Education Commons^™

Indicators Of Academic Success In A Medical Record Technology Program & Their Relationship To Attainment Of A Passing Score On The Accreditation Examination, Karen Sansom

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the selection and retention process in a medical record technology program, it is advantageous to identify those students who will fulfill the program's course requirements, as well as subsequently pass the accreditation examination. Graduates of such a program at Wbstern Kentucky University were studied to identify these demoaraphic and academic indicators. Using a stepwise multiple regression analysis, the variables of high school grade point average (GPA), college GPA, and composite ACT score were found to be significantly related to medical record GPA. Using the maximum Rsquare improvement technique, the variables of high school GPA, college GPA, age entering the …

Parental Perceptions Of School: An Analysis Of Contacts & Non-Contacts With Parents Of Sixth Graders At L.C. Curry Elementary School, Johnny Douglas

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Experimental and control groups were randomly selected in Johnny Douglas' sixth grade homeroom class to determine if contacts made to an experimental group of parents produced different perceptions of school as opposed to a control group of parents who received little or no contacts from the school. The experimental group of students' parents received a minimum of seven contacts from the school during the twenty day period of the study, while the control group received a minimum of three contacts in the same period.

A questionnaire sent to the parents at the conclusion of the experiment yielded three statements of …

A Survey Of Factors Affecting Enrollment In Mathematics Teacher Education Programs, Rebecca Miller

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Concern for an adequate supply of competent mathematics teachers prompted this research. The study was implemented to identify the factors believed to be of importance in a student's decision concerning whether or not to become a public school teacher.

A comparison was made between two groups of mathematics students at Western Kentucky University. Mathematics students were separated according to whether or not they were pursuing teacher certification.

A two-part questionnaire was administered. The first part asked students to rate the importance of 10 selected career factors in their career decision. The second part asked students to rate these same 10 …

A Model For Group Marital Preparation In A University Setting, Terry Swan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The author created an experimental model workshop for group marital preparation in a university setting. Eight couples attended the April 16-17, 1984, workshop, and nine couples attended the March 25-27, 1985, workshop. All persons, with the exception of two couples, were university students.

Each couple was contacted by a form letter which contained questions about their expectations and invited them to take a temperament test. A participant evaluation was done after the workshop.

A great majority of responses support the need for marital education. The workshop enabled the participants to better understand their intended spouses. The basic divisions of commitment, …

The Effect Of Studying Higher-Level Thinking Skills On Fifth Grade Students With High Language Ability, Gary Lee Cottrell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this project was to investigate the effect of studying higher-level thinking skills on fifth grade students with high language ability. The researcher compared the test scores of students in an elementary enrichment program with test scores of students enrolled in the same program the following year to which materials emphasizing higher-level thinking skills were added. The researcher also included analysis of student performance on the Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes and its component parts of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation as well as each of the eight subtests.

It was determined that analysis of Ross Test raw …

The Effects Of General Equivalency Diploma (Ged) Acquisition On Parole Success In Kentucky, William Ratliff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Post release follow-up was conducted on a total of 95 Kentucky Correctional Facilities inmates, who had acquired a General Equivalency Certificate in the years 1981-1983.

The rate of Recidivism of this group was compared to that of all parolees released during that period.

It was found that the parolees in general who were released during that time period returned to the institution at a rate of 36.7 percent, The parolees who had completed the GED Program in the institution prior to release returned at a rate of 35.78 percent.

The average length of time spent in society by those who …

Retention, Grade Point Average & Client Satisfaction Of Professionally Counseled Freshmen & Peer Counseled Freshmen, Anne Murray

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Samples from two populations, entering freshmen at Western Kentucky University who were either peer counseled/advised or professionally counseled/advised, were compared on three vairables: (i) retention rate as sophomores, (2) freshman grade point averages earned. and (3) client satisfaction with counseling/advisement services.

