Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Factors That Influence How Students Decide On A Major At Western Kentucky University, Cinnamon C. White

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

During telephone interviews, students at Western Kentucky University were asked to explain how and why they chose a particular academic major. The students' race and majors were used in an attempt to determine if there were any noticeable differences in race/major categories. the study also examined some factors in students' backgrounds to determine if past experiences affected their decisions regarding majors.

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

The Western Scholar, Editors

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Extended College Algebra On Western Kentucky University Students, Julie Anne Baker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

College algebra has the highest enrollment of any mathematics course at Western Kentucky University. In an effort to increase the success rate in this course, Western Kentucky University added an extended version of college algebra to the curriculum in the fall of 1997. The extended version incorporates two days of supervised study per week in addition to traditional lectures. This study investigates the success of the extended college algebra course on achievement rates of Western Kentucky University students.

A Study Of Why Some Learners Are More Successful Than Others At Acquiring A Second Language: The Roles Of Personality, Attitude & Motivation, Azah Yusof

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to convey and to support my belief that learners' affective domain, which consist of their personalities, attitudes, and motivation are responsible for causing the variation in the levels of second language proficiency of second language learners. My concern is to point out or support others who believe that second language learners are not machines that are able and willing to be programmed; they have feelings and attitudes which in turn govern their personalities and motivation. I also believe that the main focus of second language teaching should be on the "persons" learning the language, …

English Proficiency & Academic Performance Of International Students At A Small Baptist University, Danny Hinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The predictive reliability of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as a predictor of academic success of international students at Belmont University, a small Baptist university, was examined. Data were collected and examined on 168 international students. They were profiled by gender, language background, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, grade point average achieved, and major area of study.

No significant correlation was found between TOEFL scores and academic achievement as measured by CPA. However, significant correlation was found between major field of study, TOEFL ranges, and gender in relationship to academic success.

TOEFL …

A Study Of An Academic Enrichment Program At Western Kentucky University, Huda Melky

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The principle objective of this study was the investigation of whether or not an enrichment program would increase the success of remedial students attempting to complete a university program of study. An descriptive analytical design was utilized to test a null hypothesis related to selected control and experimental samples of remedial students.

Analysis of variance and descriptive statistics were utilized to compare differences between the control and experimental samples. A two sample t-test treated for equal or unequal variances was utilized to determine significant difference (.05) between grade point average (GPA) and earned hours (ER) of the control and experimental …

Ua3/8/6 Report Of The Task-Force On Part-Time Faculty, Wku President's Office-Meredith

WKU Administration Documents

During the 1991 fall semester, President Thomas Meredith appointed a Task Force on Part-Time Faculty at WKU. He requested that the task force conduct a study and make recommendations to the university regarding such issues as part-time faculty compensation and benefits, rates of usage, quality of instruction, orientation and evaluation and administration and budgeting. The study was stimulated, in part, by the fact that the university has in recent years reached historic highs in the use of part-time faculty.

Burnout Among Head Start Social Services Coordinators In Region Iv, Robert Mason

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The project was designed to study the nature of the burnout phenomenon among Head Start Social Services Coordinators in eight southeastern states. The association of age, sex, marital status, years employed, program size, caseload, race, education and perceived level of stress to the three subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were correlated on a population of 59 coordinators representing 25% of the total population. Years employed was shown to be negatively correlated to the Emotional Exhaustion subscale. Perceived stress levels due to workload were most strongly associated with emotional exhaustion. Relationship to the other factors studied was not significant. …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Levels Of Ability Grouped Students & Their Attitudes Toward Teachers & The Learning Process, Martha Davis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the ability grouping of a student and his/her attitude toward teachers and the learning process. Three groups of students enrolled in the Logan County School System in the spring of 1988 were administered the Arlin-Hills Attitude Survey. These groups of students were those who had been identified as gifted/talented, special education (EMH or LD) and regular class students. The findings of this study indicated that the three groups did not differ significantly in attitudes toward teachers or attitudes toward the learning process.

Ua68/10/1 Dare In Nashville Schools 1988-89, John Faine

WKU Administration Documents

This report summarizes the results of a partial evaluation of the 1988-89 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) effort implemented in all sixth grades in the Nashville, Tennessee, Metropolitan Public School system by trained instructors from the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department. As documented in the following pages, the evaluation effort had two major components.

1. An evaluation of the program by teachers and principals in all the participating schools.

2. Inner-City Study, an investigation designed to assess the impact of the program in elementary and middle schools that service those students thought to be most at risk to the threat of …

English As A Second Language: Evaluation Of A Language Program Designed For & Implemented In The Colombian Oil Company's Research Institute, Patience Nave

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An incredible proliferation of knowledge has generated a critical need for professionals in all fields to have access to current information and research results. Costs for study and research are extremely high, particularly in science fields, and most professionals seek to minimize loss in time and funds by avoiding duplication of efforts. Language is often a handicap, preventing the voluntary sharing of valuable information between individuals and countries, and many recognize the establishment of a universal language as a means of eliminating this unnecessary barrier. English is rapidly becoming accepted as a universal means of communication, but those who seek …

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 …

Ua35/11 Wku Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku University Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The Western Kentucky University Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers represent work done by students from throughout the university.

• Kesselring, Marcia. Attitudes Toward the Need for Computer Literacy
• Tuck, Janna & Karen Wiggins. Methylation and Confirmation of PGE
• Lewis, Gloria. John Donne's Attitude Toward Love
• Johnson, Linda. International Telecommunications Trade with Japan
• Sharpe, Greg. Precipitation Patterns in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1980-1985
• Smith, Sandy. Religion and the Media: Alliance or War?
• Bell, Suzanne. Early Secret Involvement of the United States Military in Cambodia
• Scariot, Linda. Parental Divorce and Childhood Emotional Disturbances
• Daniel, Janice. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …