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1997 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 4
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ORDER NO: ABA97-26563 A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF CLINICAL SUPERVISION ON CLASSROOM TEACHER BEHAVIORS AT ONE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Author: OSBORN, WILLIAM JAMES Degree: ED.D. Year: 1997 Corporate Source/Institution: UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS (0099) Source: VOLUME 58/03-A OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 679. 74 PAGES Descriptors: EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION; EDUCATION, COMMUNITY COLLEGE; EDUCATION, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION Descriptor Codes: 0514; 0275; 0727 The evaluation of teachers and faculty in schools, colleges, and universities is a continual process involving an array of procedures based upon theoretical and empirical data, as well as local and state guidelines. The purposes of teacher evaluation are sometimes clouded by misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Consequently, issues often arise as to the effectiveness of teacher evaluation regardless of type or process employed. Given the traditional purposes as being twofold: (1) making personnel decisions--summative, and (2) improvement of instruction --formative, it follows that studies which measure effectiveness would either reinforce or detract from motivation to continue to consider the formative aspects as, indeed, a function of teacher evaluation. The purpose of this study was to address whether improvement of instruction can be demonstrated by the application of the clinical supervision process of teacher evaluation. Nine community college instructors participated in a series of clinical supervision cycles. This quasi-experimental research was based upon the single-group time series design with persistent insertion of the experimental treatment. Instructors were allowed to select growth targets from a predetermined list of seven observation scales. Periodic measurements of four scales (developing performance objectives, using instructional equipment, providing a positive learning environment through student/teacher interaction, and presenting instruction ) were conducted to determine the effect of the clinical supervision process over the time period of the study. Using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) of classroom videotape data and post hoc tests, it was found that the application of clinical supervision did result in improvement of instructional delivery behaviors in the most commonly selected scale--developing performance objectives.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26549 Students, faculty, administration, and media center staff were interviewed about implementation and use of media-enriched university classrooms. The study reports on relevant aspects of classroom technological change, including ergonomics, transition, effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, equity, a need for a team approach, and a need for new and combined research approaches. Equipment in the classrooms included computers with CD-ROM drives, motorized retracting projection screens, desktop video cameras, liquid crystal computer display (LCD) panels, three-gun video projectors, tape recorder/players, closed-circuit television sets, videodisc players, video recorder/players, and microphones. Claims included improved student interest and attention, human interaction, empowerment, benchmarking, easy depiction of complex concepts, pride in equipment use, and information resource development. Some students claimed the classroom would compel instructors to change and be more creative. Concerns focused on student engagement, equity, empowerment, collaboration, research, need for faculty and student representation in classroom design, problems with classroom sight lines, seating, lighting, acoustics, and workstations. Issues included expressed problems related to administration of the classrooms, access to instruction , collaboration, and a need for a new approach to support services due to media material preparation time that sometimes exceeded 1 hour of preparation for each minute of a presentation. Other issues were classroom scheduling, a need to update and provide maintenance of equipment, a need for a tangible reward system for instructors, and accommodation of special needs for faculty and students. The complexity involved in combining interactive television and other media in a single classroom was a major issue. Recommendations include application of Bloom's taxonomy of learning objectives, learning organization characteristics and adoption of an intervention model that considers individual, interpersonal, group, and intergroup needs. Recommendations for the design of media-enriched classrooms include careful attention to seating as well as to natural and artificial lighting, sight lines, simultaneous visibility of long whiteboards and projection screens, ergonomics, and high-end/low-maintenance equipment.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26481 Research questions. This study appraised the academic and aesthetic value of video inserts of an instructor's image by assessing what they added to or detracted from the instructional effectiveness of modules of Instructional Television (ITV) presentations. The evaluation question investigated was: What is the effect of video inserts on: (1) students' scores on two post-instruction module tests and (2) the students' post- instruction ratings of the effectiveness of video-taped instructional presentations. Population/sample. The sample was 39 students enrolled in freshman English courses at a large University based in the Bay Area. Research design and data analysis. The study was based on an experimental research design in which two groups, A and B, viewed two modules of video-taped instruction which contained either the presence or absence of video inserts. The order of the presence or absence of the video insert was counterbalanced for the two groups. An achievement test was administered after each module. The two group's mean scores were analyzed by means of two kinds of t-tests, one for independent and one for correlated mean scores, which provided both between-group and within-group contrasts of mean scores. An evaluation questionnaire was administered at the end of the second test. The questionnaire appraised the effectiveness of the video-taped instruction. A chi-square test of independence was used to analyze each group's mean ratings in each of the Likert-type response categories in order to assess the homogeneity of the students' responses to each of the items of the evaluation questionnaire. Findings. The effect of the video inserts on the students' achievement of the instructional objectives of the two lectures on techniques of critical thinking proved to be too slight to have statistical and educational significance. The author suggests that the practice of including such inserts should be discouraged, inasmuch as it detracts from the studio operator's attention to other more essential features of an instructional production.