Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Productivity And Perceived Work Environment Of Work Groups In Poland, Donald L. Gusfa

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relation between levels of productivity and perceptions of autonomy among similar work groups. The analysis of data obtained did not support a tendency for perceptions of high autonomy among workers to be directly related to high levels of productivity. Data were obtained from workers at six carbide tool manufacturing plants in Poland who were administered the Work Environment Scale (WES) Form R (Moos, 1981) to measure perception of autonomy. The data were collected in February 1991. Analysis of the WES data used the Kendall tau test to investigate the relation …

Dyadic Similarity Of The Superintendent-Principal Interpersonal Relationship, Principal’S Job Satisfaction, And Subordinate’S Performance Evaluation, Richard William Drury

Dissertations

Due to mounting school improvement demands, the role of the principal has increasingly received pressure throughout the past decade. Although frequently referred to as the catalyst for effective school change, few empirical studies exist addressing organizational variables influencing this key administrative position. It has strongly been suggested that the interpersonal relationship principals share with their superintendent may affect the principal's job satisfaction and performance evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to examine the situational effect of dyadic similarity on the superintendent-principal interpersonal relationship. Specifically, the study explored the relationship of managerial, dyadic similarity and subordinate outcomes. According to similarity …

A Status Study Of Formal Evaluation Procedures Employed By Michigan Philanthropic Foundations, John R. Seita

Dissertations

Little is known about the degree that philanthropic foundations use formal evaluation. This study investigated and described how Michigan based foundations of different sizes and types use formal evaluation for decision making regarding the (a) funding of grant proposals and (b) determining the performance of existing projects. Further, the study provides a description of current evaluation practice and capacity in foundations and plans that foundations have for increasing the evaluation capacity for themselves and of nonprofit grantees.

This study was conducted by mail questionnaire, which was developed by the researcher. A total of 134 questionnaires out of 226 mailed were …

Preferred Motivators For Previously Incarcerated Criminals, Selma R. Massey

Dissertations

The issue of motivators has been studied by a number of researchers and practitioners in education, sociology, and psychology. Many of these studies have linked motivators to behavior (Coffey, 1987; Coleman, 1987; Gellerman, 1963; Gould & Sigall, 1977). Questions remain, however, as to which motivators are viewed by actors themselves as the most preferred influencers of behavior. The primary objective of the research was to compare the rank order of the most frequently cited motivators identified in research studies and the rank order of the most preferred motivators as perceived by previously incarcerated criminal respondents. A secondary objective was to …

Family Birth Order And Leadership Behavior Of Public School Principals In Michigan, Larry J. Corbett

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership behavior patterns of principals of public schools in Michigan as related to family birth order. The 341 elementary, middle, and high school principals chosen in this study were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire elicited responses from the principals to attempt to relate family birth order with concern for production and concern for people. Ninety percent of all potential subjects participated in the survey. The survey responses were applied to the Leadership Grid ® (Blake & McCanse, 1991) for comparison.

The t test for independent means was used to …

Rating Intervention Strategies For Overcoming Impediments To Planned Change By Michigan Public School Administrators, Dale Kimball

Dissertations

In this study, Michigan public school principals reported their perceptions regarding differences in the degree to which nine intervention strategies helped to overcome 10 impediments to change that are often encountered by principals. The intervention strategies and impediments to change used in this study were chosen as a result of a content analysis of literature on change.

A two-part pilot study was conducted. In part one, principals were asked for comments regarding the effectiveness of the letter of introduction, clarity of instructions and questionnaire items, and ease and time of completion. In part two, information was gathered to determine whether …

The Effects Of Two Motivational Factors On Accuracy And Persistence For Second Graders, Jesse D. Baker

Dissertations

Promoting and maintaining motivation in elementary students is an ongoing problem. This study hypothesized that (a) feedback has a greater motivational effect on persistence and on accuracy for second graders than does no feedback, and (b) knowledge of results feedback has a greater motivational effect than does pleasant feeling tone feedback. Evidence from the study showed mixed support for the hypotheses.

The study compared two forms of feedback and the absence of feedback. One group received praise in the form of general, positive statements—classified as feeling tone—about their work while completing mathematics computational portions of the second grade 1989 Stanford …

The Importance Of Evaluation Questions In Human Resources Development: Audience Perspectives, Fahad Al-Ruwaished

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and explore how the perception and focus of human resources development (HRD) evaluation relates to different audiences and clients, and to make recommendations to individuals and organizations involved in designing, developing, and implementing HRD evaluation. The study used the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, and Product) evaluation model to operationally define the kinds of evaluation questions as dependent variables. The study independent variable was the organizational role, operationally defined as simulated HRD audiences, i.e., CEOs, managers, trainers, and trainees.

