Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Dropout And Peer Mentoring In An Adult High School Completion Program, Jo Ann Pastor

Dissertations

Adult education encompasses a broad spectrum of institutions and activities which share a universal problem of retaining participants. Dropouts from adult high school completion programs are at a particular disadvantage economically. The literature is inconclusive on the causes of or remedies for program attrition. Although mentoring has been promoted and researched as a component of adult development, its use as a dropout prevention strategy for adult high school completion students is not reported in the literature.

An experimental study was conducted to test the relationship between peer mentoring and the dropout rate in an adult high school completion program. The …

Strategic Planning In Michigan Community Colleges And Its Effect On Organizational Climate, Dennis Patrick Mccarthy

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of strategic planning in Michigan community colleges and to determine what effect the planning had on selected climate factors. The data on strategic planning were collected using a questionnaire developed by this investigator and validated by a panel of 15 national experts. The presidents and the next-in-charge when it came to strategic planning at all 29 Michigan community colleges formed the population for the strategic planning aspects of the study. Administrators from 6 of the 27 responding colleges formed the population for the climate investigation. The Work Environment Scale (WES) …

A Comparison Of Male And Female Elementary School Principals' Perceived Instructional Leadership Behavior, Carol Lynn Babcock

Dissertations

This study investigated and compared the perceptions of male and female elementary school principal's instructional leadership behavior. Perceptions were solicited from elementary school principals who held membership in the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association. The objective of the study was to compare male and female elementary school principal's perceptions of their instructional leadership behavior. The dimensions of instructional leadership compared were: Defining the Mission, Managing the Instructional Program, and Promoting School Climate.

The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (Hallinger & Murphy, 1985) sought perceptions on the major dimensions of instructional leadership behavior. The survey was mailed to the …

An Evaluation Of A Method Of Suicide Assessment Training, Gerald A. Juhnke

Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study used a Randomized Groups, Posttest-only Design, to determine if significant differences between three groups existed in their: (a) ability to accurately assess high- and low-risk clients, (b) ability to accurately assign clinical actions, and (c) self-reported confidence to accurately assess suicide risk and assign clinical actions. The 59 volunteer subjects who participated in the study were master’s level counselors-in-training enrolled in a counseling prepractica training course within a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited counselor education and counseling psychology department of a large Midwestern university. Two of the three groups were experimental …

Biblical Self-Esteem And Psychopathology: A Psychological/ Theological Integration, Allan Warren Crummett

Dissertations

With the plethora of definitions for and the vague and confused understanding of self-esteem/worth/image/love/value, the mental health professional is hard-pressed to define it accurately. To the Christian therapist, an area of concern is a Christian versus secular definition.

This study explored this issue in two ways. First, it addressed two hypotheses: (1) Is there a Biblical definition of self-esteem/worth?; (2) Does the Shepherd Scale (Bassett, 1981), an established measure of levels of Christianity, adequately assess self-esteem and Biblical self-esteem? These hypotheses are answered through a search of current literature and correlational analysis.

The second part of the study tested two …

Frequency Of Job Skills Deemed Critical By Employers Appearing On The Individualized Education Plans (Ieps) Of Moderately Retarded Students, Linda Dagen Mccrea

Dissertations

The successful employment of moderately retarded students is dependent upon an educational program which is focused upon employment as an expected outcome. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative frequency that work-related skills deemed critical by employers appear on the exiting Individualized Education Plans (lEPs) of moderately retarded students (i.e., those labeled trainable mentally impaired students [TMI] in the state of Michigan).

An extensive literature review was conducted and found 49 job skills and/or work behaviors that employers view as critical for job success. An expert group sorted these critical job skills into three work-related behavior categories. …

The Relationship Between Power Bases And Conflict Management Styles Of Indonesia’S Formal Leaders, Wirawan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the power bases and conflict management styles of Indonesia’s formal leaders. French and Raven’s (1959) theory of power was used to define the power bases. Thomas and Kilmann’s (1974) theory of conflict management was used to define the conflict management styles. The study assumed that Indonesia’s formal leaders used certain kinds of power bases and conflict management styles in their leadership, and their cultural background influenced their leadership behavior.

Three null hypotheses were proposed to guide the research: (1) that there was no correlation between power bases and conflict management styles of …

Teacher Retention And Teacher Satisfaction In Lutheran Secondary Schools, Cary L. Stelmachowicz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between teacher retention and the nine subscales of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Teacher Satisfaction Survey (Schmitt & Loher, 1986) for teachers in Lutheran secondary schools. Both former and current Lutheran secondary teachers (262) were surveyed to identify sources of satisfaction levels that may induce teachers to leave Lutheran secondary education.