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26456 The purpose of this study was to explore and chronicle the training of senior early childhood majors enrolled in a multicultural education course with an accompanying in-the-field experience at a university. The study describes how these prospective teachers came to understand, relate, and demonstrate Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Practices (DCAP). The research questions included: (1) What kind of understandings do prospective early childhood teachers have of the term DCAP? (2) What DCAP methods are evident in prospective teachers' lesson plans? (3) How is DCAP manifested by the prospective teachers during their in-the-field experiences? (4) What are the obstacles that prospective early childhood teachers perceive and experience as they strive to implement their understanding of DCAP? (5) How do prospective teachers verbalize their individual changes during the course of study? The research strategies were based on the teacher-researcher's epistemological and ontological stances and the focus of the inquiry. The data were constructed from self-awareness and self-assessment exercises, journals, lesson plans and reflective lesson forms, transcribed audio-taped field and class sessions, and the teacher-researcher's notes. The analysis techniques included analytic induction and the constant-comparative method. Other influences such as interpretive research, participants, class description, teacher-researcher's roles, credibility and limitations shaped the study. Using the techniques of analytic induction and constant-comparative method, the teacher-researcher uncovered four themes with supporting assertions that explicated the research questions. Theme One, Sensitivity, presented the three ways (introspection, socialization, and acceptance and respect of others' similarities and differences) in which the prospective teachers sought to demonstrate sensitivity to diverse students. Theme Two, Obstacles, presented the three challenges (ignorance of their heritage, abbreviation of minorities in the curriculum, and the "isms" of bias) that hindered the prospective teachers from demonstrating sensitivity to diverse students. Theme Three, Manifestation, presented the three pathways (hands-on, self-esteem/cultural awareness, and likenesses and differences activities) that the prospective teachers used to demonstrate sensitivity to diverse students. Theme Four, From Deconstruction to Infusion, presented four unique phrases which capsulated the prospective teacher's deconstruction, transformation and subsequently infusion of DCAP in the classroom. Findings in the categories listed below contributed to the small but growing literature base on diversity models of instruction in the area of early childhood teacher education: (1) the sensitive practitioner; (2) the reflective experience; (3) the social factor; (4) the student-researcher; (5) the definition of DCAP; and (6) the aim of case study--particularization. The process of deconstruction to infusion is a cyclical process. Teacher-educators and prospective teachers are in a constant state of change... from releasing old conceptions, dispositions, and attitudes to taking hold of new ideas and thought processes. Therefore, this research was ultimately a beginning to an end.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26353 This case study focused on the changes and implications of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the curriculum development and curriculum review processes within Baker College of Owosso, Michigan. The study revealed new insights that can be studied and related to other similar environments. In addition, the study will help other institutions begin to understand the intricacies of TQM principles applied to similar open-systems environments. This study lends credence to the idea that noting successes and failures of other TQM environments can be very beneficial to similar institutions or organizations that are attempting to incorporate TQM principles. This study used the naturalistic inquiry process (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) to evaluate a TQM work team that used the TQM process to improve the design of the program curriculum development and the curriculum review processes. The members of this team united to pursue a common goal--to make the curriculum design process easier and quicker to implement for all the Business Administration Department. Furthermore, the TQM processes may ensure quality curriculum programs and develop team leadership skills consistent with the broader goals and expectations of the Business Administration Department at Baker College.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26347 Community colleges generally have the mission of preparing people for jobs in the community. Many tools are used in this preparation, including the computer. As the positive effects of microcomputer use in public education become increasingly recognized and accepted by educational decision makers, it has also become increasingly necessary for schools to undertake effective planning for microcomputer training and implementation. This is particularly true in community colleges. This research was based on two methodologies, descriptive and correlational. These were employed in answering the research questions as the surveys on anxiety and computer use presented data as quantitative descriptions. Specifically, the research looked at whether a relationship exists between technological use in the classroom and the level of computer anxiety (as measured by CAS) amongst 124 community college faculty. The population for this study consisted of 124 faculty in three community colleges in the Midwest. The researcher administered the Computer Anxiety Scale (CAS) to look at computer attitude and other personal factors. This Likert-type instrument consists of 40 items that present statements of attitudes toward computers and the use of computers. In examining the research questions, item responses were coded so that a higher score indicated a lower degree of anxiety and a higher degree of liking, confidence, and usefulness. Means, standard deviations, and estimates of internal-consistency reliability (alpha coefficients) were calculated for the four sub scales and for the total score. Correlations among the four subscales were also computed. This study found significantly more positive attitudes for those who used technology to prepare lectures, exams, overheads, and charts. Also, higher technological use was strongly related to greater computer experience. Self-assessed novice experience level users had composite technological use scores with a mean of 1.70, SD 0.74, beginners had a mean of 3.60, SD 1.99, intermediates had a mean of 5.44, SD 2.29, and experts had a mean of 7.05, SD 2.56. Analysis of variance to establish differential validity for the composite technological use had an F-ratio of 17,97, revealing a significant difference between all levels of self-assessed experience. Findings also reveal a positive relationship between computer experience and computer anxiety.