Education Commons^™

Assessing The Persistence To Graduation Of Students Joining Fraternities At Western Kentucky University, Charles Pride

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the study, I assessed the persistence of students who joined fraternities at Western Kentucky University. Also included is a comparison between them and the general student population. The study includes 1467 students who joined fraternities between the Fall 1986 to Spring 1991 semesters. A five-year time period was used as the benchmark for graduation from the institution. Factors that were explored included race, initiation status, year in school when pledging, and organizational affiliation. Pearson Product-Moment Correlations and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results illustrated that students who join fraternities graduate at a higher …

Does Sex Discrimination Exist In Faculty Salaries At Western Kentucky University? An Empirical Examination Of The Wage Gap, Reed Vesey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines wage differentials between male and female faculty salaries at Western Kentucky University. A human capital model of salary determination is examined by using regression analysis on relevant personal and job characteristics of faculty members. A large portion of the wage gap between men and women is explained through differences in the personal and job characteristics. A portion of the wage gap remains unexplained, however, the probability of discrimination playing a substantial role in salary is very small.

Six Volleyball Skill Tests As A Predictor Of Game Performance, Donetta J. Cothran

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of six selected volleyball skill tests to actual volleyball game performance. The six skill test items were administered to 64 subjects, who were all members of a college level introductory volleyball course. Based on the ratings of a panel of experts, subjects were rated during game play as good, average, or poor performers.

The stepwise discriminant analysis was used to analyze the relationship between skill tests and game performance. Four of the six skill tests were identified as significantly contributing to group membership. These tests, in order of the magnitude …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Self-Concept And Heterogeneous And Homogeneous Grouping Procedures With Seventh-Grade Students, Wanda Hughes Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Homogeneous grouping, a technique which assigns learners by ability levels into class sections for instruction, has undergone considerable controversy. This study investigated the relationship between global self-concept and two procedures used to group seventh-grade students for instruction. The two procedures were heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping The Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Inventory Scale was administered to 76 heterogeneously grouped students and 70 homogeneously grouped students. A T-Test was applied to study the data by total groups. It was concluded that there was insufficient evidence to reject the hypothesis that there was no difference between the two groups.

Public Relations: Its Importance In The Public School System, Lawrence Crittenden Hunter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Literature was reviewed to determine the importance of a public relations program in the public school system. Information was retrieved from various published sources, including materials from the National School Public Relations Association, professional journals, books relating to public relations and a variety of other educational reports.

An analysis of the literature reveals the following components of a successful public relations program:

1. A plan of action benefits the public relations program.
2. Staff participants benefit the public relations program.
3. Parent involvement is an important aspect of the public relations program.
4. Community involvement is essential to a successful public relations program

Stress Indicators Of Kentucky Elementary Principals, Helen Kirby

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stress has become a problem to which people of all walks of life may relate, affecting the actions of the individual on both professional and personal levels. In the field of education, administrators often report a high level of stress, sometimes referred to as burnout. Much has been written about teacher stress, but very little research has been done on stress encountered by elementary principals. Research was conducted on stress as perceived by elementary principals in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for this study.

The questionnaire used was compiled by the researcher using Koff, Laffey, Olson and Cichon’s table of Stress …

A Comparison Of The Frequencies Of Selected Teaching Behaviors Of Trained And Untrained Teachers, Raymonde Antonia Frances Joseph

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to compare the frequencies of a selected set of teaching behaviors of trained and untrained teachers in elementary schools in St. Lucia. The dependent variables in the study were the frequencies of Structuring, Questioning, Feedback and Praise behaviors. The independent variables were training, grades awarded at teaching practice, and subject areas.

Records of the lessons were obtained through the use of audiotapes. The behaviors were coded using a low inference observation schedule. The data were analyzed using means and standard deviations. The significance and inferential statistic applied was the chi-square.

Significant differences were found …

Management Guide For Early Childhood Programs, Cathy S. Jording

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Relying upon many years of experience as an early childhood educator and consultant, and utilizing examples of programs and forms during the past thirteen years while serving as the Director of Peace Lutheran Preschool/Kindergarten in Owensboro, Kentucky, and as a regional/national early childhood consultant. The author has proposed a manuscript whose purpose is to assist early childhood professionals in the development and implementation of quality, needs-appropriate preschool programs.