The survey instrument used was the Teacher Satisfaction Survey developed by the NASSP. The survey includes nine subscales of satisfaction: administration, compensation, opportunities for advancement, student responsibility and discipline, curriculum and job tasks, coworkers, parents and …

Competencies Needed For Effective Church Leadership From The Perspective Of Current Pastors, Cecile Elizabeth Fransman Hewitt

Dissertations

Contemporary needs of the African-American church are both deeply spiritual and agonizingly physical, and the resultant burden of the church has never been more challenging. Today's needs in the church call for diverse leadership.

This study generated and measured the perception of importance of 22 competencies for effective leadership as pastors of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The study also sought to determine which of the competencies were performed, shared, delegated, or not performed at each responsive church. Finally, the study sought to determine the extent to which selected demographic factors were related to the perception of importance.

The perceptions …

A Study Of The Effects On Second-Grade Students Of A Leadership Curriculum, Michael Frazee

Dissertations

Investigators of leadership behavior have largely overlooked the period during early childhood when adjustment to the group is initially acquired and practiced. This study was designed to determine whether leadership skills could be taught to second-grade students. The purpose of the research was to determine the effectiveness of the Leadership Is Vital to Education (L.I.V.E.) (Lockett, 1982) leadership curriculum.

A major assumption in this study was that leadership development could be an appropriate outcome of the elementary school curriculum and could be facilitated by introducing a specific leadership-training component into the existing curriculum. The objective was to determine whether the …

Administrative And Faculty Development: A Study Of Academic Chairpersons, Mary Ann Bowman

Dissertations

The professional development of academic chairpersons has been neglected both by higher education institutions and as a field of study. This study focused on assessing both the perceptions of chairpersons toward administrative and faculty development and their degree of participation in development activities and roles.

A survey instrument was designed to make this assessment and was mailed to 311 chairpersons at eight midwestern public universities classified as Doctorate-Granting Universities I. The response rate was 75%, with 234 questionnaires returned .

The results of the survey showed that although chairpersons view both administrative development and faculty development as important, faculty development …

Acquisition Of Conflict Management Skills With High School Adolescent Females, Leslie Skinner-Hughes

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a conflict management training program on the performance levels of high school adolescent females. Twenty female adolescent students were randomly assigned in equal numbers to either an experimental or control group. The students in the experimental group participated in a one school-day training program in conflict management skills. The students in the control group participated in two hours of discussion on handling conflicts. Pre- and post-training performance was measured by videotape recordings, classroom behavior ratings, behavior checklist, and student records of referrals for discipline.

The results showed the following: (1) The videotapes revealed a …

Sequences Of Fixed-Ratio Schedules Of Reinforcement: The Effect Of Ratio Size In The Second And Third Fixed-Ratio On Pigeons' Choice, Susan Goeters

Dissertations

The present study used a discrete-trials procedure to examine choice in pigeons presented with various three-component sequences of fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. An experimenter-controlled stimulus was correlated with each sequence and pigeons were presented with a specified number of forced-exposure and choice trials. Three phases were implemented in an effort to investigate the conditions under which fixed-ratios other than the first in a sequence of three affect choice. In Phase 1, pigeons were given a choice between a fixed-ratio X fixed-ratio 1 fixed-ratio 25 and a fixed-ratio X fixed-ratio 25 fixed-ratio 1 sequence of food delivery. Across conditions, X was …

The Relationships Between Marital Adjustment, Family Functioning, Task Management And Family Relationship Concerns In Couples Incorporating A Second Child, Amy Diguiseppe Bade

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among variables identified as potentially significant during the transition to second time parenthood. The theoretical framework for this study was based on the Circumplex Model of family systems (Olson, Sprenkle & Russell, 1979; Olson, Russell & Sprenkle, 1983), and a five domain structural model of marital and family adaptation (Cowan & Cowan, 1988).

The convenience sample consisted of 49 Caucasian middle class couples all expecting their second child. This was a one group pretest-posttest design with the birth of the second child functioning as the independent variable. The dependent variables …

The Effects Of Television Viewing On The Academic Performance Of Elementary School Children With Attention Deficit Disorder, Wayne G. Schaefer

Dissertations

Research suggests that increased hours of television (more than 20-30 hours a week) viewing has a negative impact on the academic performance (as measured by grade point average (GPA)) of elementary aged school children (Fetler, 1984; Winn, 1985). With the reported increased hours of TV viewing time over the past three decades (Ploughoft & Anderson, 1981; Winn, 1985) and the increased proliferation of cable TV and video cassette recorders, it has been projected that the average elementary school aged child will spend more than one-third of his or her waking hours watching television (Winn, 1985).

