Education Commons^™

A Search, Through Educational Use, For A Definition Of Reading, Patricia Glover Landers

OBU Graduate Theses

The problem is to find a pragmatic solution to the question, "What Do I Teach?" regarding reading instruction. It is hypothesized that the answer can be found in a definition of reading held in universal agreement by reading methodology and testing. Also, because the results of the diverse methodologies are common; then, there must be some objective thought units (hence, commonly known as "skills") held in common by all methods gaining recognition in the field of reading education. If an horizontal analysis of all the skills contained in.the most educationally accepted methods were made, a group of common elements should …

A Study Of Washington's Black Community Focusing On Its Conservative Nature And Demonstrating How This Conservative Curriculum In The School, Caleb Virgil Brunson

OBU Graduate Theses

The problem is to put into perspective the social, moral, and economic characteristics of the contemporary black citizens of Washington. Also the study will demonstrate how the contemporary profile of this black community is rooted in Washington 's history. This study will also deal with the present mood, and general characteristics of activities in this community.

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Edward Albee's Tiny Alice, Carolyn B. Curry

OBU Graduate Theses

A difference of opinion exists today among the many branches of knowledge as to what constitutes the proper study of mankind. Since it is not always expedient nor desirable to subject living persons to laboratory experiments, "models" have been devised to study man. For many years lower forms of life have been studied and the resulting data applied by means of analogy to the behavior of man. More recently, man has been compared to the various "input-output" systems of machines. However, to be applicable to human behavior such models or analogies must account for the fact that human beings create …

A Study Of Little Rock School District 1966-1968 Elections And Their Effect On Public School Policy, Ray Earl Garner

OBU Graduate Theses

For many years, the school elections in Little Rock have followed a traditional pattern of meager voter turnout . School elections, prior to the 1967 election, were mentioned briefly in newspaper articles. The platforms were of the same general nature year after year. They included taxes, school expansion, better facilities, and higher teacher salaries. Candidates seldom, if ever, campaigned publicly and actively. Posters were usually placed throughout the city. A few days prior to the election, newspaper ads with the candidates' pictures would appear in the Arkansas Democrat and the Arkansas Gazette. The 1967 school election was significant, because that …

A Study Of Methods Of Teaching Piano Technique In Arkansas Member Colleges Of The National Association Of Schools Of Music, Laquinta Barnett

OBU Graduate Theses

Within the last two centuries several schools of thought have developed on the subject of piano technique. At the end of the eighteenth century piano teachers stressed finger technique with little use of the arm. During the nineteenth century pianists began to use the weight of the arm more in the production of piano tone. In the early 1900s a controversy developed between the advocates of freedom of arms and hands and the more conventional muscular approach.

The purpose of this study was to investigate current methods of teaching piano technique in N. A. S. M. college in Arkansas. Twenty …

A Survey Of String Programs In The Texas Public Schools, Dennis Lee Bell

OBU Graduate Theses

Orchestras suffered considerably during and immediately after the second World War. The rise of military bands and school bands overshadowed the efforts in developing a well-rounded music curriculum of instrumental music in the public school. However, the trend is now reversed. As a shortage of string players for the symphony orchestras become apparent, a move was initiated to provide training in the public schools for students who wished to play string instruments. With the rise of more American composers, conductors, and symphony players, interest increased in string programs and they began to grow.

The purpose of the survey was to …

A Study Of The Significant Contributions Of Irvin Cooper To Music Education On The Junior High School Level, Norma Louise Robertson

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study has been to determine the significant contributions of Irvin Cooper to the field of junior high school choral music by giving consideration to the following areas: (1) his educational preparation, (2) his professional activities, (3) his research and experimentation in the area of junior high choral music, and (4) his published works.

