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1997 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 14
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ORDER NO: ABA97-29415
AN EXECUTIVE'S GUIDE TO IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Author: ELDER, RICHARD WALTER Degree: D.A. Year: 1997 Corporate Source/Institution: GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY (0883) Director: WILLIAM E. FULMER Source: VOLUME 58/04-A OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 1253. 137 PAGES Descriptors: EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY; EDUCATION, HIGHER; EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION The utilization of technology in the classroom will have a significant and lasting impact on the future operations of colleges and universities. Precise data are not available, but it is estimated that American colleges and universities currently spend about six billion dollars per year on hardware, software and telecommunications. Surveys indicate that these expenditures are increasing at a rapid rate. Despite the sustained growth in hardware, software and telecommunications in schools and improved achievement through their use, research shows that the promise of technology is not being met in today's classrooms and will not be until teachers use computers, networks and multimedia tools as naturally as they use chalk, paper and pencil. Clearly, the key to the effective use of technology, like the key to effective teaching rests with classroom teachers. The problem is that in 1996, fewer than ten to fifteen percent of all college and university faculty in the United States used technology in their teaching. Senior institutional executives must lead the needed change and utilization of instructional technology. In the past, executives have authorized the purchase of instructional software and hardware in the expectation faculty would quickly incorporate technology into the curriculum and classroom. The evidence is clear: this hands off approach does not work in an academic environment. For a multitude of reasons, faculty have been unable and/or unwilling to change their traditional methods of instructional delivery. A guide for senior college and university executives has been developed based on documented successes and failures of instructional technology implementation at colleges and universities throughout the United States. The rationale for each management action is also provided. Recognizing that institutions are in various states of instructional technology implementation, the guide is structured as a menu of actions that can be selected to provide the best approach for technological reform within a particular academic institution. To assure success, the academic leader must blend the actions with the culture and character of the institution. Research indicates that interactive, self-directed learning and teaching can be fostered by technology and that technology can have the greatest benefit when the leadership creates an environment and climate conducive to such new experiences.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29330
An Environmental Health Education Profile survey instrument was developed and validated by an expert panel of environmental health professionals, checked for reliability, and distributed to a study population of 221 health educators in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to obtain information about health educator characteristics, beliefs, and teaching practices pertaining to environmental health education. The data collected revealed that environmental health education is included in a little more than half of the health education classrooms and was present in varying degrees. No significant differences were found among the health educators in terms of age, race, gender, and education, nor did these variables relate to the increased likelihood of teaching environmental health education. However, health educators who perceived environmental health as important were more likely to include the subject and spend more time teaching it. When health educators taught environmental health, the specific environmental health issues most often included were: (a) chronic and communicable diseases, (b) food quality, (c) environmental fundamentals of disease agents and human vulnerability, (d) air quality and pollution, and (e) noise pollution. Factors that most influenced the inclusion of environmental health as a component of health education instruction related to either teacher qualifications (feelings of being qualified, in-service training, and exposure to environmental health as a component in college course work) or support (written health plan including environmental health and access to environmental health education materials). When environmental health was not included in the health education classroom, health educators suggested four (4) primary reasons for this omission: (a) the belief that other health topics were more important, (b) a lack of time, (c) feelings of competition with other instructors, (d) feelings of being unqualified. Health educators indicated that a need for environmental health education exists and is not being met. They suggested more class time, educational materials, and training as ways to include environmental health in health instruction.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29241
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of computer-based instruction to deliver a cross-cultural module to undergraduate agricultural students enrolled in a university. The research design used was a quasi-experimental research method known as a nonequivalent control-group design (Borg & Gall, 1989). The population consisted of sixty-eight students enrolled in non-honors sections of the undergraduate course, Agricultural Education 440, "Principles of Technological Change," during the Fall 1996 semester at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. A cross-cultural module was developed for delivery by two different instructional methods : traditional classroom instruction and computer-based instruction. Three instruments were developed to collect data: pretest, posttest, and post posttest. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of each instrument. The alphas obtained were: Pretest =.61; Posttest =.80; and Post posttest =.77. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of the students. Chi-Square tests were used to compare groups based on demographic information to determine if differences existed between the groups. Several t-tests were used to determine if there were differences between the treatment group and the control group and to determine if there were differences between the perceptions regarding computer-based instruction of the control group and the treatment group. Analysis of variance was used to examine relationships between selected personal characteristics and the level of cross-cultural knowledge obtained by the control group and the treatment group. The major findings were: (1) Students in the population studied initially had a relatively low cross-cultural knowledge as the mean score of the pretest was 49 for the control group and 53 for the treatment group out of 100 points possible. (2) Both traditional classroom instruction and computer-based instruction were effective in facilitating learning regarding cross-cultural education. (3) Computer-based instruction was more effective in facilitating learning regarding cross-cultural education than traditional classroom instruction. (4) Computer-based instruction was perceived by students to be a valuable teaching tool when used in association with traditional classroom instruction. (5) The null hypothesis stating that "no difference would exist between the control group and the treatment group" was rejected.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29231