Although research (Mendelson, cited in …

The Development Of An Instrument For Multicultural Counseling Effectiveness, Michael J. Laird

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and administer an instrument designed to measure the participants' ability to identify cultural variables affecting the therapeutic process with individuals with and without training in multicultural counseling. The study also examined four areas of difference among trainees to determine their influence on the ability to identify cultural variables affecting therapeutic process: gender, age, undergraduate curriculum, and socioeconomic status of the biological family.

The sample consisted of 60 subjects between the ages of 21 and 52. All subjects were graduate students in the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Department at Western Michigan University, …

The Criminal Justice System: The Impact Of Legal And Extra-Legal Variables, Sanderson Charles Jeter

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effect of legal and extra-legal variables on the processing and sentencing outcomes of defendants. The data for this study were extracted from the case files of Kalamazoo (Michigan) County Circuit Court. The sample population is comprised of criminal defendants randomly selected and who were processed in the circuit court from May, 1987 through May, 1988. The statistical procedure applied was cross - tabulation, utilizing a chi-square measure of association. Legal and extra-legal variables independently and collectively have different effects on the processing and sentencing outcomes of defendants. Results indicate that legal variables (e.g., type of crime …

Organizational Development Through The Implementation Of Strategic Plans, Susan M. Eickhoff

Dissertations

Organizations today need effective and efficient total organizational change strategies in order to ensure both short- and long-term organizational health. As a result of an organization being a multi-dimensional entity, the ingredients for its change strategy must necessarily be representative of all its dimensions such as business management, information system, behavior analysis, behavioral systems analysis, total quality management and statistical process control techniques. Those ingredients of a comprehensive change strategy exist but have not been put together into a totally integrated package so far. In the present study, a fully-integrated organizational change strategy was systematically employed with the goal of …

“The Mirror Crack'd": Women As Mothers And Wives In Paternally Incestuous Families, Mary Deyoung

Dissertations

Women often are blamed for paternal incest. Although the notion of women's culpability is repeated so often in the literature that it has all the tranquility of an axiom, few studies have even used these women as subjects. This study sought to remedy that flaw by using as its subjects 20 women from paternally incestuous families. Each participated in an in-depth interview comprised of life history questions, and in a shorter follow-up interview.

The women reported a moderate degree of conflict between their roles as mother and wife. Their strategies for coping with that conflict were categorized according to the …

The Influence Of Junior First Grade On Academic Ability And Self-Concept Of Academic Ability, Mary Ann Boettger

Dissertations

The educational practice of retaining students in junior first grade for a year between kindergarten and first grade was the focus of this study.

Four groups of 1983-1984 students were compared in 1990-1991: (1) those recommended for first and placed in first grade (F-F), (2) those recommended for junior first and placed in junior first grade (JF-JF), (3) those recommended for junior first and placed in first grade (JF-F), and (4) those borderline between junior first and kindergarten, but placed in first grade (B-F).

The groups were compared on gender, birth month, retention, absences, and lunch status, as well as …

The Effects Of Relaxation Plus Imaginal Flooding Versus Relaxation Only On Panic Attacks In Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jan E . Bachman

Dissertations

Many Vietnam veterans experience intrusive recollections of combat-related events in the form of nightmares and flashbacks, a primary symptom of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Imaginai flooding has shown some promise in reducing the frequency and intensity of these. Cognitive- behavioral therapies have also been used, but their effectiveness has not been studied. Experiment 1 attempted to determine whether a self-imposed version of imaginai flooding (called Self-Imaginai Flooding) could be used rather than the usual therapist-led procedure, and whether treatment effects could generalize from the treated to untreated intrusive memories. In a between groups design, with six Vietnam veteran subjects in …

Level Of Ego Development And Degree Of Distress Experienced During Marital Separation, Richard A. Strait

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether reactions to marital separation and divorce could be differentiated on the basis of level of ego development. A sample of 72 divorcing persons was drawn at random from court records, divided into groups on the basis of sex and level of ego development (using Loevinger's [1970, 1989] Sentence Completion Test [SCT]), and compared on three measures of emotional adjustment (attachment distress, general distress, and social adjustment).

The results indicated that level of ego development did not differentiate short-term reactions to separation (8.7 months) on the three dependent measures, although ego level …

The Effects Of Individual Feedback And Group Feedback On The Nominal Group Technique, Monica Porter

Dissertations

The nominal group technique (NGT) was modified and implemented in an educational setting. Procedures included (a) targeting and voting on the most important issue, (b) generating a list of possible solutions and providing rationales, and (c) completing a final report as a group consensus.