The ' human resources evaluation questionnaire (HREQ) was developed by the researcher to measure …

A Comparison Of Strategic Decision Task Variable Analysis Between School And Business Executives, Peter A. Behnke

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between school and business executives when making strategic decisions through a comparison of task variable analysis skills. The hypothesis for the study was: After reading a case study describing a strategic decision- making situation, business executives will have more correct responses than school executives on an author written evaluation instrument. The evaluation instrument was designed to measure the subjects' analysis skills of 10 different decision-making task variables.

Thirty Wisconsin school district superintendents and 30 business executives were randomly selected to participate in the study. The results indicated that the difference …

The Relationship Between Communication Skills Of First Line Nurse Managers And Stability, Sherry A. Blair

Dissertations

The relationship between communication styles of nurse managers and stability of the registered nurses in their respective departments was investigated. A random sample of first-line nurse managers (N = 83) in 10 hospitals in lower Michigan were surveyed. The communication style of the first-line nurse manager was determined by the Professional Communication Inventory (Pfaff & Busch, 1990). Stability was reported by participants through the use of an inventory designed by the researcher. Data analysis did not reveal any relationships between a managers' communication skills and the stability of registered nurses in their unit(s).

The Impact Of Test Sophistication On Tenth Grade Students’ Michigan Educational Assessment Program (Meap) Scores, Iris Williams

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether test sophistication training would result in more tenth grade students achieving performance levels on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) subtests in mathematics and reading which would entitle them to receive the state endorsed diploma.

Two groups of English II students (grade 10) from the same school participated in the study. One group received test sophistication instruction, and the other received no treatment. During the test sophistication training, students were instructed using the Ace That Test Preparation for Success Student Guide (Yarosz & Yarosz, 1991a) which was based on the …

Comparison Study Of The Implementation Rate Of Eighteen Middle School Characteristics In Michigan And National Blue Ribbon Schools, Gregg G. Mowen

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the current amount of Implementation of the 18 middle school characteristics as reported by principals from randomly selected middle level schools In the state of Michigan and In middle level schools designated as Blue Ribbon schools (U.S. Department of Education, 1991). This study used a survey questionnaire that was initially designed by RIegle (1971) to measure the rate of Implementation of the middle school characteristics. The survey was mailed to Michigan and Blue Ribbon middle level school principals, selected randomly via a table of random numbers. The return rate for Michigan schools …

An Analysis Of The Effect Of Matching Student Learning Style To The Method Of Instruction, Addamae Akin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if matching student learning style and teacher teaching style w ill result in any difference in achievement of students in the classroom as measured by the number of students receiving credit in ninth-grade world history classes.

The study was conducted in a mid-size Macomb County, Michigan, school district. Two hundred fifteen ninth-grade students and four teachers participated in this study. World history classes were used because of their heterogeneous grouping and because i t was a required ninth-grade class.

Students were administered the Learning Style Profile (Keefe & Monk, 1986) from the …

An Analysis Of The Utilization Of Power By Florence Nightingale 1856-1872, Louise C. Selanders

Dissertations

This historical analysis sought to determine the types of power utilized by Florence Nightingale while providing leadership to major reforms and how these power acts were implemented- The scope of the study was her productive post- Crimean years from 1856 through 1872. Events which were examined included the reform of the health of the British Army including the Royal Commission, the establishment of modem, secular nursing education and the establishment of public health standards in India during British colonization.

The power acts were examined relative to the constituents of power defined by Dahl (1957). The source of power contained subsets …

Women And Leadership: The Effect Of Gender, Gender-Role Orientation, Socioeconomic Status, And Parental Influence On Women’S Aspirations To Leader Roles, Barbara Katherine Kreuzer

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine which factor or combination of factors are related to the degree to which university women aspire to leadership positions. A random sample of university seniors (N=311) from the business, teacher education, and political science curricula were surveyed by mail. The study attempted to answer the following seven research questions: (1) Are there gender differences among university seniors' aspirations to leader positions, (2) are there differences among university seniors' aspirations to leadership based upon curriculum, (3) are there gender differences among university seniors in their projections of classmates into career roles, (4) are …

Identifying A 9-12 Curriculum For High Schools In The Upper Peninsula Of Michigan, Patrick Manning

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify high school graduation standards for high schools in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The standards should meet the state of Michigan recommendations or standards for high school graduation. In addition, recommendations of local, state , and national studies and commission reports were included. A comparison was made between a ll Upper Peninsula high schools' graduation requirements for both non-college-bound and college-bound students and the Michigan State Board of Education recommended graduation requirements and those of the Michigan College Presidents Council.

