention Facility: Portrait Of An Effective Youth Management Program, D. John Morris Jr.

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to expose administrators and teachers to an institutional system of leadership and youth management that emphasizes the positive: a system that is founded on consistency and based on solid research.

The program, known as the Intensive Learning Program (ILP), is presently used in the Calhoun County Juvenile Home in Marshall, Michigan. It was established as a result of a philosophy of developing community based treatment for juvenile offenders.

Through the use of portraiture the researcher presents a detailed description of the program and a description of the leadership style of the program's director. Also …

A Report Of An Internship At The Ottawa Area Center Ottawa County, Michigan, Donna Sue Angell

Masters Theses

The internship was completed at the Ottawa Area Center in Ottawa County, Michigan during the late spring and summer of 1986. It developed in two main areas: (1 ) the design and implementation of an offcampus community based educational experience for trainable mentally impaired (TMI) students and (2) the development of a computer based data system to maintain and examine student records.

Major experiences included the development of a curriculum which would optimally use the resources of the City of Holland, personal contacts with community leaders to explain and gain acceptance for the program, coordination of other activities at the …

A Comparison Of Wais-R Scores With Wais-R Scores For Mentally Handicapped Students With Iqs Below 70 And For Regular Education Students, Kimberly A. Brennan

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the utilization of WISC-R scores as a basis for placement and continuation of services for mental retardates in special education classes throughout their school careers. A comparison of the WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs with the WAIS-R counterparts and a statistical analysis was conducted. Regular education students were also tested to determine if the two scales were equal.

The WAIS-R was found to yield higher Verbal and Full Scale IQ scores, but comparable Performance IQ scores. These results suggest that the differences between the two instruments for children of …

A Comparative Study Of Three Alternative Procedures For Identifying Severe Discrepancy In Learning Disabled Students, Carol Tully Uhlman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare Hessler's (1985) procedure for determining a severe discrepancy between ability and achievement with two alternate procedures: (a) the "expert opinion" of learning disability teachers, and (b) the results of the multidisciplinary evaluation team report (MET). An ex post facto design was used. Hessler's procedure was applied using WISC-R full scale scores as the ability measure and reading, mathematics, and written language scores from Part 2 of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery as measures of achievement.

Subjects were 27 fourth and fifth grade students legally identified as learning disabled and receiving special education services …

An Examination And Analysis Of Effective Leadership Styles And The Skills Necessary To Successfully Lead A School District, Jerome S. Goosen

Masters Theses

The analysis of leadership styles provided an indepth view of the many roles and responsibilities of the position of principal and superintendent. The opportunity to observe and interact with more than one person helped to draw comparisons. Several instruments, used nationally to assess leadership styles, were also observed for the first time.

It was determined that administration requires many skills to handle the numerous tasks and situations that arise. Each one of the field supervisors demonstrated the ability to fit his/her personality to different situations. Each was different in his/her basic styles but yet shared several common traits. Finally, it …

A Report Of An Internship In The Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools, Galesburg, Michigan, Robert C. Cretsinger

Masters Theses

This report is a summary of a 9-month internship in the Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools, Galesburg, Michigan. The experience began in May of 1985 and concluded in January of 1986.

The objective of the internship was to introduce the intern to the roles and responsibilities of the school superintendent. The length of the internship was designed to provide a more extensive picture of the position of superintendent.

This report contains a log of activities and experiences. Examples of technical material produced during the internship are also provided. An evaluation is made regarding the attainment of objectives.

Teaching Paragraph Construction To Second Grade Students Using A Structured, Sequential Instructional Program, Sheryl Ann Miller

Masters Theses

The present study proposed that specific methods of teaching writing could be implemented through the application of established principles of behavioral, educational technology. A group of eight second grade students took part in a five week sequential writing program designed to teach them to construct a paragraph incorporating the following components: title, name, introductory sentence, three explanatory sentences, and a conclusion sentence.

Samples of the student's writing were obtained at the beginning and end of the program. Changes in writing style were analyzed for the absence or presence of each component. Every child demonstrated some improvement regarding one or more …

Depression And Anxiety In Postmenopausal Women: A Study Of Black, White, And Hispanic Women, Patricia Groessl

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate depression and anxiety in postmenopausal women. The study examined four areas: race, hormone state, number of menopause symptoms, and demographic data.

The sample consisted of 90 women between the ages of 45 and 65. All subjects had completed either natural or surgical menopause by a minimum of one year. The subjects were volunteers from the West Michigan area.

There were 30 subjects from each of the following race categories: black, white, and Hispanic. On the basis of self reports, the subjects were assigned to one of the following hormone state groups: (a) …

Ideal And Real Performance Expectations Of Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates As Perceived By Graduates, Nurse Educators, And Nurse Administrators, Maureen Martin Fochtman

Dissertations

Nurse educators and nursing service administrators have different expectations for the baccalaureate graduate nurse. The difference in expectations has made the transition from student to practitioner difficult for the new graduate.

The purpose of this study was to identify the ideal and real expectations regarding entry level performance as perceived by nurses who graduated in 1985 from 17 of 31 baccalaureate programs represented in the Consensus on Entry project. The ideal and real expectations of the graduates were compared to the nurse educators' and the nursing service administrators' results from the consensus on Entry project.

One hundred fifty-four baccalaureate graduates …

The Effects Of Computer Assisted Instruction In Basic Skills Courses On High-Risk Ninth Grade Students, Thomas E. Dellario

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in basic skills English and mathematics courses on high-risk ninth grade students. Utilizing an ex post facto design, the study was undertaken to determine if CAI courses make any measurable difference in students' academic achievement. The study also examines three nonacademic concerns relating to the school-imposed, high-risk, label carried by these students: attendance, student behavior, and dropouts.

Data were collected from school personnel offices on 384 ninth grade students enrolled in four high schools of two urban school districts. Because of student drops from school, …

The Development And Validation Of A Social Skills Rating Scale For Early Adolescents, Alan Bain

Dissertations

This study responded to the need for a social skill assessment device specifically for use with early adolescents (i.e., ages 12-15 both regular education and mildly handicapped), that would assist teachers in addressing the social behavior problems experienced by this population.

The purpose of the study was to produce and validate a reliable teacher rating scale for use in: (a) screening adolescents for participation in social skill training programs, (b) measuring the efficacy of social skills training, and (c) measuring the generalization of social skills training to classroom social behavior. Aspects of both traditional and behavioral assessment theory were used …