The effects of individual feedback and group feedback on the NGT were examined. Group 1 received individual feedback followed by group feedback, and Group 2 received group feedback followed by individual feedback.

Twenty undergraduates served as subjects and participated in problem solving tasks in which individual feedback and group feedback were provided on the subjects' written …

Rank Procedures For The Logistic Model, Hung-Ir Li

Dissertations

Dose response assessment using quantal bioassay is a useful statistical procedure, especially in pharmaceutical science. The problem can be written in terms of a generalized linear model. The response of a subject is often dichotomous; that is, either the response or the absence of a response is recorded. The probability of response is related to the dose through a link function. A frequently used link function is the logistic. Statistical problems include fitting the model, confirming the existence of a dose response, and estimation of the ED50, the value of the dose at which the probability of response is 50%. …

Integrated Anaerobic-Aerobic System For The Biodegradation Of Highly Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds, Cheng-Ming Kung

Dissertations

A two-step process was developed for the complete mineralization of hazardous chlorinated aromatic compounds. The system consisted of an anaerobic reactor, in which reductive dehalogenation took place, coupled with an aerobic reactor in which the complete mineralization of the products of the anaerobic dehalogenation occurred.

A mixed anaerobic culture from a municipal sewage treatment plant was enriched and then immobilized on silica-based porous beads to treat 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), which is the model target compound in this work. In the anaerobic reactor, TCP was degraded to 2,4-dichlorophenol which was, in turn, reduced to 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). Stoichiometric amounts of 4-CP were recovered …

Crystallization Kinetics And Polyblends Of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Recycled From Post-Consumer Beverage Bottles, Peming Peter Hsu

Dissertations

In order to reduce waste generation, and comply with state and federal laws, plastic beverage bottles are usually undergoing recycling. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PET], which is the main component the bottles are made of, cannot be used for manufacturing new food containers, and has to be used for manufacturing other end consumer products. The recycled PET is a cheap material, but its use is problematic due to the low crystallization rates of PET. The present study investigates ways of accelerating PET crystallization by using inorganic carbonate salts as nucleating agents. This study also explores the possibility of forming polymer blends based …

Denominational Rituals As Influencers Of Grief Adjustment, Suzanne Jean Martz Webb

Dissertations

This study identified rituals and traditions that are used by some mainline Christian denominations for grieving parishioners. Determining if there are differences between denominations in either the adjustment widows make during grief or the funeral rituals in which they participated at the death of their husbands was the initial research question. The second research question was whether the degree of ritual used by members of denominations impacts adjustment during grief.

Three denominations of Christianity--the Roman Catholic church, the United Methodist church, and the Reformed Church in America--were chosen to study this issue. The three have some of the same informal …

A Parent Training Program For Teaching Preschool Children Independent Self-Care Skills, Dalene Rooks Degraaf

Dissertations

Teaching children to be independent is a challenge for parents. Initially, parents directly prompt and consequate their children’s behavior. Later, the parents fade prompts and delay consequences expecting their children to use self-management skills and environmental cues to complete tasks. The purpose of this study was to observe some of the methods which parents use to teach their 4-year-old children independent self-care skills and test the effects of a parent training program. The program was designed to transfer stimulus control from the parent’s physical or verbal prompts to textual and picture prompts on a poster listing the morning self-care skills …

The Effects Of Methylphenidate On The Repeated Acquisition Performance Of Children With Attention Deficit Disorder, Christopher P. Giuliano

Dissertations

The effects of methylphenidate on the repeated acquisition performance of three children between the ages of 9 and 13 were examined. The repeated acquisition task was programmed on a micro computer and daily doses of 0.6 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg of methylphenidate were compared with an active placebo (caffeine). There was no discernible effect for two of the subjects. One subject showed only a very slight facilitative effect at the 1.0 mg/kg dose, using trials-to-criterion as the dependent measure. Methylphenidate had no effect on errors or rate of responding for any of the subjects. Teacher ratings of behavior indicated improvement …

Effects Of Interactive And Linear Video On Patient Understanding Of Risks In Medical Procedures, Christopher P. Giuliano

Dissertations

Three methods of providing information relevant to informed consent where a vaginal birth after cesarean section was being considered were evaluated; (1) the traditional and common method (physician presentation), (2) Linear Video Tape (LVT), and (3) Interactive Video Disc (IVD). The traditional and common method of presenting information led to only limited acquisition of knowledge resulting in patients making less than fully-informed decisions. Both the linear video tape and the interactive video disc led to significantly greater understanding of the risks and benefits of the procedure than did the physician presentation. The interactive disc and the linear video tape were …