Inquiry was made into course cred it requirements for graduation, recommended curriculum …

Factors Associated With Success In A Participative Decision Making Program For Supervisors, Managers, And Salaried Professionals, Eric Paul De Nijs

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the factors associated with success in a participative decision making program, based on the quality circle concept, involving teams of first-line supervisors, managers, and salaried professionals. The teams were formed to initiate and implement cost saving projects. A total of 35 subjects from six teams participated in the study conducted in a food processing company located in the Midwest. Cross-functional teams representing the main functional areas of a company were ranked on the basis of their success, defined as the proportion of the savings goal the team attained. From this ranking, the top three …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Developmental Kindergarten Program In The Troy Schools, Troy, Michigan, Dennis H. Raetzke

Dissertations

This study evaluated the long-term effects of developmental kindergarten on reading achievement, grade retention, and special education services. Data were collected for 84 subjects from 12 participating elementary schools in Troy, Michigan. Forty-two subjects in the experimental group were matched with 42 subjects from the control group. Pairs were matched according to age within 6 months, gender, and to ta l score on the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R, Mardel1-Czudnowski & Goldenberg, 1983) screening test.

Multivariate analysis of covariance, used to analyze the effects of developmental kindergarten participation on reading achievement over time, indicated no significant results …

Characteristics Of Community Foundations At Different Ages And Asset Sizes, Kathryn Ann Agard

Dissertations

This dissertation identifies a growth pattern for community foundations. The study is based on a comparative review of 89 community foundations selected on a stratified random sample basis from the membership of the Council on Foundations. Changes in the administrative , social, strategic, and technical systems were studied. Measurements were taken on 35 indicators and analyzed through descriptive and correlational statistics .

The findings of this study indicate that there is a pattern to the change in each of the administrative, social, strategic, and technical systems in the foundations studied. The pattern of change is correlated to the two independent …

A Study Of Selected Strategies For Allocating Funds To Improve County Roads, Ronald E. Reid

Dissertations

Strategies for the ranking of county road improvement projects can be based on a rating that reflects the physical condition of the pavement, a rating that reflects the pavement roughness, a rating that incorporates the combination of physical condition of the pavement and the pavement roughness (its pavement serviceability rating), or a rating that takes into account the age of the pavement and amount of traffic

This study compared the relationship between the strategy of the ranking of each road segment based on that segment's: (a) surface distress rating and roughness rating, (b) surface distress rating and pavement serviceability rating, …

The Naturalistic Study Of Performance Feedback In A Higher Education Administrative Setting, Karen M. Reese

Dissertations

Examined in this study is the performance feedback provided to administrative staff at the research location and the relationship of that feedback to performance. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 27 subjects at a small midwestern coeducational public university. Six research questions were investigated: the conditions under which feedback occurs, the sources of feedback and their relative usefulness, barriers to feedback giving and seeking, and the relationship of feedback to performance.

The desire to correct a deficiency was the primary catalyst to informal feedback being given to staff. Supervisors became aware of staffs' deficiencies through observation and complaints from …

Factors Influencing Persistence Of Adult Students In High School Completion Programs, Joan E. Garbarino

Dissertations

This research was conducted to contrast adult persisters' and dropouts' perceptions of the importance of institutional, situational, and dispositional barriers to high school completion.

Institutional factors included staff support, curriculum , student services, and logistical considerations. Situational factors were family and friend support, time, employment, and health. Dispositional factors included attitudes toward education, academic preparedness plus expectations, and satisfaction.

Completers who graduated and noncompleters who dropped out before graduation were surveyed. Statistical analysis allowed the researcher to test differences between the perceptions of persisters and dropouts in regard to eleven factors found in the three major barriers. It also revealed …

Transformational Leadership: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Joseph Mark Gasper

Dissertations

Transformational leadership was introduced by James MacGregor Bums in 1978. This new paradigm described the leader and follower interaction as a mutually elevating process which Bernard Bass later described as performance beyond normal expectations. Transformational leadership theory has been expanded and extended by numerous authors and has been the focus of numerous research studies over the years.