A Study Of The Use Of Musical Drama In The Development Of Creativity In School Children, Beverly Gallegly Coad

OBU Graduate Theses

This study is a descriptive analysis of research and writings concerning the use of musical drama for the development of creativity in children of selected public schools across the United States. The intent of this study is to illustrate that the development of creativity by the utilization of musical drama is an important element in public school education.

A Study Of A Student Oriented Effort To Rehabilitate A Small Delta Town, Patricia Merry Stipek

OBU Graduate Theses

Mitchellville, Arkansas, a rural community of 150 displaced farm families in Desha County, is a relic of the agricultural past. The unskilled laborers pursue vocations of cotton chopping and cotton picking with little success. Vocational skills required in an urban society are sorely lacking. Affluence is nonexistent.

Governmental and private agencies are emphasizing the need of education for the citizens of the United States. The citizen of Mitchellville has been deprived of an adequate education. Even the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic are minimal.

Other areas where great need is reflected are recreation, health, housing, and employment. Mitchellville …

The Current Use Of Choral Church Music In Higher Education In Arkansas, Edwin Lee Rettstatt

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study were: (1) to survey the current use of choral church music in the music curricula of institutions of higher learning in Arkansas; and (2) to determine its influence and extent of use by the faculties of these schools during the 1965-1966 academic yer. In recent years there has been increased production of choral church music and some has or will be used in higher education. Because there is little evidence of investigation in this area with special thought to choral church music, a need was felt to take consideration of the subject.

This study was …

A Study Of The Contribution Of Adolphe Stagg To The Cultural And Social Life Of South Central Louisiana, Myron Hayden Stagg

OBU Graduate Theses

Adolphe Stagg (1 834-1 914) lived and worked in South Central Louisiana during the latter two-thirds of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century. During a forty-year period, 1874-1 91 4 he served as a minister, private school teacher (1876), Tax Assessor (1 877), and member of the Louisiana House of Represen­tatives.4 He served in these posts with distinction, influence, and honor. To adequately define his contributions to the social and cul­tural life of the area and to the protestant religious development of his time, the background of his life and the cultural life of South …

A Survey Of Public Junior And Senior High School Band Directors: Opinions Concerning Rated Band Festivals In The State Of Arkansas, Robert E. Adams

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine the opinions of the public school band directors of Arkansas concerning the administration of the rated rend and its musical and educational value to the students and directors of bands. Various opinions exist concerning the desirable and undesirable aspects of such programs.

Harold C. Hind states:"There have been several arguments advanced against contesting, chief among them being the plea that time devoted to working up a test piece could be more profitably employed in improving the general repertoire of the band."

However, Hind later states: "Every band should make a point of …

An Analytical Survey Of The Elementary Music Program In The Class Aa Schools Of Arkansas, Rosemary Langley

OBU Graduate Theses

Varying methods of instruction in music have been employed in public schools. A regular re-evaluation of what is being done in the public schools is necessary in order that the children of each generation receive the proper training for their musical instruction.

It was the purpose of this study to investigate and evaluate the elementary music programs in the Class AA schools of Arkansas.

The Conflict Of Idealism And Naturalism In The Works Of Katherine Anne Porter: Fiction In Search Of Reality, Frances Cantrell Wolber

OBU Graduate Theses

Katherine Anne Porter is the internationally known novelist and short story writer who received the Pulitzer Prize in 1966 for her work, The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter. Miss Porter, a near octogenarian from Texas, has done a regional type story with settings in Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central Europe (Germany) and the Old South.

Her life parallels her work in many instances, to a minor degree, but both confront good and evil in situations and episodes, and her works and philosophies are developed by the literary and philosophical media of idealism and naturalism. Her honesty forces her to …

A Survey Of Styles And Techniques Used By Arkansas High School Marching Bands In 1967-68, Doyle Glenn Combs

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine styles and techniques being used by high school marching bands in the state of Arkansas.

The Structure Of A Community Action Agency For A Democratic Process, William Tom Buzbee

OBU Graduate Theses

For several years because of change or the lack of change, an increasing number of the population of the United States have been the ranks of the poor. The Community Action Program was designed to give a voice to the poor. Due to the fact that Community Action Agencies were new, their function and objective may not have been understood.

This study has been concerned with the problem of poverty in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, and the efforts of the Lincoln Total Community Action Agency, Inc., organized under provisions of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act passed by the United States Congress, …

Certain Sociological Perceptions Of Nurses In Pulaski County, Arkansas, Mary Ann Todd

OBU Graduate Theses

In the last fifty years, the nation's population has more than doubled while the number of workers needed in the health fields has quadrupled. Shortages in all the health professions exist with the shortage in nursing being the most serious. Currently the national supply of active nurses is 640,000. The Surgeon General's Consultant Group on Nursing has established a need of 850,000 professional nurses by 1970, although 680,000 by 1970 is a more realistic goal.

A History Of The Endowment Fund Of Ouachita Baptist University 1904-1966, Virginia Cavness Orr

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the history of the permanent endowment fund of Ouachita Baptist University located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. This endowment fund has played a major role in providing financial stability for the University since the funds' beginning.

The information compiled within this thesis has been derived from every known source. The minutes of the Board of Trustees of Ouachita Baptist University supplied the major portion of the information. Other sources used include the minutes of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, Arkadelphia Chamber of Commerce, alumni publications, the county newspaper, letters, papers from private and historical …

A Description And Interpretation Of Social Values Contained In Two Of Robert Ruark's Books, The Honey Badger And Something Of Value, Jane Fowler Quick

OBU Graduate Theses

Two of Robert Ruark's books, The Honey Badger, and Something of Value, proved their entertainment value, but what of the content of the writings? The Honey Badger was written of the United States and revealed certain patterns of behavior in a sophisticated society of the Eastern United States. Something of Value was written of East Africa and revealed something of Kenya society. Did these books reveal any basic behavior patterns which are similar or could be useful to leaders who are trying to effect social change?

A Study Of The General Music Course In Public Schools Since 1954, Anna Marie Lowe

OBU Graduate Theses

The problem of this study is to discuss different philosophies and resulting methods of teaching the general music course in the public schools for the purpose of detecting any valid trends in this area of music education.

Since music is an integral part of our democratic educational system and since there is much demand for its teaching, it has been advantageous to determine the most valid methods of instruction. This study, through exploration of different philosophies and methods of teaching the general music class in the public schools, will attempt to ascertain future valid trends in the general music area …

Triptych For Brass And Percussion, Henry Harmon Dempsey

OBU Graduate Theses

In the repertoire of the modern percussionist, the number of compositions which are worthy of performance is very small. The reason for this lack of repertoire is that the percussion ensemble as a unit itself is a relatively new medium. To bring out the qualities of the percussion section, music must be produced that is specifically intended for the percussion instruments. The author set out to achieve this goal in his composition which is written for brass and percussion instruments.

This composition was influenced by jazz, rhythmically. The composition was influenced harmonically by devices used by contemporary composers. In form, …

The Moral Vision Of William Faulkner As Revealed In The Yoknapatawpha County Novels, Gladys Mosley Peterson

OBU Graduate Theses

Until William Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for literature in 1950, he was largely ignored by the average American reader, who was at first puzzled by the "undeniable eccentricities" of Faulkner's style and the "apparent perversity of his way of telling a story." The purpose of this study was to determine William Faulkner's moral vision through an analysis of his Yoknapatawpha County novels, reinforced by statements he made from time to time concerning his personal views.

A Study Of The Writings Of Walter Rauschenbusch As Reflected In His Books On The Social Gospel, Natille Pierce Lindsey

OBU Graduate Theses

Using primarily his five books on the social gospel movement, this study of Walter Rauschenbusch centered on the man as a writer and literary figure. A background investigation had revealed that there had been extensive studies of Rauschenbusch as a man, a preacher, a social critic, and a theological professor but not of his career or ability as a writer.