The variance between the means of the two freshmen groups was analyzed using a two tailed t test. There was no significant difference between groups in retention or grade point average. There was, however, significant difference in client satisfaction between the peer counseled/advised freshmen and the professionally counseled/advised freshmen. Freshmen receiving peer counseling/advisement rated their helpers at a higher …

A Study Of Initial Educational & Occupational Activities Of Oldham County High School Seniors For The Years 1979-1983, W. Blake Haselton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A follow-up study of five Senior Classes of Oldham County High School (Kentucky) was conducted to determine students' initial status six months after graduation. Study findings based on survey responses from slightly aver 83 % of the 2,025 students listed as seniors in the spring semester for the years 1979-1983 included the following: It was found that 58% of the respondents entered educational activities, 36% entered the work force and 6% were unemployed. Eighty-five percent of all graduates entering college did so at an in-state, state supported institution. Results further indicated that 25% of all graduates attended either the University …

The Effects Of Various Kinds Of Background Music On The I.Q. Scores Of Ninth-Grade Students, L.C. Bud Johnston

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

One hundred 9^th-grade students were divided into four groups of 25 each through systematic sampling procedures. Each of the groups were tested, pre and post, by the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test, forms J and K. During the pretest for all groups, the background condition of silence was observed. During the posttest, one group was again tested in silence. The other three groups were each tested to one of three background conditions: pop music, hard rock music, and soft rock music. Pop music played was characterized as more mellow, more melodic, and less intense than rock music. Hard rock …

Impact Of The Educational & Life Planning Course On Undecided Students: An Evaluation Model, Diana Shores

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this project was to establish a working model for a longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of the "Educational and Life Planning" (CNS ED 100) course at Western Kentucky University. This study, entitled "CELPS," was an action project designed to serve as a model for the establishment of a data bank against which future efficacy studies could be made by the faculty. A pilot study of 80 CNS ED 100 students was conducted to test the CELPS model described in this paper and also to provide preliminary information about the effectiveness of the "Educational and Life Planning" course. …

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 …

A Study Of Current Organizational Structures & The Perceived Impact Of Selected Problems Of Student Personnel Services In Selected Colleges & Universities, Johnny Wolfe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Administrators of programs of student personnel services are being called upon to be more effective in their planning, to redefine and modify organizational structures, and to find ways to bring more control and flexibility to the budgeting process and staffing patterns. Further, student personnel administrators need to be more effective in assessing student needs, in evaluating programs, in determining problematic areas, and in providing proactive leadership within a more democratic and legalistic framework.

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to report on the current organizational structures of divisions of student personnel services in selected colleges and universities and …

An Evaluation Of The Guidance & Counseling Program Of The Bishop David Memorial High School, Richard Staples

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the guidance and counseling program of the Bishop David Memorial High School. Methods and procedures included the use of the Evaluative Criteria utilized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in evaluating secondary schools, an analysis of the needs of students, a review of guidance information reported on a Supplementary Data Form, and a review of guidance practices reported in literature.

This study provides information that could be used by administrative personnel, instructors, counselors, and persons performing counselor-related functions in an effort to utilize the guidance and counseling services at the …

The Development & Study Of A Competency-Based Vocational Education Drafting Program, Kenneth Mussnug

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this curriculum project was to develop, revise, and field test a competency based vocational drafting program which was accomplished in four phases. An existing CBVE drafting program, developed by this author, was revised prior to the field test. New modules and audio visual presentations were developed, the program was tested in two vocational programs, and the program evaluated again after the test.

Twelve modules were revised and one new module developed. Nine new slide tape presentations were developed to supplement the modules and existing slide tapes.