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26295 The purpose of this study was to investigate the procedures and their perceived effectiveness in the recruitment of African American teachers in city school divisions in Virginia. The research questions investigated were: (1) What are the procedures used by human resource directors in city school divisions in Virginia to recruit African American teachers? (2) To what extent are these procedures helping to increase the number and percentage of African American teachers in city school divisions in Virginia? (3) What problems do human resource directors in city school divisions in Virginia encounter in recruiting African American teachers to their divisions? (4) What strategies do human resource directors in city school divisions in Virginia use to overcome these problems? This study, both quantitative and qualitative in nature, focused on human resource directors in each of the 39 city school divisions in Virginia. The primary method of data collection was a questionnaire which consisted of forty one items. To compliment the quantitative study, three human resource directors from the city school divisions in Virginia were interviewed by phone. Chi Square Tests of Association were used to compare the use and perceived effectiveness of recruitment practices in city school divisions in Virginia. After data were gathered and analyzed, the researcher presented the data using tables. The results of this study showed that using other employees to recruit, networking through other educators, having recruitment fairs, and sending vacancy announcements to colleges were the procedures used most often by human resource directors to recruit African American teachers. Likewise, these procedures were the most effective in helping to increase the number and percentage of African American teachers. Human resource directors reported that the most common problems they encountered when recruiting were: (1) the decreasing number of African American teachers in relation to the rising number of African American students; (2) expanding career opportunities in other fields for African Americans; (3) the pool of African American teachers not adequate to meet the needs; and (4) greater economic rewards in other fields for African Americans. The directors also reported that the most common strategies used to overcome recruitment problems were: reflecting an ethnically diverse teaching force in recruitment information; developing a strong recruitment program; and participating in career fairs at predominately black colleges and universities. Five major themes emerged as the human resource directors who were interviewed described the strategies they use to recruit African American teachers. They were: (1) promoting teaching ; (2) diversifying the teaching pool; (3) improving the culture of teaching ; (4) developing volunteer programs for college professors and middle school students to assist in schools; and (5) increasing salaries to that of other professions.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26191 The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two instructional modalities: concept-learning with lecture instruction and concept-learning with a guided-practice approach, on the development of critical thinking in baccalaureate nursing students. A volunteer sample of 91 junior-level nursing students enrolled in two sections of a beginning nursing theory course were used. Each section received a different teaching method with critical thinking taught in an indirect manner. Data were obtained over a 16-week semester from the administration of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test, the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, and written journals. A pretest-posttest correlational design was used. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted to compare the group means from the scores on the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. No differences between groups were found at the 0.05 level of significance. No differences within groups as regards to time were found. Data triangulation showed journal responses from the treatment group corresponded with their scores on the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory self-confidence, systematicity, truth-seeking and maturity sub-scales; and that the control group journal responses corresponded with the truth-seeking and self-confidence California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory sub-scales. Results of this study would seem to suggest that teacher characteristics and presentation manner of material may affect the affective dimension of critical thinking in students. Timing of when the second California Critical Thinking Skills Test and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory were administered appeared to greatly affect results. Teaching method was not found to affect student critical thinking ability within a 16-week semester course as measured by the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. This study has implications for nursing education. Findings suggest teachers should be cognizant of factors which can affect the development of critical thinking in students such as how and when material is presented, the amount of positive reinforcement given to students, as well as teacher characteristics. Administration of instruments to measure critical thinking should be done at times when students are not experiencing stress or fatigue, and with greater time intervals between evaluation periods.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26122 The purpose for conducting the current study was to examine characteristics and trends in the use of sabbatical faculty development programs at The University of Alabama between 1986 and 1996. The study consisted of an investigation of the ideas proposed by faculty members for sabbatical leave during those years, and whether those proposals were accepted. The study also examined the length of sabbatical leave requested and previous sabbatical leave(s) granted and determined their part in the approval or disapproval of sabbatical leave proposals. In addition, the study examined the thematic categories of sabbatical leave requests and the extent to which sponsored programs were included. The current study found that the College of Arts and Sciences had the most requests (258 of 408 requests) and approvals (219 of 333 approved) between 1986 and 1996, while the College of Commerce and Business Administration had the highest approval rate (86%) among disciplines with 13 or more requests during that same time period. The College of Education had the lowest approval rate (29%, 4 of 14 requests approved) during the time period. The most common requested length for sabbatical leave was one semester (331 of 408 requests, 267 approved), followed by a year (70 requests, 56 approved). Of the 154 faculty requests for sabbatical leave between 1992 and 1996, half (77) had not sought and did not plan to seek funding, 46 were seeking funding at the time of their request, and 31 had already obtained funding. Little difference was found in approval rates among the three categories. The most common thematic category for approved sabbatical purpose statements was Scholarship and Research (258 of 333 approved), and the same was true for non- approved purpose statements (66 of 75 non-approved). Finally, the correlation between previous sabbatical leave(s) granted and re-application approval between 1989 and 1996, using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Index, was found to be positive and moderately high (0.820).
