Education Commons^™

An Investigation Of Elementary Teachers' Self-Perception Of Burnout While Participating In A Professional Development Change Process, Lana L. Callihan

Dissertations

Teachers are experiencing pressures from the demands of educational change required in their profession. The quality of education is reflected by the competency of the teacher. The research suggests that efforts should be directed toward identifying a process for change that will reduce the feelings of burnout which block the energy and enthusiasm needed for change.

This study investigated the question, "Does involvement in a professional development process modify a teacher's perceived feelings of burnout?" The professional development models studied were the Collaborative Curriculum and Professional Development Process (CCPDP), Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP), and the Michigan School Improvement Process …

The Effects Of Caretaking Settings On School Readiness Of 4-Year-Olds, Joan C. Sergent

Dissertations

The effects of daytime caretaking settings and the nature and number of activities in those settings on school readiness and receptive language levels of 4-year-old children were investigated. Daytime caretaking settings, defined as the setting experienced by the 4-year-old the year prior to entering kindergarten, were determined through interviews administered to the parent/guardian of each of the 185 4-year-old participants. School readiness and receptive language levels of the 4-year-old participants were determined by individual administration of the Gesell School Readiness Screening Test (GSRST) and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) respectively. The settings were categorized as group educational, such as preschool …

A Survey Of Oral Communication Instructional Practices In The Elementary Public Schools Of Michigan, James N. Walker

Dissertations

Instruction in oral communication is critical to education. Oral communication skills are needed in the development of skills in written language, math, problem solving, and reading. Oral communication skills are important in achieving academic, vocational, and personal success. On November 1, 1978, speech education was recognized as a basic skill by United States law.

The purpose of this study was to determine the oral communication instructional practices in Michigan public elementary schools grades K-5. Eight research questions were identified:

(1) Is instruction provided? (2) What is the "basis" for instruction? (3) What materials are used? (4) What is the method …

The Development And Field Testing Of A Semi-Programed Text For The Establishment Of Reading And Writing Repertoires With Mexican-Illiterate Adults, Marco Wilfredo Salas Martinez

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a Semi-Programed text for establishing reading and writing skills for Spanish-speaking illiterate adults, and to compare it with the Mexican Secretariat of Public Education Reading and Writing program. Thirty-two male prisoners incarcerated at the Regional Prison of Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (a) Semi-Programed I; (b) Semi-Programed II; (c) Conventional I; and (d) Conventional II. Subjects of the Semi-Programed Instructional condition groups were taught to read and write with a Semi-Programed text, which was based on the behavioral principles and …

Identification Of The Presence Of The Restoration Concept In Seventh-Day Adventist Nursing Programs In The United States, L. Phil Hunt

Dissertations

Problem. In 1976 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) nursing educational leaders adopted a statement of philosophy and goals that incorporated the concept of restoring humans to God's image. Although Adventist education was founded upon restoration themes, no empirical evidence indicates that nursing faculty and students perceive restoration as important or evident in nursing education today. It was the purpose of this study to determine the extent to which the concept of restoration is manifested in SDA nursing programs in the United States.

Method. Ten summary statements provide a definition of restoration consistent with the beliefs and teachings of the SDA church. An …

A Study Of Group Attitudes Toward The Professional Status Of Teachers In Selected Adventist Elementary And Secondary Schools, Edward Joseph Kunitz

Dissertations

Problem. It was not known to what extent groups associated with Adventist education supported the professional role orientation of teaching which in turn affected the work behavior and morale of teachers.

Method. A Professional Role Orientation Scale (PROS) was responded to by 701 randomly selected subjects. The scale contained four criteria identifying professional aspects of teaching as a profession. Responses to the instrument were item weight analyzed and judged for point multiserial reliability before insertion into a BMDP statistical program. Four null hypotheses were tested using two-way ANOVA with the Scheffe test for multiple mean comparisons. Stepwise multiple regressions were …

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 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 …

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, …

Self-Esteem In Elementary School Children, Joyce Carson

Dissertations

The self-concepts of 232 fourth and fifth grade students in nine classroom groups were measured by use of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI). Each student completed the SEI, and the classroom teacher for each student completed the SEI for the students who were the subjects of the study. The subjects were from a medium-sized urban school district and from a lower or middle class socioeconomic background.

Data from the administration of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory are reported as five separate scores: (a) general concept, (b) social-self-peers, (c) home-parents, (d) school-academic, and (e) total concept.

Data for the subjects were aggregated …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Oral Communication Apprehension And Cognitive Restructuring In High School Speech Class, Lolita Fox Balch

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a cognitive restructuring unit in the reduction of oral communication apprehension (CA) and the enhancement of semester grades in high school speech class. The unit was designed to raise self-acceptance, and thereby, self-confidence, especially in oral communication.

The experimental treatment method, cognitive restructuring (plus skills training), was compared with the skills training only traditional speech class method. Both treatment methods were reviewed, as well as inappropriate treatment methods for classroom and clinic.

