Education Commons^™

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. …

A Trend Analysis Of Occupational Therapy Treatment Outcomes Following Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery, Richard G. Cooper

Dissertations

A trend analysis of treatment outcomes was completed for a single group of subjects who participated in a staged occupational therapy rehabilitation program following carpal tunnel surgery. In addition, the enabler skills of range of motion and muscle strength were compared with the outcome skills of motor function and occupational performance. Thirty-one subjects participated. Data were collected before surgery, and three months, six months, and nine months after surgery.

The findings from this study indicated that: (a) differences in range of motion, gross grasp, motor function, and occupational performance occurred in linear trends; and (b) increases in enabler skills were …

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 …

A Study Of Variables That Attract Certified Special Education Substitute Teachers To Selected Urban School Districts In The State Of Michigan, Patsy Ann Fox

Dissertations

Demand and supply of certified special education substitute teachers in the Middle Cities Education Association in Michigan was examined to determine the difference between supply and demand and to describe the factors that attract these teachers to substitute teach in the public schools.

A four-item letter of inquiry was used to acquire information from the membership of the Middle Cities Education Association in regards to supply and demand. Twenty-eight usable returns were received for a 100% response rate.

Questionnaires were distributed to certified special education substitute teachers in 19 school districts. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. Seventeen items related …

The Relationship Between Implementation Of Hospice Nursing Standards Of Care, Hospice Size, And Family Satisfaction, Lucille I. Grimm

Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the relationship between implementation of Hospice Nursing Standards of Care and satisfaction with nursing care by the hospice family. The study sought to describe the degree of implementation of the Hospice Nursing Standards of Care among three sizes of hospice and whether family satisfaction differed depending on degree of implementation of the Hospice Nursing Standards of Care and hospice size. The study was based on Bloch's (1975) theoretical framework of process-outcome evaluation. Relationships were determined between the independent process variables of degree of implementation of Hospice Nursing Standards of Care and …

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 …

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 …

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, …

Variables Related To Faculty Attitudes Towards Computing At Western Michigan University, Marianne P. Vakalis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study were: (a) to describe characteristics of faculty at Western Michigan University who hold favorable or unfavorable attitudes towards computing with respect to the 13 variables used in previous research; (b) to investigate other selected variables which could be used to describe faculty who are likely to have favorable attitudes towards computing at Western on which little, if any, research has been reported in the literature; and (c) to develop implications of findings for identifying possible interventions with faculty who hold unfavorable attitudes towards computing at Western Michigan University.

A Computing Favorability Scale (Shields, 1984), used …

Causes Of Juvenile Delinquency In Jordan, Ayed A. Irfaifeh

Dissertations

This dissertation sought to examine the extent to which a set of social bonding factors were helpful in preventing delinquency in the Jordanian society. A sample of 147 juveniles (male eleventh-graders) from seven public high schools in the Tafielah Covernate and its localities completed a self-reported survey. Their answers were useful in ascertaining whether or not Hirschi's (1969) social control theory was indeed applicable cross-culturally, especially in a society dissimilar to the United States. Within the theoretical confines of Hirschi's theory, the descriptive data suggest that Jordanian youth have similar cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, and affiliation to the convention order …

Members Of Minority Student Organizations And Their Perceptions Of Their Academic And Social Integration, Oris Tamaria Griffin

Dissertations

Hundreds of studies of student retention have been conducted at colleges and universities over the years, and invariably they have focused on identifying student characteristics and other factors related to retention, as well as on causes of attrition which can help us identify ways to improve this situation.

Importantly the literature on student retention has identified academic and social integration as playing key roles in student retention, although admittedly some studies have shown more promise on these variables than others.

The purpose of this study was to determine if members of any one of three organizational types (social, professional, ethnic) …

A Status Study Of Economic Education In Michigan Elementary Schools, Barbara C. Johnson

Dissertations

The status of economic education in Michigan elementary schools was examined to describe the level of programs in districts of differing state equalized valuation per state aid member (SEV), size, or stratifications by geographic region and community type. In addition, constraints and needs for curriculum development were identified and the status of economic education in Michigan elementary schools was compared to standards set by the Michigan Economic Education Council. A 15-item questionnaire was used to survey a random stratified sample of 178 principals to provide information regarding program configuration, concepts, materials, leadership, and constraints of implementation. Ninety-eight usable returns were …

A Study Management Course For High-Risk Black College Freshmen, Mark Andrew Jackson

Dissertations

Attrition of high-risk, black college students has been a perpetual problem faced by colleges and universities. The importance of not only attending college, but actually receiving a degree has substantially greater cultural, educational, societal, and financial implications for black people than for whites. Also, because of shifting demographics, the relatively high attrition rates of black students will have an even greater impact on colleges and universities in upcoming years.