ORDER NO: ABA97-26111 This study investigated the perceptions of school administrators in SACS-accredited secondary schools in Alabama and in Latin America, regarding how they perceive curricular and student needs. Instruments included five topics: Curriculum Issues, Degree of Family Closeness, Interest in Learning Foreign Languages, Inclination Towards International Careers and Lifestyles, and Adolescent Issues. Seventy administrators from Alabama and 62 administrators from American-sponsored overseas schools (ASOS) participated in this study's quantitative aspect. These represented an 82% response rate for the international administrators and a 72% response rate for the Alabama administrators. Two Alabama administrators, two ASOS administrators, two Alabama adolescents, and two internationally mobile adolescents (IMAs) participated in qualitative interviews. Cronbach alpha internal consistency reliability was determined for the total instrument and for each subscale, T-tests were used to test the significance of the difference between the two administrative groups for the subscale means, and chi squares with the Bonferroni correction were used for each item to test the significance of the difference in group proportions. Findings indicated that in Curriculum Issues only three items showed a significant difference: International administrators compared with Alabama administrators were more focused on college preparation and foreign languages but less on corporal punishment. Large differences were noted in the area of Foreign Language Learning, with international administrators more supportive of learning new languages than Alabama administrators. Many differences arose in the Careers and Lifestyles area. For instance, a smaller percentage of international administrators than Alabama administrators felt their students would follow careers similar to the parents' careers. "Home" was a concept the Alabama students related to more easily than did IMAs according to the administrators. In Adolescent Issues, the administrators indicated that friendships and belonging were more problematic for IMAs than for the Alabama students, and world-mindedness was more common among IMAS. In the Family Closeness area, there were no major differences in the administrators' responses.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26093 The purpose of this study was to inventory the developmental reading programs in the community colleges in North Carolina, specifically, student/faculty demographics, history, program focus, curriculum/ instruction , materials, and resources/evaluation. The major conclusions that emerged from this study are discussed. The developmental reading program has two full-time and two part-time faculty members. Most of the two-person full-time faculty have a master's degree in reading. One of the faculty members functions as a director of the program and also teaches courses. Faculty teach eleven to twenty students with approximately one-third of the students being non-traditional age. Credit is offered for the courses, although the credit does not count toward graduation. One year retention data are kept on the students in the program, although longitudinal data are not kept on retention of students who complete the program. Retention rate of students in the program is in the fifty-one to seventy-five percent range. An equal percentage of programs are housed in the developmental reading department as well as housed in other departments. The programs came into existence in the past sixteen years, and the focus of the program is developmental reading or developmental remedial. The students are screened into the developmental reading program by standardized test and are also tested at the end of the quarter with a diversity of assessment tools. The selection of the materials are most often made by individual instructors and the reason for the selection is "frequency of use". Innovative curricular approaches are used by the majority of the programs. Resources in the programs include drop-in labs, and support personnel consist of counselors and tutors.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26090 The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of developmental programs in community colleges as measured by success (GPA) and retention of various subgroups of students. This study investigated the association of various student attributes and institutional characteristics in identifying significant variables associated with success and retention of developmental students in the community college. Access to data for the study was provided by the National Center on Developmental Education, Boone, North Carolina under the direction of Dr. Hunter Boylan. These data were collected in 1990 to 1992 as part of a national study sponsored by the Exxon Education Foundation. Data were provided for 46 community and technical colleges and a total of 2,743 developmental students. A research model was derived from Tinto's Model of Student Attrition. Research questions in this study investigated the significance of various student attributes and institutional characteristics to success and retention of students. The student data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and logistic regression. Financial aid was not found to be statistically significant for any group in relationship to either GPA or retention. Structure of the program, mandatory participation, and location were found to be statistically significant for several groups in relationship to retention but were not found to be statistically significant for GPA. In the full model high school GPA was found to be statistically significant for retention and GPA. Registration type was found to have statistical significance for several groups in relationship to GPA, however, statistical significance was only found in relationship to retention for the nontraditional student. Enrollment status and matriculation status exhibited varying degrees of statistical significance among the groups for both retention and GPA. The same holds true for pre-entry attributes of age and race. Statistical significance was found for sex only among the nontraditional and ethnically diverse subgroups of students. Findings of this study were supportive of theories regarding the role of multiple factors and their significance in association to success and retention of students.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26087 Classic approaches to teaching have primarily focused on teacher presentation. Scholars have mostly ignored humor. Recently, humor has begun to be regarded as important but with the focus mainly on children and adolescents. This study surveyed instructors of adult education in formal classroom instruction. The sample represents members of the Commission of Professors of Adult Educators (CPAE) listed in the 1994-95 membership list. The sample size was $n=210.$ The instrument was a new design. The design benefitted from the University of New Mexico's Humor in Teaching : Resource Packet (TA Resource Center, undated) and the work of Neuliep (1991) examining the use of humor by high school teachers. This instrument was a Likert scale composed of eighty-four items designed to measure attitudes and perceptions about the use of humor in teaching adults. Using t-tests and other statistical measures, data were tested for differences in relationships between independent and dependent variables. In all cases the level of significance was $p\le.05.