The eleven chapters are divided into seven areas of concern: program survey, development, purpose, regulation requirements, administration, financing, enrollment, curriculum and day-care. (Within each area are varied appropriate methods of implementation relating …

The Development And Construct Validation Of The Children’S Academic Motivation Inventory, Kevin Hughes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide construct validation evidence for the Children’s Academic Motivation Inventory (CAMI). The CAMI, the junior Index of Motivation Scale (JIM Scale), and the Children’s Social Desirability Scale (CSDS) were administered to 534 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. Additionally, teacher assigned math grades; total math and total reading scores from the Kentucky Essential skills test (KEST); and the Cognitive Skills Index (CSI) from the Test of Cognitive Skills were obtained for each participant. Principal-components factor analysis with varimax rotation performed on the CAMI items produced essentially one factor, entitled academic achievement motivation. …

A Study Of Cognitive Variables Associated With Achievement Among A Gifted Population, Sharon R. Coty-Kieta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between specific cognitive variables and classroom achievement among a gifted population. The participants included 389 students in grades five eight enrolled in the Gifted and Talented Education program in a Southcentral Kentucky School district. An experimenter-developed teacher rating scale was used to document classroom achievement, the criterion variable. The predictor variables were (a) locus of control, as measured by the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale; (b) the ability to clearly express thoughts and the elaboration, fluency, flexibility, originally, and organization of those thoughts, as measured by the Prose Quantification System; (c) …

A Preschool Outdoor Curriculum And Playground Design, Teacher Education, Connie Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The writer proposes the utilization of a developmentally based outdoor curriculum and playground designed for young children. The curriculum consists of an overview, objectives, curriculum methodology, playground designs and evaluation. Cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains are each included in the objectives. A curriculum methodology focusing upon approaches for individualization and development of the total child is presented. The playground designs are based upon current research. Play value, development appropriateness and safety were considered in developing playground designs and curriculum. Evaluation of the curriculum and playground will be measured through assessments of the individual child, the class, and the staff. Numerous …

The Relationship Among Parent Knowledge Of Special Education, Assertiveness, And Participation In Planning Their Handicapped Child’S Educational Program, Lynne Faxon Croxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study addressed the relationship among parent assertiveness, parent knowledge of special education and the handicapping condition of their child, and parent participation in the annual meeting of the School-Based Admissions and Release Committee (SBARC). Fifty-one (51) parents of learning disabled and mentally handicapped children in a suburban area of Kentucky participated in the study. The effects of the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child had received special education on parent assertiveness, knowledge, and participation were also analyzed. Parents were given the Special Education Knowledge Survey, and …

Guilford’S Structure Of Intellect Theory: An Evaluation Of The Three Dimensional Model And The Implications For Its Use In The Education Of The Gifted Child, Judith Parr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There is much current interest in the field of education concerning the academically gifted student’s needs. Guilford’s Structure of Intellect model (Guilford, 1956) holds particular promise for positively influencing the development of cognitive skills among academically gifted students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using a program of instruction based upon Guilford’s Structure of Intellect (SI) model (Meeker, 1969) with children identified as academically gifted. Subjects consisted of 68 fourth-grade students who resided in two counties of northwestern Kentucky and who were identified as being academically gifted. The treatment group consisted of 34 academically gifted …

Effects Of High Proximity Living Accommodations On The Stress Levels And Self-Perceptions Of College Students Living In Residence Halls At Western Kentucky University, Aaron W. Hughey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Selected occupants of University residence hall rooms accommodating three students in a physical facility originally designed for only two occupants were compared to selected occupants of rooms accommodating two residents in a physical facility originally designed for two occupants. They were compared along two psychological dimensions: frustration (stress) and self-perception. Both groups responded to an instrument package consisting of The Student Life Event Questionnaire, The Self Perception Assessment, and The Frustration Assessment. These instruments were designed to measure relative stress levels and relative strengths of self-perception.

The returned instrument packages were scored and a comparison was made between the two …

A Study Of The Relationship Of Socioeconomic Status & Student Perceptions Of School Effectiveness To Academic Achievement Of Engineering Students, Geronimo Mendoza Meraz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of socioeconomic status and student perceptions of school effectiveness to academic achievement in engineering students. The variables representing the general factor of socioeconomic status were 1) father’s occupation, 2) father’s schooling, 3) mother’s schooling, 4) family income, and 5) family’s community population. The variables representing student perceptions of school effectiveness were: 1) help seeking factor, 2) professional preparation factor, 3) experience factor, 4) outside classroom activity factor, 5) personal encouragement factor, and 6) delivery factor.

