Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Relationship Between Verbal-Performance Iq And Locus Of Control Among Students With Either A Learning Disability Or A Behavior Disorder, Rick J. Bagnall

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Locus of control is one psychological variable which can explain differences in how students deal with difficulties and how they explain these difficulties to themselves. Studies conducted with students who have emotional and behavioral problems have described them as having an external locus of control when compared to their peers (Kauffman, 1985; Morse, Cutler, & Fink, 1964).

In attempts to find identifying charateristics unique to behaviorally disordered students, research by Dean (1978), using emotionally handicapped children, determined that they had a significantly lower Verbal IQ mean than that obtained on the Performance IQ scale p<.01. The differences between Verbal and Performance IQs were not significant for learning disabled children.

The purpose of this study …

Teacher Beliefs And Attitudes Toward Students At Risk, Marlyce K. Holbach

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This descriptive study identified elementary, middle level, and high school teachers' beliefs and attitudes toward at risk students. The sample was drawn from three public schools that reflect the cultural and geographic diversity of school districts in a Midwestern state. All 84 regular classroom teachers from the selected schools participated in the investigation. Subjects completed a 100-question survey, developed by Phi Delta Kappa International, which assessed their beliefs and attitudes toward specific learning factors and behaviors of students, specific problems students confront outside of school, student abilities, and teaching strategies. Treatment included descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and oneway analysis of …

The Effectiveness Of Response Interruption, Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior, And A Visual Cue, In The Treatment Of Self-Injurious Stereotypic Behavior, Clark Gunnell Porter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a combined procedure involving response interruption and DRO in the treatment of self-injurious stereotypy. A visual cue was utilized to assist in generalization and the subject's behavior was monitored outside of the treatment setting. The subject was a ten year old mentally deficient female who engaged in a self-injurious stereotypy involving the picking of skin from her fingers and hands. An ABAC single-subject design was utilized and the subject's behavior was monitored in her classroom on mornings following treatment. The treatment procedure was unsuccessful in reducing the frequency of the behavior and no …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Learner Self-Concept: A Construct Validity Study, Tracy A. Randall

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Researchers tend to agree that self-concept has an influence on the total development of the child (Briggs, 1970). Stanton (1982) suggests that educators should find ways to encourage internality in students' control orientations. Extensive research has been conducted on the constructs of locus of control and self-concept. Some research studies report interesting results concerning a dimension of self-concept--academic self-concept or self-concept as a learner--(Purkey, Raheim, & Cage, 1983; Purkey, 1970; Benner, Frey, & Gilberts, 1983).

The purpose of this study was to explore the construct independence between locus of control and learner self-concept in students at the tenth grade level. …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Model For Implementing Restitution Into The Disciplinary Procedures Of Secondary Public Schools, Garry Leroy Jensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for implementing restitution into the disciplinary procedures of secondary public schools. The model was designed to encourage self-discipline, improve decision-making, promote self-esteem and provide for reconciliation. The concept of restitution upon which the model was based is as follows:

If you have wronged someone, it is your responsibility to make it right with that person and to your community as a whole by positive constructive acts and it is your further responsibility to improve yourself with personal accomplishments and goals. (Challeen, 1982)

Using language of systems analysis, a flow chart …

The Sex Variable And Reactions To A Peer With An Orthopedic Disability By First- And Second Graders, Virginia Lynn Ruark

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prior research has indicated that people react differently to a person with a physical disability than to a person without a disability, and that these different reactions vary with age and sex. While paper-and-pencil measures of reactions to persons with a disability have questionable validity, actual face-to-face interaction studies have yielded inconsistent results on measures of interaction time, eye contact, physical distance, and impression formation. Moreover, few studies have been conducted in which children were used as subjects. The purpose of the present study was to assess the behaviors of first- and second-grade children when reacting to peers of the …