A review of the literature indicates that the origins of this problem are most directly related to academic deficiencies, poor motivation, and inadequate time management and self-management. While there exist numerous …

Perceptions Of Leadership Styles Of Principals In The Archdiocese Of Detroit, Denise Seymour

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the congruence of perceptions of ideal and real leadership behavior of principals in Catholic elementary and high schools located in the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (Halpin, 1957a), (LBDQ) developed through the College of Administrative Sciences at Ohio State University, was used. An instrument developed by the researcher was used to collect data on age, gender, experience and religious or lay status of principals and teachers.

The data were analyzed using the SAS Package for the IBM 4341 utilizing the CMS operating system at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo) Statistical …

Parent, Student, And Teacher Perceptions Of Discipline Problems In The Middle School, Marilyn J. Giannangeli

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of parents, students, and teachers relative to specific, documented behavioral problems which occur in the middle school environment. Of particular interest were the perceptions of the frequency with which these behaviors occurred, whether these perceptions correlated with the actual frequencies as documented by formal dismissal referrals, and the perceptions of appropriateness of referral to a school administrator of these behaviors.

The sample group consisted of 230 students, 25 teachers, and 230 parents from a selected middle school in Macomb County, located in southeastern Michigan. The instrument used for data collection …

The Relationship Between Attitude Toward The Elderly And Intergenerational Contact Among Social Workers, William D. Vickers

Dissertations

The relationship between social workers' attitudes toward the elderly and personal contact with older persons was investigated utilizing a sample survey research design. The assessment instrument included The Aging Semantic Differential (Rosencranz & McNevin, 1969) to measure attitude and an intergenerational contact measure developed and field tested for the study. The instrument was mailed to a random sample of 538 members of the Michigan Chapter, National Association of Social Workers. The research questions addressed were: (1) What are the attitudes of social workers toward the elderly? (2) What intergenerational contact has been experienced by social workers? (3) Is there a …

The Relationship Between Absenteeism And The Amount Of Overtime Worked In Various Job Classifications In A Metal Fabrication Plant, Thomas D. Hopkins

Dissertations

A causal comparative study was conducted to test the relationship between absenteeism and the amount of overtime worked in various job classifications. The study was conducted in a metal stamping plant. The 4.5-year study tested absence percentage data for the three classifications of skilled, service, and nonskilled employees. The study supported the hypothesis that there is a relationship between absenteeism and job classification. The study could not support either a relationship between the amount of overtime worked and absenteeism or a relationship between the interaction of job classification and overtime worked on the absentee rate. Implications were discussed pertaining to …

A Study Of Leadership Styles Of The County Sheriffs In The State Of Michigan, David A. Miramonti

Dissertations

This study sought to determine if there was an identifiable preferred leadership style used by law enforcement administrators, as represented by the county sheriffs in the state of Michigan. The study also sought to determine whether there was any relationship between certain previously identified variables and leadership style preference. Finally, the study gathered information about the background of county sheriffs.

The available literature in the field established the main hypothesis: that a humanistic style of leadership is preferred. Eight other hypotheses were developed to analyze the relationship between the variables of age, educational level, education major, years in law enforcement, …

The Effectiveness Of A Structured Tutoring Program Used With Migrant Students, Cortland L. Hillman

Dissertations

Among the circumstances that plague migrant students are mobility, poverty, low expectations, educational fragmentation, and cultural alienation. A typical migrant student might attend as many as three or more schools per year. More than 50% of all migrant students drop out of school, a figure nearly twice the national average for all other U.S. students. Ninety percent or more of all migrant students follow their parents into a lifetime of employment as field workers. The cost to the migrant student of not being academically successful is a life of limited opportunity.

In this study a structured tutoring program in reading …

A Comparison Of Sociological And Demographic Factors Of Custodial And Noncustodial Single Fathers, Daniel D. Petterson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what differences, if any, exist in the sociological and demographic factors that are observed to be characteristics of fathers who have custody of their children, as opposed to fathers who do not have custody of their children. A review of the literature revealed that a large amount of information has been collected dealing with the situation of single mothers, but that nothing comparable exists regarding single fathers. The evidence from the literature also indicated that the increase in single fathering is at least paralleling the increase in single parenting in general. It …