The program was tested at the Russellville Vocational School, Russellville, Kentucky, …

The Development Of Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving Skills Of Eight To Fourteen Year-Old Educable Mentally Retarded Children In A Rural Educational Setting, Jeff Carroll

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Spivack and Shure’s (1974) Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving (ICPS) model was evaluated on Educable Mentally Retarded (EMR) children. The major question was whether the implementation of Shure and Spivack’s (1978) Kindergarten Interpersonal Problem-Solving Program (KIPS) would enhance the ICPS skills and behavioral adjustment of EMR children up to the level needed for successful integration into the regular classroom. The study included 40 EMR children from ages eight to fourteen. The subjects were divided equally into two groups, one receiving Shure and Spivack’s (1978) KIPS program and one receiving informal social skills training. These groups were divided further into a younger group, …

A Comparison Of Book Choices Of Fifth-Grade Pupils Today With Those Of A Generation Or More Ago, Anita Sanders

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Questionnaires containing the names of ten books, two series, and spaces for titles to be written in were distributed to 482 fifth-grade pupils to obtain data on the following questions: Are trade books that were popular with fifth-grade pupils a generation or more ago maintaining their popularity: Which new titles of children's books have emerged and gained popularity? Are selected series books popular with today's fifth-graders? To what extent do reading interests of boys and girls differ at the fifth-grade level? Interest scores were computed on all titles rated by as many as ten subjects Only King of the Wind …

A Study Of Types Of Presentations & Materials Utilized In Selected Title I Math Programs In Kentucky, Judith White

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Two groups of Title I Math teachers, one representing school systems which reported second and third grade student achievement gains of one year or more on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills for 1978-79, and one group which reported gains of less than eight months, were surveyed in an effort to identify which methods of presentation and types of materials apparently contributed to the most successful Title I Math programs, in terms of student achievement gains.

A study of survey results indicated that a Title I Math pull-out program served by a teacher in groups of less than ten students …

The Effect Of Summer Recess On The Reading Achievement Of Title I Students At L.C. Curry School, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Virginia Scheider

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were significant differences between spring reading achievement scores and fall reading achievement scores in the Title I students of L. C. Curry School, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and if significant differences did occur, were these differences related to grade level, IQ, sex, or reading achievement level.

An Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Required Homework Review Versus Review On Request Upon Achievement, Dolores Dick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the 1979-80 school year, two Algebra I classes were involved in a study to test the effects of two methods for reviewing homework problems on students' achievements and attitudes. One review procedure was to solve and explain each problem during the class period that followed the class period in which the homework assignment had been made. The other procedure involved solving and explaining only the problems that students requested to have reviewed. While one procedure was being used with one class, the other procedure was being used with the comparison class. One treatment procedure was used with a class …

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 …

A Study Of Significant Differences In Values, Problems & Personality Characteristics Of English 055 Students & English 101 Students At Western Kentucky University, Nancy Moore

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fifty students from English 055 and 50 students from English 101 were given the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, the Mooney Problem Check Lists, the Allport/ Vernon/Lindzey Study of Values, and the Willoughby Schedule to determine if any significant differences existed between the two groups in the areas of personality characteristics, values, or problems. A statistical analysis of the results was determined by means of a t value from a separate variance estimate. Results indicated that significant differences existed between the 055 students and the 101 students in the following areas: self-esteem, economic values, need for achievement, and …

A Comparison Of The Admission Criteria Of Kentucky's Junior Colleges, Janet Walters

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Students intending to enter a Junior College in Kentucky can learn of the admission requirements from the catalog published by that college. However, admission requirements vary between colleges. Each admission requirement of Kentucky's Junior Colleges was ranked in terms of its importance to the admission process by admission counselors. It was found that the high school transcript was felt by a majority of the admission counselors to be the most important admission requirement presently used. The partial high school transcript and recommendation form or letter were deemed to be the least important criteria. The results of the evaluation further indicated …

A Study Of Grade Retention & Social Promotion In The Mclean County, Kentucky School District, John Settle Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Samples from two populations, students socially promoted into McLean County High School in the years 1976- 1979, who had not been retained, and students who entered McLean County High School during the same years who had been retained at one or more grade levels, 1-8, were compared. Comparisons of differences which existed in the two student groups selected for the sample were in five areas: (1) reported attitude toward school, (2) attendance, (3) number of discipline offenses, grades 9-11, (4) scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, Form S, in the subtests of reading and math as measured at; …

Effects Of Diad Arrangement & Use Of Audio-Visual Materials On The Achievement Of Freshmen In Quantitative Physical Science Classes, Jim Duke

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purposes of this study were to compare the mean achievement of students in a Quantitative Physical Science class in which the members were allowed to select their own partners with students in a Quantitative Physical Science class in which partners were assigned on the basis of high-low test scores and to compare mean achievement of students in a Quantitative Physical Science class that used audio-visual material with the mean achievement of students in a Quantitative Physical Science class that used no audio-visual material.