A Comparison Of The Actual And Ideal Perceptions Of The School Psychologist’S Role, David Arthur Curry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The professional role of the school psychologist has been studied for over thirty years. The school psychologist has traditionally spent the greatest percentage of professional time engaged in testing and assessment functions. Concerns have arisen as to the effectiveness of this traditional role. School psychologists, as well as other related professionals, have indicated a desire for a greater emphasis on the Consultation function within the ideal role of the school psychologist and a decrease in emphasis on the assessment functions. Difficulty in defining the role and function of the school psychologist was noted due to the inconsistent use of terminology. …

The Staffing: A Naturalistic Study Of The Educational Placement Process, Susan Laurene Law

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The intent of this study was to do a naturalistic observation of a series of staffings in order to generate a descriptive basis for theoretical notions or working hypotheses concerning the procedures, functioning and social relationships within the process. Relevant categories that emerged from the data were: labelling, test validity and reliability, laws and regulations, encouraging a decision, space, and parental participation. The study suggests that there are differences between the formally prescribed procedures and functions of a staffing and the actual behaviours of professionals and parents involved with the process. The variety of necessary coping strategies used by professionals …

Prediction Of Reading Achievement Using Conservation Performance, Jann Moser Bowlus

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the relationship between reading and Piagetian conservation ability. It was hypothesized that conservation ability would be significantly related to reading achievement and an addition of a conservation measure to a reading readiness measure would significantly improve prediction of reading achievement.

Forty first and second grade children from a northeast Iowa, middle class, urban school district were involved in this study. They were administered conservation tasks from the Concept Assessment Kit-Conservation during the fall of 1977. In the spring of 1978 Ginn reading mastery scores were obtained and Clymer-Barrett reading readiness test scores were gathered from the school …

The Effect Of A Preoperational Puppet Show On Anxiety Levels Of Hospitalized Children, Joyce Lee Bernard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated effects of a preoperative puppet show on anxiety levels of hospitalized children as measured by the Palmar Sweat Index (PSI). Subjects were 28 children, ages 2-7 years inclusive, allocated randomly to treatment and nontreatment groups. Treatment consisted of a puppet show designed to familiarize patients with hospital routines and with procedures of their operations. Two PSI measures were collected for each subject, and average difference scores of individuals among all measures were compared. Analyses of variance were used to test mean differences with data categorized by treatment, by sex, and by interaction of sex and treatment. There …

The Precision Of Teacher Judgments In The Identification Of Gifted Children, Ann Louise Neumann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine some of the factors leading to the variability of teacher judgments in the identification of intellectually gifted elementary school children.

Subjects: The study was conducted with 14 female teachers having a total of 317 students in their classes. The schools were located in a small urban center in an agricultural region of northeastern Iowa.

Procedure: Teachers were asked to rate the children in their classes as to whether they should be classified as intellectually gifted. The research criterion used was a percentile score of 98 or higher on the Comprehensive Test of …

The Benziger Early Learning Assessment Test: A Study Of Predictive Validity, Marian Carol Sensor

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the predictive power of a new screening test for pre-school and kindergarten youngsters, the Benziger Early Learning Assessment (BELA). It was hypothesized that the total score attained on the BELA would significantly correlate with selected measures of first grade achievement.

Seventy-five white, middle-class students who had been involved in the norming population for the BELA were utilized in the study. The students had been administered the BELA during the spring of their kindergarten year. In January of their first grade year the final sample (N = 58) was administered the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and Ginn …

Long-Term Effects Of Home-Based Preschool Enrichment, Mark Vincent Cunningham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to measure the effect of the Home Start Project upon school achievement as measured by the third grade scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The non-randomized posttest-only control group design was utilized in this research project. Subject selection consisted of those forty-four subjects for whom prior comparisons had been drawn concerning Horne Start subjects. However, it was possible to locate only 31 Home Start subjects (22 black and 9 white) and 31 of their older and Non-Home Start siblings (22 black and 9 white). The ITBS September scores of Home Start children were compared …

The Effects Of Teacher Reinforcement On Student Attitudes And Achievement, Ray Douglas Mccollum

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the effects of teacher reinforcement on both reading achievement and students' attitudes toward school. It was hypothesized that students of high reinforcing teachers would achieve greater reading gains and would exhibit more positive attitudes toward school than students of lower reinforcing teachers.