Subjects registered in four different speech courses were randomly assigned by computer to classes which were then …

A Curriculum Data Base For Continuing Education For Ministers In The Colombia-Venezuela Union Mission Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Edgar J. Escobar

Dissertations

Background and Purpose of the Study. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is seeking research data on which to base the planning and development of efficient continuing education for ministry programs geographically and culturally adapted to the territories where the ministers are serving. As a needs assessment, the study sought data regarding the societies in which the program functions, the ministers' attitudes toward their ministerial training, their needs and aspirations on subject matter, learning-situation preferences, motivations, and obstacles for continuing education. The study also surveyed the opinions of administrators, departmental directors, and lay leaders at the Union, Conference, and Mission levels.

Methodology. …

Motivation Of Secondary-School Teachers In The Lake Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists Based On Herzberg's Dual-Factor Theory Of Job Satisfaction And Motivation, Khillah Latif Khillah

Dissertations

Several studies in industry and public education have defined areas of job satisfactionand dissatisfaction. It appears that the Seventh-day Adventist secondary-school teachers are confronted with most of the same motivating factors as their counterparts in public schools. Job dissatisfaction can result in teacher mobility which may disrupt the operation of any school system.

The study population included all the secondary-school teachers for 1984-85 in ten Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists senior academies. Herzberg'sinstrument to measure workers' motivation was modified and used for the collection of data; Chi-square and Spearman r tests provided tests of significance as well as rank …

Continuing Professional Education For Teachers And Its Relationship To Teacher Effectiveness, Gregory Allen Knoblock

Dissertations

In this study, the relationship between continuing education for the teacher and that teacher's effectiveness as measured by an achievement test and an evaluative measure completed by the teacher's students is investigated. The importance that number of hours, currentness, and subject area has upon any relationship with effectiveness, and the relationship between motivation for entry into and satisfaction with graduate/postgraduate work are also studied.

Data necessary to test these relationships were obtained from two sources: a survey of mathematics teachers in Macomb County, Michigan, and the results from two student instruments randomly administered to the classes of those teachers volunteering …

A Study Of The Relationship Between High School Graduation Requirements And Student A.C.T. Assessment Scores In Public High Schools In The State Of Michigan, William M. Pritchard

Dissertations

The literature has pointed toward changes in high school curriculum as a contributor to the decline of standardized test scores during the 1960's and 1970's. During the past few years, many schools have increased graduation requirements in various subject areas in an effort to increase learning on the part of students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the number of years of required study in various subject areas on student achievement.

The population that was studied included all public high schools in the State of Michigan. Two hundred thirty-eight schools were sampled from the population, …

Training Behavioral Assessment Interviewers: A Comparison Of Two Procedures, Raymond G. Miltenberger

Dissertations

Two procedures were used to teach behavioral assessment interviewing skills; a training manual and a one-to-one training procedure consisting of instructions, modeling, rehearsal and feedback. Four subjects, two graduate students and two seniors, were trained with each procedure. Interviewing skills were recorded in simulated assessment interviews conducted by each subject across baseline and treatment conditions. Each training procedure was evaluated in a multiple baseline across subjects design. The results showed that both procedures were equally effective for training behavioral interviewing skills, with all subjects reaching a level of 90-100% correct responding. Finally, a group of experts in behavior analysis rated …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Learner Control Options On Patterns Of Learning Strategies, Debra Small Nelson

Dissertations

A body of literature termed learner control research examined the efficacy of allowing learners' control over the type, rate, amount, and sequence of content to be covered in an instructional program. The growing impact of computer based education has enhanced the possibility of providing learners greater autonomy in the learning process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of providing learner control options in a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) microcomputer program on patterns of learning strategies and content mastery.

The sample consisted of 98 adult learners involved in the fields of general or special education in the State …

A Comparison Of Computer-Assisted Instruction And Traditional Instruction In Braille Transcription, Susan Kay Vlahas Ponchillia

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the teaching effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) with the effectiveness of traditional instruction of braille transcription for sighted persons. Since the traditional method (TM) of teaching and learning braille transcription requires a great deal of time for both instructor and student, it was hoped that computer-assisted instruction would be as efficacious as the traditional method while shortening time requirements for instructor and student. A review of the literature revealed that computer-assisted instruction has been successfully used in teaching many subjects including languages, providing immediate feedback and reducing learning time. In studies where …

An Investigation Of Predictors Of Success In Elementary Student Teaching In Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Colleges, J. Roger Couty

Dissertations

Problem. Investigations of predictors of student teaching success have yielded contradictory results in general. Besides, reports of such investigations could not be located, as related to Seventh-day Adventist colleges. There seemed to be a need for a study of predictors of student teaching success in Seventh-day Adventist colleges.