$ However, due to the large number of t-tests, the alpha was adjusted to $p\le.001$ using the Bonferroni Inequality method (Casella and Berger, 1990). Major findings include the following: (1) Humor matters in the instruction of adults. Ninety-nine per cent of the respondents reported humor as important for teaching adults. (2) Discussion and small groups are the most preferred methods for teaching with humor. (3) Attitude influences the use of humor. (4) The instructor should be highly sensitive when using humor. (5) Age influences the use of humor. (6) Spontaneous humor is an important teaching method. Almost 79% of the respondents embrace this approach frequently. (7) Humor continues to be a very subjective and individual response. According to an overwhelming response of survey participants, humor is believed important to the adult teaching /learning process. Humor builds unity, relieves stress, and enhances creativity. Humor helps the instructor enjoy teaching and empowers the learner to participate in the process. Overwhelmingly, humor matters in the teaching /learning of adults.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26041 This dissertation offers an approach for faculty who wish to work collaboratively with their students to help them learn more effectively in groups. It includes both a theoretical base and practical teaching /learning materials. "Praxis" is defined as the combination of action and reflection. The word "seminaring" is used to connote an active type of learning process in which the seminar becomes action in progress--something done together. Praxis in seminaring is a continuous process of participation in the building of understanding with others in a reflective and mindful manner. This approach, while designed for higher education, is set in the context of the importance of effective participation in a democratic society. The materials are prefaced by a theoretical discussion which considers the use of groups in teaching , the difficulties experienced, and previous practices designed to help students participate effectively. Reports of field testing these materials with students and faculty are presented. The Materials for Praxis in Seminaring provide specific methods and strategies for helping students to learn effectively in groups. They are based on a history of education for participation in democracy, supported by work in group discussion and group dynamics, grounded in changing approaches to higher education teaching including constructivism, collaborative learning, and learning theory, and informed by a view of speech as constitutive--of understanding created in the "between" of dialogue. The materials provided include handouts designed to answer student questions such as: What is seminaring? Why seminars and groups? What behaviors help build understanding? What behaviors block understanding? What does a group look like that is effectively building understanding? Also included are activities for demonstrating the effectiveness of groups; methods for integrating the materials into the on-going life of the class; materials and activities for learning and practicing the tools; observation and feedback tools; and worksheets and assessment forms and activities. The metaphor of building a house is used to describe the specific behaviors that help build thought-lines and construct understanding. The materials conclude with a selected annotated bibliography.
ORDER NO: ABA97-26009 Should I read the question before or after I read the argument?" One-half of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) contains logical reasoning problems, sparking a pre-argument, post-argument debate that has perplexed test takers since the test's inception. Research in the field of test-preparation training suggested two strategies: Pre-Argument, where the question is read before the argument; and Post-Argument, where the question is read after the argument. Research also suggested that instruction in multiple-choice problem solving and diagramming deductive and inductive arguments were necessary components to a curriculum designed to improve logical reasoning performance. This dissertation reviews a study of the effect of instruction in these strategies on law school admission candidates' logical reasoning performance in LSAT test-preparation courses. Four groups received extensive instruction and practice in various combinations of the two problem-solving strategies supplemented with a problem-solving and logical reasoning curriculum. In each group, the mean score increase from pretest to posttest was nearly twice the entire test's standard error of measurement. No combination of instruction and practice was significantly more effective than the others. The logical reasoning performance of students of lower reasoning ability were significantly more enhanced by a combination of instruction and practice than those of higher ability students, which suggested that lower ability students gleaned more useful new strategies than higher ability students. Among higher ability students, the diagram strategy training was effective only when students used diagrams extensively. The study provides further evidence that test-preparation training can provide real help to a developing ability, which increases the validity of the admissions examination score, assuming the availability of this instruction to all test takers. The curriculum's effectiveness suggests that diagram strategies using permission and obligation schemas can be effectively provided in conjunction with metalogical strategy training, even in the context of timed, standardized test-taking, without any apparent negative impact. The effectiveness of interventions designed to facilitate problem solving and critical thinking at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels can be enhanced by adding a multiple-choice problem-solving component to their curricula.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25946 There is a gap in the curriculum evaluation literature regarding the composition of a valid protocol for evaluating higher education curricula. Although curriculum development experts and evaluators are constantly assessing new instruments to collect information about their institution's curriculum, there is no validated protocol that allows higher education students to provide feedback to their curriculum developers on the amount of time the students spent on learning knowledge elements, their number of exposures and locations of exposure to the knowledge, and the efficiency of the material. In this age of public demand for improved efficiency and lowered educational costs, higher education institutions must strive to provide the most efficient instructional programs, and this demands a protocol like the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol. The purpose of this investigation was to test the developed Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol to determine its validity, comprehensiveness, and usefulness for evaluating higher education academic curricula. While having application in other higher education environments, the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol was tested in the specific professional higher education environment of the United States Air Force's B-1B (strategic bomber) student academic curriculum. This study of the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol included two independent groups composed of 