Eight classrooms of second and third-grade students (N=139) and their teachers from a rural school district were involved in this study. The students were administered the reading section of the Metropolitan Achievement Test and the "Describe Your School" questionnaire during the fall of 1975. subsequent to this pre-assessment, the eight teachers were observed by independent …

A Comparison Of Unisensory Versus Multisensory Presentation And The Effectiveness Of Audition In The Initial Learning Stage, Jane Doornwaard Den Herder

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of audition, in unisensory presentation and in bisensory or multisensory presentations, in the initial learning stage (short term memory). The study developed as a result of experience the investigator had with multimodal presentations of material. Upon viewing the rapid gains through that approach, questions were raised with regard to the validity of the position a unisensory auditory approach has always held for speech pathologists. The review of the literature confirmed the presence of theoretical conflicts with regard to man's processing and the superiority of modes for learning. Some of …

The Role Of The School Psychologist As Perceived By Elementary Principals And By School Psychologists, Joan Holliday Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem that was considered in the study was whether the role of the school psychologist was perceived differently by elementary principals and school psychologists.

A questionnaire was developed which had two slightly differing forms, one for principals and one for psychologists. The items on the questionnaire sought to assess the opinions of both groups concerning: who is and who should be responsible for selected tasks, the effectiveness of psychological services and several aspects of authority. The questionnaires were sent to a randomly selected group of elementary principals (200) and all of the school psychologists in Iowa (170). Useable returns …

The Educational Match, Daleanne Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many educators are arguing that if education is to be successful, classroom teachers must be able to match the instructional material for each student with that student's level of achievement. Supposedly, providing material that is too difficult or too advanced for the student's ability can result in failure and eventually a loss of motivation. On the other hand, providing material far below the present level of achievement can lead to a similar loss of motivation. According to this line of argument one of the basic tasks facing the teacher is the proper "matching" of the curriculum to the student's capabilities. …

Hedonism And Puritanism In Southern Fiction, Ruth Joan Dvorak

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

After relative inactivity in Southern letters, there occurred what is called. the Southern Literary Renaissance. Critics have since tried to account for it. One effort is the attempt to identify basic themes in the works. One persistent theme is that of religious or moral conflict, involving a stern Calvinism and a pervasive sense of guilt. Noticed too is the element of paradox as an outstanding characteristic of the South a.nd of the Southern character. w. J. Ca.sh, in his book The Mind of the South, presents an interesting theory regarding the paradoxical nature of the Southerner. He states that the …

The Elementary School Counselor: A Man Of Action, Robert Mendelson

Faculty Publications

The elementary school counselor; a newly-emerged member of the pupil personnel term; is a specialist whose skills are directed toward helping children develop in a healthy; normal way. His skills should allow him to understand the concerns children have; the meanings and goals of their behavior; and the psychological systems which affect their lives. His training should aid him in communicating his acceptance and his interest in each child. Academic preparation should include specialized courses in counseling and in psychology. Research supports the counseling function as one of the primary duties of the elementary school counselor. Although the bulk of …

Interaction In Reading Groups: A Possible Cause Of Reading Disability, George H. Hadley

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the method of seating children for a directed reading lesson and the acquisition of a concept taught during that lesson. It was felt that children seated closely together for group instruction distracted one another. This negative interaction in the group caused loss of attention and hindered learning. Subjects were matched groups of girls and matched groups of boys from the two third grades at Malcolm Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The control groups were taught a reading lesson while seated with the teacher in a reading circle. …

The Implications Of The Sex Discrimination Provisions Of The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 Upon Seniority At The Rath Packing Company, Waterloo, Iowa, Robert Harry Beener

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a controversial law making discrimination by sex unlawful. Compliance with Title VII presented problems for The Rath Packing Company as well as the meat packing industry in general. Use of separate seniority lists for assigning males and females to jobs had been a long time practice in the meat packing industry, but such lists became unlawful July 2, 1965. The problem of merging separate seniority lists into one list for both sexes, and then using the new single seniority list to assign jobs to those being discriminated against, was difficult …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Reading Ability And Performance On The Red Glass Test, Ann Mary Dunbar