The population consisted of sixty-eight ninth grade boys and girls enrolled in Quantitative Physical Science classes …

Holding Power: Middle School Vs. Junior High School, Burton Erickson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This was a study of three variables and their effect on two groups of students who dropped out of school during the tenth grade. One group had attended three full years of junior high school in Owensboro while the other group had attended three full years of middle school in Owensboro. The study also reviewed the programs and emphases of the junior high school and the middle school.

The students were compared on mean cumulative grade point average, mean percentage of absenteeism, and incidence of dropout during the tenth grade.

Statistical analysis of the respective sets of data showed that …

A Comparison Of Two Instructional Methods In Teaching An Introductory Course In Health, Charlotte Mitchell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of the independent study method of instruction in promoting health knowledge and health attitude change. The experimental method was compared to the traditional classroom model of instruction.

A random sample of ten subjects was taken for the experimental group and matched control subjects were then selected. Control subjects were chosen based on the demographic variables of age, race, sex, academic classification and grade point average.

A pretest-posttest design using two standardized instruments was employed to measure the health knowledge gain and health attitude change. Data was statistically analyzed by use …

The Effects Of Certain Value Clarification Activities Upon Job Corps Enrollees, Donald Nims

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Job Corps program is designed to provide academic and vocational training to high school dropouts. It is assumed that in order for a young person to succeed in our society certain values, such as good health, education, job satisfaction, and desire to earn an acceptable pay, are required. Job Corps seeks to foster these values in the young men and women who enter this training program. To evaluate the effectiveness of this process a study was conducted regarding the effect of value clarification on male Job Corps enrollees. Over a ninety-day period an experimental group of twenty (20) enrollees …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of A Junior High School Career Exploration Program In The Hopkins County School System, Cynthia Mason

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The problem investigated in this study was a comparison of the effectiveness of a career exploration program in a junior high school curriculum versus a traditional curriculum with regard to increased career competence and positive attitudes toward the world of work as measured by Form A-1 of the Career Maturity Inventory.

The population for this study consisted of the ninth-grade classes of two Hopkins County Schools. The subjects for the control group (South Hopkins) consisted of 25 ninth-grade students who had not been exposed to a career exploration program and the subjects for the experimental group (Madisonville Junior High School) …

A Comparative Study Of The Expenditures Of The Robertson County, Tennessee, Pupil Transportation System, James Talley Sr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study represents an attempt to discover high cost areas in the Robertson County Pupil Transportation System by comparing the pupil transportation expenditures of Robertson County with pupil transportation expenditures of four counties of comparable size.

The data used was that submitted to the Tennessee State Department of Education by Anderson County, Franklin County, McMinn County, Roane County and Robertson County and published in annual reports for 1974, 1975, and 1976. The pupil transportation expenditures for each county were averaged for the three-year period and the mean was used as a basis for comparison to determine relative high costs. Robertson …

A Study Of Achievement & Attitude Change In Seventh Grade Science Students At Sky Haven Elementary School, Dekalb County, Georgia, Using The Lecture-Demonstration-Recitation Method & The Discovery Method Of Teaching, Leslie Mcintosh

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Because of the need for people to be scientifically literate in today's technological world, this researcher questioned whether the seventh grade students at the Sky Haven Elementary School, DeKalb County, Georgia, were learning basic science concepts in the most effective manner.

The purpose of this study was to compare the lecture-demonstration-recitation method (experimental treatment) and the discovery method (control treatment) of teaching science in the seventh grade to determine which method of instruction would result in greater student achievement and improved attitude towards science.

The sample consisted of 42 students of comparable ability (21 in each group) most of whom …