Method. The purpose of the study was to look at selected factors and determine whether or not they are related to student teaching success. Four hundred and fifty students who had completed their student teaching experience between Fall quarter 1977 and Spring quarter 1983 were involved in the study. Data were collected …

The Relationship That Teachers' Concerns And Their Perceptions Of Organizational Climate Have With Innovation Maintenance, Frederic Wayne De Vall

Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to determine what some of the factors are that have an affect upon the maintenance of an innovation. Many educational change models focus upon the initiation and implementation of educational innovations in schools. This study tested some of the factors identified, from the literature review as affecting innovation maintenance, upon one innovation which is being used by teachers in several school districts. The first factor centered upon the concerns teachers have about an innovation they use in their classrooms. The second factor centered upon teachers' perceptions of the organizational climate that exists which …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions Of Self-Actualization Needs And Their Perceptions Of Satisfaction With The Teaching Profession, Margaret Anne Kennard

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of how well they are meeting their self-actualization needs and their perceptions of satisfaction with the teaching profession. The review of related literature led to the development of the main hypothesis: "There is a direct relationship between teachers' perceptions of how well they are meeting their self-actualization needs and their perceptions of satisfaction with the teaching profession." Eight subhypotheses were developed which dichotomized segments of the population according to gender, age, years of experience, and grade level taught. The relationship between perceptions of self-actualization and perceptions of …

Planning A Needs-Assessment-Based Approach To Continuing Education Programs For Seventh-Day Adventist Clergy In The Eastern Africa Division, Baraka G. Muganda

Dissertations

Problem. This study attempts to determine the extent to which the needs-assessment-based approach to educational planning can be validated and used in planning continuing-education programs for the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) ministers serving in the Eastern Africa Division (EAD).

Method. The sample of the population for this study was drawn from the SDA clergy and a selected group of laity in the EAD. The data were gathered through a two-part questionnaire. The first part sought the demographic profiles of respondents. The second part was designed to enable the respondents to rank each one of the thirty items for preparation and importance. …

An Assessment Of The Perceived Inservice Needs Of K-12 Teachers Of The Lake Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Hazel R. Wright

Dissertations

Problem

While an active and costly inservice program exists for teachers of the Lake Union Conference, there appears to be no data on the perceived inservice needs of these teachers. Consequently, there is a need to identify their perceived inservice educational needs for purpose of enhancement and strengthening the existing program. The present study attempts to identify the perceived inservice needs of the K-12 teachers of the Lake Union Conference currently employed within its educational system.

Method

Data was gathered by using the "Lake Union Conference Inservice Assessment" which was a modified version of Ingersoll's Teacher Needs Assessment Survey modified …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Seminar For Teachers On The Awareness And Management Of Allergic Conditions Of Their Students In The Classroom, Elwin C. Munson

Dissertations

Problem. Many children with allergic problems go without treatment because their problems go unrecognized by both their parents and teachers. The purpose of this project was to bring about change on the part of teachers enabling them better to address allergic problems in their students. Literature was reviewed with respect to allergies and with respect to the use of inservice seminars for teachers. The posttest means for all three areas of measurement of the seminar group and control group were adjusted for pretest scores by analysis of covariance which indicated a significant difference in favor of the seminar group in …

The Development And Assessment Of Instructional Materials For The Teaching Of Leadership Skills To Second Grade Students In Selected Public Schools, Sharon Rose Lockett

Dissertations

The major focus of this study was the development, use and assessment of instructional materials for teaching leadership awareness to second grade children. The purposes of the study were (1) to determine if there is a need for instructional materials to teach leadership awareness, (2) to determine how teachers and experts would use instructional materials, and (3) to determine the opinions of teachers about the Leadership is Vital to Education (L.I.V.E.) Series developed in this study. The materials in this study were evaluated as an instructional method which could be used to (1) develop in students an awareness of the …

Teachers' Growth/Development And The Organizational Climate Of Elementary Schools, Louise Birch

Dissertations

The purposes of the study were: (a) to determine the types of professional development in which elementary teachers voluntarily participated and the extent of that participation, and (b) to investigate the relationships between school climate and teachers' participation, enrollment size and teachers' participation, and enrollment size and school climate.

The survey included all of the 356 regular elementary school teachers in two southwestern Michigan school districts who each held a tenured position and was assigned to a building with the same principal for at least the 1980-81 and 1981-82 years. The number of schools was 15 in District A and …

Financing Universal Compulsory Free Elementary Education In India, Simon Gurushantappa David

Dissertations

Problem: There is a definite desire and demand from the people of India for elementary educational opportunities for all children. Since not all children between six and fourteen years of age are able to attend school, it is essential to know why. This study examined some of the factors which tended to influence the financial ability of the government to provide a sufficient number of schools so that all children may attend.

Data Collection, Methods, and Procedures: Data has been collected from a review of selected resource material which answer the following questions: What is India presently spending on elementary …

Teacher Employment Follow-Up Survey Of The 1976-1977 Graduates At Western Michigan University, Ricardo T. Santuyo

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Content Of Consumer Education Teacher Preparation As Reported By Business Education And Home Economics Professors In Michigan, Michael Thomas Glenn

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Descriptive Analysis Of Bilingual Education Teacher-Training Programs In The State Of Michigan, Gilbert L. Montez

Dissertations

No abstract provided.