Since Rauschenbusch and his writings were so inextricably interwoven that one cannot be explained satisfactorily apart from the other, the social gospel movement of which he is sometimes called the father, was first examined in some detail. This study revealed …

A Critical Study Of The Suzuki Approach To Violin Training As Compared To Other Selected String Methods, Nancy C. Umiker

OBU Graduate Theses

Statement of the problem- The problem of the study was to present all known aspects of the Suzuki method of violin teaching in comparison to four other approved systems, thus contributing to the evaluation of the Suzuki method.

A Guide To The Production Of Broadway Musicals In High School In A Selected Geographical Area, Donald Hornbeck Boyer

OBU Graduate Theses

The performance of Broadway Musicals by high school students as an integral part of their public school music education is a relatively new concept. The apparent absence of any written material directly relating to the concept has created a need for information among directors faced with the task of producing a show ·using high school students.

The purpose of this study was to prepare a guide to the anticipation and solution of these problems endemic to high school student productions of Broadway Musicals. The preparation of a catalog of those agencies that rent the scores, scripts, dialogue books, stage manager's …

A History Of The Foreign Mission Program Of The North American Baptist Association From 1950 To 1963, James Alvin Henry

OBU Graduate Theses

This thesis is a historical report of the facts which led to the organization of the North American Baptist Association, from the meeting of the American Baptist Association in Lakeland, Florida, in 1950, through the year 1963. It also is a review of the foundational principles up which the Association was founded and stood, noting particularly the position held on Church equality and Church cooperation in promoting a world-wide mission program.

Special attention is given to the active development of the missionary efforts of this Association in the area of selecting, supporting, and governing those individuals serving the Association as …

A Study Of Music Theory Teaching In The Arkansas Foundation Of Associated Colleges, Janis Nutt Watkins

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the place of music theory in the curricula of seven selected colleges in Arkansas through a survey of the departments of music of these schools. This study is approached through comparison of semester hour requirements in theory, content of harmony courses, class procedures, and sims of the faculties.

The theory programs differed principally in the depth of study and methods of presentation. The majority of the faculties interviewed agreed that the purposes of theory were to represent fundamentals in a functional way and to contribute to the students' understanding of structure of …

A Program Of Music Experiences For The Preschool Child In The Home And At Kindergarten, Peggy Small Horton

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to provide adequate information for parents and kindergarten teachers in guiding preschool children through meaningful and enjoyable music experiences. The primary sources which are used in the study are books and unpublished materials -- investigations, theses, and dissertations.

The role of heredity in musical aptitude is discussed in Chapter II. Attention is given to the important investigations which have been made regarding the inheritance of musical talent. The two schools of thought concerning the measurement of musical talent are discussed. A program of music experiences for preschool children in the home and at kindergarten …

Baptist Mission Efforts In The South Before 1845, Frank Shell

OBU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine records, reports, and historical accounts of the work which the Baptists in the South contributed to our mission heritage prior to 1845. The data for this study has been gathered from publications from the religious press in the South Atlantic states from 1802 to 1845.

Since the Baptists first came to America they have enjoyed phenomenal growth, and the growth has been steady and sustained. The mission work of Baptists of the South grew out of the lives of people who dared to disagree with the dogmas of the Established Church and …

A History Of The Beginning Of The Jonesboro Association Of Missionary Baptist Churches, Elton Mccann

OBU Graduate Theses

Study of the History of the Jonesboro Association has apparently been neglected; there is no evidence that a systematic study of its history has ever been undertaken. Consequently, little, other than fragmentary bits of data, remains as relics of its past. The purpose of this study is to discover and organize material into a readable and documented account of the beginning of the Jonesboro Association.

The primary data for this study has been gathered from the minutes of the associations and churches which were involved in the beginning of the Jonesboro Association. In addition to minutes, the manuscripts of Kitchens …