Bass and his colleagues have been the most prolific researchers on the subject. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Bass, 1985) was developed to measure the extent to which a leader demonstrates transformational and transactional leadership. The MLQ also provides a measure of the …

Effects Of Western Education On Employees' Participation And Job Satisfaction In Saudi Arabian Industries, Abdulrahman Y. Al-Selaim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what degree Western education and Saudi Arabian employees' degree of participation in quality circle programs influences their job satisfaction. These variables were investigated using a survey administered to 150 Saudi Arabian employees working in the production department of a Saudi Arabian company. The Questionnaire of Participation and Satisfaction (QPS) instrument that was used in this investigation is a 20-item questionnaire; items 1-13 were developed by the researcher, and items 14-20 were developed by Abbas (1985). The questionnaire consisted of three components designed to determine: where employees were educated, as well as …

A Study Of Cooperative Learning At The High School Level, Lisabeth S. Margulus

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to answer the following research questions:

1. Which teacher skills are necessary to implement effective teamwork in a classroom?

2. What kind of learning environment is optimal for implementing effective teamwork in a classroom?

3. In classrooms using teamwork, does greater student achievement occur than in classrooms not using teamwork?

The study outlined the specific teacher skills and described the optimal learning environment for implementing cooperative strategies in high school classrooms. To address the third question , an experimental study was conducted in which sixty-four 10th-,11th-, and 12th-grade Business Applications and Technology students in …

The Financial Implications Of School District Consolidation In Michigan, William P. Letarte

Dissertations

The consolidation of public school districts in Michigan has again become an issue with the state legislature with the introduction of Senate Bill 570 of 1989 and Senate Bill 344 of 1991, both of which have proposed a reduction in the number of school districts to a maximum of 200 and a minimum size of 2,000 students per district. The last major legislative initiative in Michigan was from 1960 to 1970 when the number of public school districts was reduced from 2,149 to 638.

The purpose of this study was to develop a model of school district reorganization and then …

The Extent To Which The Career Guidance And Counseling Component Is Addressed In The Administration Of Tech Prep Programs, Linda Joan Kwasny

Dissertations

This study examined the career guidance and counseling component of tech prep projects that were being planned and implemented in Michigan during the 1990-91 school year. A survey was conducted of all eleven consortia operating funded tech prep projects to determine the involvement of secondary and post-secondary guidance professionals in tech prep planning, the extent of articulation of guidance services for regular and special populations tech prep students, and the nature and extent of the career guidance and counseling programs that were being planned for regular and special populations students.

The findings from this study indicate that for secondary and …

A Descriptive Study Of The Development And Validation Of A Curriculum Development Process For Occupational Therapy In An Institution Of Higher Education, Alfred G. Bracciano

Dissertations

This was a descriptive study of a curriculum development process for occupational therapy at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. A four-stage process was designed and documented. These stages included: (1) feasibility , (2) curriculum design and development, (3) review and evaluation-validation for each component, and (4 ) implementation stage.

The study was conducted to develop a curriculum development process that was academically appropriate for occupational therapy programs for institutions of higher education and which met identified needs as set forth by the feasibility study and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Division of Education. Further, the study undertook to …

Practices In Results-Oriented Hrd: Levels Of Support And Agreement Between Hrd And Upper-Level Managers, Abdulmohsin Al-Luheid

Dissertations

The study surveys the acceptance of, and support for, results-oriented training activities by upper-level managers and HRD managers in representative companies in Southwest Michigan. The study also examined the agreement between the perceptions of upper-level managers (ULM) and HRD managers (HRDM) concerning results-oriented HRD activities.

The study produced a profile of the support for and/or the acceptance of those activities in the selected organizations. This profile includes both the most-recommended and the least-recommended practices as reported by upper-level and HRD managers. Additional analysis looked at levels of support for the activities across, within and among the four types of organizations …

Teacher Induction: An Investigation Of Factors That Affect First-Year Teachers' Attitudes Toward Their Jobs, John G. Longcore

Dissertations

This study compared specific induction-year support variables that might affect the attitudes that first-year teachers have about their jobs. Forty-eight first-year teachers from randomly selected school districts in western Michigan participated by completing the Teacher Attitude Inventory (TAI) as a pretest-posttest measure. Each participant also submitted a professional activity checklist which determined the level of support they experienced. All subjects were then divided into a high, medium, and low support group to locate any differences in attitude among the groups. No differences in attitude toward their job among the groups was found.