183 adult students and curriculum development experts which were given an accompanying survey to determine the validity, comprehensiveness, and usefulness of the protocol. One group was composed of 129 students in seven separate student classes throughout one academic year. The students were requested to use the protocol in an academic setting prior to completing the survey, and 116 students returned completed surveys. The same survey instrument was given to a second group of 54 curriculum development experts, and 52 returned completed surveys. Statistical analysis of the 116 student and 52 curriculum development expert survey results indicate that both populations rated the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol to be overall valid, overall comprehensive, and overall useful. Additionally, both populations rated the individual parts that comprise the protocol to also be valid. The results of this study indicate the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol provides a valid instrument for measuring time, location, effort, and evaluation of the course material by students during their academic courses, and the Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol provides appropriate feedback to aid curriculum designers in the maintenance and evaluation of the students' course materials. The Curriculum-Evaluation Protocol should enable students undergoing higher education academics to give their evaluations on how effective and efficient the course materials were in assisting them in mastering concepts of their discipline, presented during their courses, directly back to the curriculum development experts.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25938 In recent years, the concerns regarding the growing rate of illiteracy in the United States have been growing at an alarming rate. The demand for radical change in educational funding and policy is an issue that is not going to disappear. The high cost of special education services to meet the individual needs of every student, poses perplexing problems for everyone. Decline in the numbers of individuals who are willing to serve as teachers, especially in rural areas, and the closing of university programs for teacher preparation and training adds to the concerns of most professional educators. It is a controversy that is very important to individuals who, while endeavoring to provide an appropriate education to students with visual impairments in the State of Texas and maintain a full continuum of services to meet their individual needs, must provide appropriate services for all students in local districts. This dissertation is a study of braille literacy instructional services provided to students in rural and urban areas of the state. Because the location in which the student receives his or her education should not be the determining factor in the services provided, it was the purpose of this dissertation to determine if the services offered in rural and urban areas of the state are comparable. This study may be the first to attempt to determine how school districts and regional education service centers are attempting to meet state mandates as set forth in House Bill 2277 for the provision of instruction in braille literacy through direct input from teachers and paraprofessionals in rural and urban areas. Using the information received directly from teachers in the field, state and local officials will gain a better understanding of how services are actually provided and should be able to plan outcome-based goals for students with visual impairments with realistic expectations for the teachers who serve them.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25908 Among the new teaching methods made available to composition teachers with the introduction of the Internet is the possibility of linking classes at diverse geographical locations to form what may be called an "interclass." Such linking is accomplished by means of email, listservs, MOOs, MUDs, and/or "chat rooms," which enable students to have class discussions online either synchronously or asynchronously, depending on which means are used. This dissertation provides a close analysis of an experimental interclass, one of the first of its kind in English, that took place in Spring 1993, linking graduate English classes at Texas Tech University , San Francisco State University , and the University of Texas at Austin. It further examines seven additional interclasses that have occurred since 1993, noting similarities among the analytic findings of each--namely, that participants in all eight interclasses under consideration reported that the online environment led to a more student-centered classroom in which more students participated more often, demonstrated a greater sense of responsibility for the effectiveness of the class, and were more engaged in their writing than they were in other classroom environments. The study also includes an appendix, which lists additional, similar interclass projects. The study claims that the online environment of the interclass created a space for greater student involvement primarily because it made possible a redistribution of teacher authority to include the students themselves. The online environment stimulated conversation among the students, who tended to take initiative for their own learning and to depend more on themselves and fellow students than on the instructors. A survey of the literature situates the interclass in the historical context of the process movement in composition studies, which focuses more on the process than the product of writing. The dissertation claims that the online "classroom" is a logical outgrowth of the process movement, simply achieving more efficiently than the non-networked classroom can the goals of the process movement, which were, in part, to have a more student-centered classroom, in which students assume more responsibility for their own learning and are more engaged in their writing.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25858 This study examined the factors that influenced the English language proficiency of foreign students in a metropolitan American university. It also examined how the academic achievement of those students was related to their English proficiency. The primary instrument of the study was a questionnaire administered to 150 foreign university students in a southeastern Michigan metropolis. Descriptive, qualitative and inferential analyses of the data revealed that the foreign students' penchant for the English language is such that they voluntarily shift to the language, without the necessity for extraordinary persuasion. The study further showed gender and ethnicity to be statistically related to the students' language proficiency, as is their motivation for using the language. A significant implication of the study is that foreign students do not appear to be receiving the expected boost in English proficiency from current ESL programs, underscoring the need for initiatives to make those programs more effective. As for the students' academic achievement, the study found a strong likelihood that foreign students with a high language proficiency, are also among the highest achievers.