A question was developed for this specific study and was completed by 110 senior …

The Use Of Feuerstein’S Instrumental Enrichment With Underprepared College Students: A Pilot Study, Michael Kieta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This pilot study investigated the usage of Feuerstein’s (1980) Instrumental Enrichment with underprepared college students. Open admissions policies in colleges and universities have resulted in the enrollment of many students who are underprepared to meet the academic task demands. Courses have been developed by the colleges and universities to remediate the academic deficits of underprepared students. Remedial courses using traditional educational methods have been largely ineffective. Cognitive process instruction (CPI) is an area of educational research that recently began to receive increased attention in the field of remedial education. The goal of CPI has been to develop the cognitive/thought processes …

The Brigance K&1 Screen And Corresponding Teacher Ratings Of Students, Shanna Waddington

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between teacher ratings of kindergarten students and scores on the Brigance K&1 Screen was examined in order to obtain a measure of construct validity for the Brigance. A Kentucky sample and California sample were included in the study. Data was analyzed separately for each sample for purposes of regional comparison. Teacher’s ratings of students’ overall ability and ability across five skill dimensions (expressive language, receptive language, personal information, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills) were compared via a linear regression analysis. The results indicated that overall ratings of students by teachers are significant and reliable combinations of …

An Educational-Counseling Program On Public Law 94-142 For Parents Of School-Aged Educable Mentally Handicapped Children, Patricia Coakley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The passage of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, mandates that parents of a handicapped child must be included in the educational planning and placement procedures for their child. The law requires (1) parent counseling and (2) parent participation in the planning of the child’s educational career. Yet almost six years after the passage of Public Law 94-142, the role of parent which emerges today appears to be one of passive involvement in the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process. The literature suggests this lack of active participation possibly stems from several sources: the parents’ …

A Study Of The Validity Of Undergraduate Grade Point Average And Graduate Record Examination Scores As Predictors Of Success In The Selection Of Masters Level Graduate Students In Psychology, Margaret Tandy O'Connor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), the grade point average during the last two years of undergraduate work (LTYR), the Graduate Record Examination Verbal plus Graduate Record Examination Quantitative scores (GREM), the Graduate Record Examination Analytical Test score (GREAN) and the Graduate Record Examination Advanced Psychology Test score (GREAD) as predictors of graduate grade point averages (GGPA) in the Master of Arts degree program in Psychology at Western Kentucky University. The validity of the Graduate Record Examination Quantitative score (GREQ) as a predictor of grades received in the two …

An Exploration Of Change In Teacher Concerns Over Time, Sharla E. Hutchinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to reconsider the five factor structure of the Teach Concern Checklist (TCC) currently being utilized by the teacher Preparation Evaluation Program (TPEP) at Western Kentucky University. The problem was to replicate the three factor solution of the TCC proposed by George (1978) and to further explore the progression of teacher concerns with experience to lend support to the self-task-impact concern theory proposed by Fuller (1969)

Two hundred and sixty-five pre-service and in-service teacher participating in TPRP completed the TCC. These teachers represented the different experience levels of student. First, third and fifth year of …

A Comparative Study Of Academic Achievement Of Students From Phased-Elective Social Studies Curriculum With Students From A Traditional Social Studies Curriculum, Dennis Minnix

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study, the academic achievement of two groups of University students was compared. The control group consisted of 15 students who had attended a traditional high school. The experimental group consisted of 25 students who had attended a high school which utilized a phased-elective curriculum design.

The students were observed at three points in their schooling. First, students were compared at the end of the eighth grade to determine if any significant difference existed prior to their exposure to the two high school programs. Next, students were observed at the end of their high school education by comparing scores …

Head Start Four And Five Year Old Children’S Attitudes Toward School As They Are Related To Achievement, Eugene Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there existed significant relationships between 4 and 5 year old children’s attitude toward school, their classroom teacher’s perception of their attitude toward school, length of time in school, sex, or a composite of these with their achievement on the Pre-School Attainment Record. A random sample of 55 Head Start children completed three instruments. The instruments used in this study were a revised Children’s Attitude Toward School Scale (CATSS-R), (Beere, 1970) The Pre-School Attainment Record (PAR), (Doll, 1966) and the Teachers Rating of Attitude of Children Toward School (TRACTS). The results of …

