Education Commons^™

Professional Values And The Florida Cooperative Extension Service: Developing A Foundation For Strategic Planning, Mary Speece Williams

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was undertaken to determine the organizational values shared by the professional employees of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Related topics that contributed to the literature review included human and organizational values, organizational culture, strategic planning, and the philosophical foundations of the Cooperative Extension Service.

Focus group interviews were conducted in each of the five administrative districts and on the University of Florida Campus. A total of 40 individuals took part in the group interviews. Transcripts of the interviews were read, coded, and sorted by themes to develop a list of twelve categories of values shared by the …

The Roles Of School Advisory Councils In School Improvement: A Case Study In Policy Interpretation, Paige Vereen French

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Legislature responded to the national call for education reform by passing four statutes in 1991, referred to as Blueprint 2000. One intent of the legislation was to encourage change in schools through local community involvement in School Advisory Councils (SAC). The SAC, composed of parents, community members, teachers, and students was responsible for guiding the school through the process of school improvement.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of the SAC in the implementation of Florida school improvement initiatives. The study was designed to identify local factors affecting the interpretation of policy and to …

The Relationships Of Cognitive Style And Motivation To Biology Achievement For Filipino Students, Linda C. Torres

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationships of cognitive style and motivation to the biology achievement of Filipino students in a North Florida high school. The effects of gender and grade level on test scores, grades, and academic motive responses were considered during data analysis. This sample was found to be more analytical and field-independent when compared with normative groups. Significant correlations were established between achievement and field-independence, persistence, sequential abilities, mobility, and gender. Different academic motives were evident with different achievement measures. When achievement was measured by biology final grades, high achievers felt less pressure, tried harder, and were not motivated …

The Relationship Between The Educational Beliefs And The Instructional Practices Of Education Interns, Carl B. Williams

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Education researchers suggest that, since belief systems influence practicing teachers' behavior, it is important for teachers to examine their educational beliefs to determine whether those beliefs are consistent with current knowledge about teaching and learning.

If the same relationship between beliefs and practices of inservice teachers holds true for preservice teachers, since beliefs are extremely resistant to change, reflection upon educational beliefs should be cultivated during the preservice stage of teacher development. To discover whether such a parallel exists, 12 preservice teachers, during their internships, were selected for study. First, they responded to a series of vignettes to ascertain beliefs …

Quality Control Of Curriculum And Instruction In Rural North Florida High Schools, Finley James Duncan

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A model of managerial control and an instrument-The School Managerial Control Questionnaire was developed by Bogotch (1989). These were tested using a sample of elementary, middle, and high school teachers in the nation's fourth largest school district. A study by Williams (1990) used the same model and instrument with a sample of elementary school teachers from the same school district. This study used the same model and instrument to measure control processes exercised by principals in small, rural school districts in North Florida.

The model reflects two managerial behavior styles: Discretionary and ministerial; four managerial control processes: Standards, information, …

A Quasi-Experimental Design To Study The Effect Of Multicultural Coursework And Culturally Diverse Field Placements On Preservice Teachers' Attitudes Toward Diversity, Patty Moore Adeeb

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A quasi-experimental study was conducted within the context of the University of North Florida's EXCEL (Excelling in Clinical Education Learning) teacher preparation program to investigate the impact of three types of educational treatment on the attitudes toward diversity of preservice teachers. Data were collected and analyzed based on the pretest/posttest measures of three self-reporting instruments: Cross Cultural-Adaptability Inventory, the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory, and the Bogardus Social Distance Scale. The preservice teachers (N = 208; K-12 regular and special education majors) experienced the following treatments: (1) informal seminar studies of multicultural education issues accompanied by a field experience in a …