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25691 This study described relationships between ethnicity and (a) reading definitions, (b) motivational reading factors in school, and (c) reading motivation outside the classroom. The informants were 626 undergraduates enrolled in education classes at a major urban university during the fall semester, 1996. The data were collected with a four item, open-ended questionnaire and 25 follow-up interviews, then analyzed using low-inference codes. Based on a frequency count, the data were rank ordered by total population preferences then stratified for analysis and rank ordered by ethnic preferences. Aggregate group results suggested that informants defined reading as comprehension of written material. Learning and entertainment were the major purposes. Ethnic differences existed: Black informants ranked pleasure and knowledge lower and synthesis higher than other informants. Asian informants emphasized pleasure and knowledge. Hispanic informants focused on the more practical aspects of reading, such as communication, ideas, and learning. White respondents were the only group who did not rank comprehension as their principal reading definition. Teachers who read aloud to their classes were the most positive motivational factor in school for all groups except Hispanic students, who focused on teaching methodology. More than 20% of the Asian students indicated that teachers did not positively impact their reading. They ranked free choice of books and the social aspects of reading as influential. Overall, the most detrimental practice was restricting the students' choice of reading material and choosing "boring" books as required reading. Ability grouping was a negative factor for Black informants. Hispanic and White students opposed oral reading. Asian data suggested that non-social, post-reading activities were deterrents. Outside the classroom, a literate atmosphere, relatives who read, and available reading materials, at home or from the library, influenced respondents. Stressing the importance of reading was influential for Black, Asian, and Hispanic groups both in school and at home. Overall, the data suggested differences among ethnic groups. Asian students appeared to be more independent of teachers' influence, and Hispanic data suggested they preferred a more structured, explicit curriculum with clearly defined purposes. Further research is needed into these differences, especially as they relate to first and second generation Americans.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25687 Educators have recognized that cooperation between the home, school, and community is needed to deliver meaningful instruction and increase academic achievement. The governing of schools has changed to site-based collaboration needing increased parent involvement (Holden, et al, 1994). A large body of literature reports the positive effects of parent involvement upon student achievement (Epstein, 1987), (Henderson, 1988) and investigates implementation and failure of parent involvement programs (Ames, 1995). This causal-comparative study surveyed the perceptions of 400 teachers and 475 parents of high school students about parent involvement. Interval data gathered using a 20-item survey adapted from an instrument by Joyce Epstein. Results of the analyses indicate that the differences between the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the responsibility for parent involvement are statistically significant. Analyses of Variance were performed using the demographic factors reported by parents. References. Ames, Carole, et al. (1995) Teachers' home-to-school communication and parent involvement: the role of parent perceptions and beliefs. Report no. 218. Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children's Learning, Michigan State University. Epstein, J. (February 1987) Parent involvement: what research says to administrators. Education and Urban Society. 119-136. Henderson, A. (October 1988) Parents are a school's best friend. Phi Delta Kappan. 148-153. Holden, C., Hughes, M., and Desforges, C. (1994) Parents and entitlements: a fair deal for all? Educational Review. 46(2) 152-157.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25682 In the last decade the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has produced two influential documents, the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989), and the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM, 1991). The kinds of teaching and learning that NCTM recommends differ from the routine computational arithmetic most educators learned in elementary school (Bastille, 1994). In recent years the NCTM has made strong recommendations calling for reform of the mathematics curriculum (Zemelman, Daniels, & Hyde, 1993). Elementary teachers are a large subgroup of the teaching population affected by the NCTM Standards (NCSM, 1994). Elementary teachers are themselves the products of the very system they are trying to reform. In addition, teachers are key to the success of the current reform movement in mathematics education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary teachers involved in a mathematics coaching project. Specifically, these perceptions were analyzed on two levels: (1) specific components relating to mathematics teaching learned as a result of the coaching project, and (2) individual changes that occurred as a result of the coaching project. The study looked at coaching methods from the perspectives of two key informants (an administrator and the university collaborator) and twenty-three elementary teachers. The twenty-three elementary teachers involved in the study were volunteers from the Kindergarten through fifth grade classroom teachers who chose to participate in the coaching project conducted at the elementary school. One key informant and the twenty-three elementary teachers were located at a school in Pearland Independent School District that is south of Houston, Texas. Using the key informants (for contextual background) and information from elementary teachers (interviews), this study examined the following research question: What are the perceptions of elementary teachers involved in a mathematics coaching project? Specifically, these perceptions were analyzed on two levels: (1) specific components relating to mathematics teaching learned as a result of the coaching project, and (2) individual changes that occurred as a result of the coaching project. The perceptions were reported for all the elementary teachers involved in the survey as well as for those teachers involved in the peer coaching group, those involved in the video monitoring coaching group, and those involved in the expert coaching group. Two instruments provided data for this study: (1) the Mathematics Teacher Questionnaire (NCSM, 1994) taken by all elementary mathematics teachers in this district provided background information; and (2) structured interviews with the twenty-three teachers and two key informants. The data from all the instruments (survey and interview) was analyzed using qualitative data analysis (Lincoln & Guba, 1990; Borg & Gall, 1989) to answer the research question. Conclusions drawn from this research should contribute to professional development designed to help practicing teachers better understand mathematics and learn to implement the recommendations of the reform movement (Curry & Temple, 1992; Arbuckle & Murray, 1989). Typically, school districts offer one- or two-day workshops (Goldenberg & Gallimore, 1991) to provide teachers with ideas and materials for innovative instructional activities. However, these "make-and-take workshops" fail to cause changes called for by the NCTM Standards because they do not address teachers' underlying pedagogical philosophies, their knowledge and perceptions about mathematics, or their knowledge of the processes by which students come to understand mathematical ideas (NCTM, 1991).