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose or this study was to determine if a difference is reading ability existed between children who perceived at equal speeds with both eyes and children who perceived faster with one eye than with the other. The pri11le motivation for this study was the reported improvement in reading made by children who were involved in a visual training program under the direction of Dr. Frank M. Root, a practicing optometrist in Cedar Falls, Iowa. A part or this visual training program was the use of the Red Glass technique, a procedure designed to equalize the speed of perception …

A Survey Of In-Service Education Techniques In Self-Contained Junior High Schools In The State Of Iowa, Robert Dean Eastman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The rapid evolution of junior high schools and their incorporation into school organizations throughout Iowa has created a demand for teachers who are particularly adept in working with adolescents, who understand the transitionary nature of young students, and who are conscious of the exploratory nature of the junior high school program. Few institutions of higher learning in the mid-west region, however, specifically include the junior high major in their pre-service preparation of teachers, A strong in-service educational program, then, is essential for the improvement of the instructional program.

A Survey Of In-Service Education Programs In Selected Public Senior High Schools In The State Of Iowa, Donald Henry Henderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It was the purpose of this study: (1) to survey the current in- service education programs of selected public senior high schools 1) the State of Iowa, and (2) to make an objective comparison of these school by the size of their student enrollments.

Group Decision Versus Lecture As A Technique In Changing Attitudes Of Junior High Students, Richard Lee Elliott

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is the purpose of this study to (1) determine if educational attitudes of junior high students can be changed through the use of a group decision method and a lecture method by utilizing controversial questions in the area of American history, and (2) compare the effectiveness of a group-decision method and a lecture method in causing a shift in attitude as measured by an opinionnaire scale.

The Experimental Use Of The Marianne Frostig Developmental Test Of Visual Perception And The Frostig Program For The Development Of Visual Perception For The Diagnosis And Remediation Of Visual Perceptual Abilities In Young Educable Mentally Retarded Children, Mary Ellen Dreier

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There has been increasing interest in recent years in finding effective approaches to the education of the retarded child. Remedial programs based upon the diagnosis of specific disabilities of the child with mild mental retardation may serve to remove or decrease some of the obstacles to learning for the child. One of these obstacles may be faulty visual perception. This investigation was based upon the experimental use of a test designed to assess visual perceptual abilities and a program designed to train visual perceptual abilities.

The Utilization Of A Personality Rating Scale To Determine The Relationship Between Peers, Faculty, And Self-Ratings, George Carroll Cordes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was an attempt to investigate the student's evaluation of himself, as compared with others' evaluation of him. A personality rating scale in the hands of a competent counselor may be of real value. This study provided an opportunity to compare a self-analysis and a peer analysis, giving the counselor some additional data on the ability of the student to know himself.

Preliminary Report: Master Of Arts In Education Degree: Graduates In Professional Education At The State College Of Iowa, 1952-1962, Richard R. Olmsted, Clifford L. Bishop

History of Education Book Gallery

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Selected Employers’ Opinions Regarding The Terminal Education Programs Of Secondary Schools In Davenport, Iowa, Gerald Dwight Clemmensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

One of the failings of American education today is its inability to meet the needs of the average student in high school. Because of this failing, many young people, mostly boys, will drop out of high school sometime between beginning the tenth grade and finishing the twelfth grade. Because American education does not meet the needs of the average student, many youths, job hunting immediately following graduation from high school, will face a more difficult time in locating some type of employment than their elders did during the early 1930's.

A Validation Study Of The Beck Word-Color Association Test With The Minnesota Counseling Inventory, Camilla Russell Bernauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Educators are always alert and watchful for new and better instruments of measurement to be used in serving the student in gaining new insights into his concept of self. Of all the areas of individual differences which lend themselves to testing there is none in greater need of development than that of personality assessment. Any new test, any new approach to this assessment, is worthy of careful research and analysis. While studying at the State College of Iowa, the writer was introduced to the Beck Word-Color Association Test. In the analysis of two gifted boys in Cedar Falls, Iowa, it …