Pressure Basketball And The Speed Game: A Comprehensive Coaching Philosophy, Lanny Vaneman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There has been in the past, and likely will continue to be, an obvious lack of printed material dealing with the discipline of basketball. The wide spectrum of everything that is to be taught, as well as how it is to be introduced (in the writer’s opinion) has been neglected. Rather than focusing on one phase or a limited number of areas of interest, this work attempts to serve as a comprehensive basketball coaching manual for a beginning mentor. It should also serve well for one who wishes to reevaluate or revise his coaching philosophy. Careful thought has been given …

A Comparison Of Traditional Grass-Twist Backstops To One Of Corrugated Cardboard Design Use On Indoor Ranges, Charles T. Crume Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study presents the results of a comparison of traditional grass-twist backstops frequently used on indoor ranges with one of corrugated cardboard design. The findings indicate that the corrugated cardboard design is substantially superior.

The four factors selected for testing were:

1. Arrow pass-through levels and subsequent arrow repair costs
2. Arrow penetration levels, tested over several distances and using several bow weights
3. Arrow-stopping potential with beginning and inexperienced archers
4. Storage

Testing showed the first three factors supporting the corrugated cardboard design. The last factor, storage, was found to be about equally supportive of both designs.

Several recommendations are made. These recommendations …

Comparison Of The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test And The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale In School Age Children, Stephen Skiles

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The correlate relationships and directionality and magnitude of mean differences between MAs and IQs of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and Revised Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (both 1960 and 1972 norms) were investigated in a sample of 225 school age children. It was found that MAs of two instruments were more highly correlated than the IQs. For the total sample, no significant differences were found between mean MAs of the two instruments. The correlation between PPVT and the 1960 Revised Stanford-Binet IQs and the correlation between PPVT and 1972 Revised Stanford-Binet IQs were found to be identical. The PPVT was found …

The Economic Impact Of Western Kentucky University On The Bowling Green – Warren County Economy, Stephen Cooper

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The costs incurred by the community resulting from Western Kentucky University’s location – cost of educating children of university related personnel, cost of services provided by the local governments to the university community, and the lost property tax revenue resulting from the tax exemption of university property – were estimated as were the benefits enjoyed by the community as a result of the University’s location – local expenditures, local employment generated by the university’s presence, the university community’s impact on the local banking system’s credit base, and the occupational license tax receipts levied by the city on the university payroll. …

A Survey Of Puppetry Utilization In Public Elementary School Library Media Centers In First And Third Kentucky Educational Districts, Vicki Minnix

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study has been to determine the amount of utilization of puppetry including construction of the puppets and development and presentation of puppet programs and benefits derived from such programs in public elementary, junior high school, and middle school libraries, but excluding libraries which served schools with grades one through twelve, in First and Third Kentucky Educational Association School Districts. Data were collected through a questionnaire which was developed and mailed to 132 schools served by 107 librarians. Ninety-three of the librarians involved in the survey completed the questionnaire.

It was found that only a little over …

Recreation Needs Of Pre-Adolescent Girls In Selected Public Schools, Michael Aune

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There was a need to determine the recreation needs of girls in the pre-adolescent age range of nine through fourteen years old so that municipal recreation professionals may program activities to meet the desires of this specific population. In order to do this, a testing instrument was developed. The test, a recreation preference schedule, used closed questions exclusively, unlike many of the available checklist surveys. The recreation preference schedule was modeled after the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule that was used in counseling. The new test, containing one hundred questions, utilized ten recreation activity categories. It was checked for reliability and …

A Psychometric Comparison Between Inhouse Versus Externally Developed Retranslation Scales, David Peak

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Using a Behavioral Expectation Scale (BES) format borrowed from the psychology department at the University of California – Berkeley and a BES form developed in and for a Southeastern university psychology department, students’ evaluations of their professors’ teaching performance were examined for interrater reliability, leniency error, variability and discriminability. Results indicate that neither form was psychometrically sound at the Southeastern university. Problems in obtaining sound ratings for the BES form were discussed.

An Approach To Meeting The Educational Needs Of A Select Group Of Migrant Children, Ruth G. Cornelius

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Children in grades one through six who were identified as children from migrant agricultural families in a specific country in South Central Kentucky were compared to non-migrant children in the same specific county. A determination of the educational needs of these migrant children was made by a comparison of their standardized test scores to similar test scores of children from non-migrant families in the areas of Reading, Math, AND Total Battery scores. Resultant data from the test scores indicated that migrant children generally do not have achieve as high academically in the areas tested as do children from non-migrant families. …