ORDER NO: ABA97-25678 Over the past 10 years there has been renewed interest in studying the effects of time on the learning process. While public schools have adopted such innovations as block scheduling and the year-round school calendar, colleges and universities have begun to offer more schedule choices in order to meet the demands and needs of a changing student population in a competitive recruiting environment. While offering a variety of class schedule options, college administrators must be certain that they do not compromise educational standards. However, there appears to be only sporadic research on the effects of class length on the learning process in higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of class length on the academic achievement of community college students (as measured by course grade) and on the students' perceptions of course quality, course difficulty, and instructor effectiveness (as measured by student evaluation form). The study addressed the following research questions: (1) What is the effect of class length on the academic achievement of community college students as determined by course grade? (2) What is the effect of class length on students' perceptions of course quality? (3) What is the effect of class length on students' perceptions of course difficulty? (4) What is the effect of class length on students' perceptions of instructor quality? (5) What is the effect of class length on students' perceptions of added student interest in the subject? The sample in this study consisted of 162 classes taught by 54 community college instructors who taught the identical course in three different formats (one hour, one hour and a half and three hours) during the 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 school years. A causal-comparative research design was utilized to analyze the course grades and the student evaluations from the three different class formats. An analysis of variance was performed on the data to test the five research hypotheses that were derived from the study's research questions. The results of the data analyses indicated no statistically significant differences. Therefore, the five research hypotheses were not accepted.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25641 The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the supervision procedures used in the Severe Disabilities Teacher Preparation Program at Purdue University. The supervision procedures were developed to guide the university supervisors in providing assistance to preservice practicum teachers during the practicum field-based experiences at two levels: development of instructional programming, and implementation of teaching practices in classrooms serving individuals with severe disabilities. Four female preservice practicum teachers specializing in severe disabilities participated in the study. One university supervisor implemented the supervision procedures. In the context of evaluation design, a single-subject AB design with direct replication across subjects was used specifically to evaluate the effectiveness of the supervision procedures in the application of teaching strategies during the preservice practicum teachers' delivery of instruction. Baseline data were collected on the preservice practicum teacher's delivery of instruction in activities assigned by the cooperating teacher and/or created by the preservice practicum teachers, prior to the supervisor's visit. Intervention data consisted of observations of the preservice practicum teachers during the delivery of instruction in the presence of their supervisors, as the supervision procedures were implemented. The effectiveness of the supervision procedures in the development of instructional programs was evaluated with the use of descriptive information. This information was gathered through two main sources: (a) evaluation of professional written products completed as part of the practicum experience requirements, and (b) recordings of the meetings between the preservice practicum teachers and their university supervisors to discuss topics related to the preparation of the written products, the implementation and documentation of instructional strategies in the classroom, and other issues related to the practicum experience. In addition, the preservice practicum teachers were given a Likert type rating instrument to evaluate the supervisor, the supervisor's use of the supervision procedures, and the outcomes of supervision in terms of practicum organization and systematic instruction. Results and implications for future research are discussed.
ORDER NO: ABA97-25591 The purpose of this study was to provide a psychoeducational portrayal of students who selected dual enrollment as an educational option. This research was conducted to compare the relationship between the program components of background and characteristics, academic and logistical decisions, social and behavioral impact, and attitude and self concept of dual enrollment students. The study also assessed if these students were being accelerated at a pace and level which they viewed as contributing to their academic and social success. The primary data collection activities involved semi-structured interviews of twenty high school students involved in dual enrollment. All questions were designed to be open-ended and to stimulate further activity or thought. All interviews were based on a semi-structured protocol. This loosely crafted instrument was designed to accommodate a funneling technique. These data, along with secondary sources of information including informal interviews with the students' high school and university instructors, counselors and parents were also analyzed. A combination of procedures was used in the analysis of data gathered during this study. Included were analytical procedures associated with pattern coding and memoing. These procedures were utilized during the data gathering phase. Following the collection of data, but before an attempt was made to display the conclusions, triangulation was used to assess data trustworthiness. Finally, the data was displayed using an informant-by-variable matrix. An examination of the results of this analysis led to the conclusions that students participating in dual enrollment as a form of acceleration were highly motivated. These students also possessed positive attitudes and self concepts. However, participation in dual enrollment had a negative social and behavioral impact on most of the students' lives. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between the decision to participate in dual enrollment and the students' perceptions of social impact. That is, those students who entered the dual enrollment program because of the influence of others viewed the social impact on their lives as negative. Those students who entered the dual enrollment program because of a self-influenced decision viewed the social impact on their lives as positive. | ||||||||||||