The purpose of this study was threefold: to develop a model educational public relations syllabus which not only reflected current positions in educational public relations, but also may be conveniently used by professors who prepare educational administrators; to investigate the nature and extent of adoption of the National School Public Relations Association's (NSPRA) most recent educational public relations model syllabus; and to construct a change process that facilitates model acceptance. The sample population was derived from two sources. First a survey was made of the 50 state education departments in the United States to determine which states required or recommended a public relations course as part of that state's certification requirements far principal/mid-managers and/or superintendents. This survey yielded 25 states in the United States which either required or recommended a public relations course for certification requirements for its school administrators. The next set of data was derived from a survey administered to those professors who taught a public relations course in a college or university in those states which required or recommended a public relations course for certification of its educational administrators. A total of 68 professors of educational administration in the 25 states were identified using Lilley's Educational Administration Directory (1990). This represented the total population of professors in the 25 states which taught an educational public relations course--no sampling was done. Fifty-eight professors (85%) responded to the questionnaire, and the information gathered from their answers and a careful review of the literature provided the data for this study. The review of literature established the need for effective school public relations training for educational administrators and a careful content analysis of the professors' responses to the questionnaire provided the content for this model school public relations syllabus. Major research findings of the study indicated: (1) The responses of the professors to this survey reflected what an ideal public relations course should contain; (2) The NSPRA's membership efforts were not as good as other professional groups; (3) Professors of educational administration are not well acquainted with the goals and objectives of the NSPRA; (4) Professors of educational administration are unfamiliar with the School Public Relations Syllabus published by the NSPRA; (5) Very little has changed in the essential elements of school public relations; (6) The model school public relations syllabus developed by this study is most accurate, thorough, and complete; (7) The NSPRA's School Public Relations Syllabus represents an excellent initial effort to standardize school public relations; and (8) The model public relations syllabus developed by this study is more complete and replete than the School Public Relations Syllabus of the NSPRA. Based on the findings of this study, researcher recommendations include: (1) The NSPRA develop closer affiliation with other professional organizations; (2) The NSPRA should increase advertising at conferences in the post-secondary level; (3) The NSPRA should expand information services and programs to the post-secondary level; (4) Those who have school public relations responsibilities should receive humanistic as well as technical training; (5) Public relations courses should be required for certification of all educational administrators; (6) The NSPRA and professors of educational administration should adopt the Model syllabus developed by this study; and (7) The Model syllabus should be field tested by the NSPRA and professors of educational administration.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29140
This study was designed to provide a description of Speaking Across the Curriculum programs (SAC) in four year public higher education institutions in the United States. Each institution was sent a cover letter describing the investigation and a survey inviting them to participate by responding. A total of 583 institutions were sent the Phase I survey instrument; 562 (96.4 percent) responded. A total of 52 institutions responded that they currently have a SAC Program and were sent a Phase II survey that requested information in the following areas: Background and Historical; Assessment; Administration; and Funding. The findings indicated the following trends: (1) The majority were implemented during the 1990s; none were reported in place before 1984. (2) Overall program goals were "student" oriented. (3) Junior and Senior levels offered a greater number of speech-intensive courses than Freshman and Sophomore. (4) Workshops, seminars or discussion groups supplied instructional development to help faculty deliver speaking-intensive courses. (5) Most institutions responded that they currently had an individual considered the SAC Director/Coordinator. (6) The most prevalent Director/Coordinator duty was developing SAC assessment/evaluation methods. The second and third duty was determining internal and external departmental involvement. (7) The training process involved the Director/Coordinator and communication faculty, outside sources, the Director of the Writing Center, or Graduate Assistant. (8) Over 50 percent responded there was no requirement for specialized faculty outside Communication Departments. (9) Student and faculty evaluations were the most prevalent mode of assessment. (10) Over 50 percent indicated the final authority was the SAC Program Director. (11) Program funding method answers were varied, with budgeting as the only commonalty. This investigation also indicated that SAC programs: (1) Increased in number during the 1990s; (2) Are more prevalent in institutions with less than 10,000 student enrollment; and (3) Are more prevalent in institutions with Carnegie Classifications of Master's I.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29120
The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement and attitude of students who were enrolled in Algebra for College Students taught by traditional lecture methods of instruction with students taught by methods of instruction that matched student learning style preferences. This study included 84 students who were enrolled in Algebra for College Students at Palm Beach Community College. The study was designed to determine whether students' age, gender, GPA, and the number of hours worked were correlated with students' attitude gain scores or with their algebra gain scores. Four instruments were used to collect information for this study: (a) an algebra pre-test/posttest, (b) a background questionnaire, (c) the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey, and (d) an attitude survey. Reliability was obtained using the SPSS software. The algebra pre-test/posttest and the attitude survey had alpha reliability coefficients of 0.7022 and 0.8154 respectively. Twelve hypotheses were developed to determine if there were significant relationships between and among attitudes towards algebra, academic achievement in algebra, and the aforementioned variables. Multiple linear regression was the statistical tool used for data analysis. Each hypothesis was tested at the 0.1/12 = 0.0083 level of significance. Based on the findings, gender played a significant role in this study. Male students who were taught by methods of instruction corresponding to their learning style preferences had slightly higher attitudinal gain scores and consistently higher achievement gain scores than male students who were taught by the traditional lecture method of instruction. On the other hand, female students who were taught by methods of instruction that accommodated their learning style preferences had higher attitudinal gain scores and relatively no change in academic achievement. Additionally, analyses of data collected from male students revealed a significant negative relationship between male students' academic achievement in algebra and the number of hours worked per week. In contrast, analyses of data collected from female students showed a significant positive relationship between female students' academic achievement and number of hours worked per week.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29108
This qualitative study explores the phenomena that cause community college faculty to change their teaching practice. The goal of the study was to uncover a grounded theory that explains the process of faculty change--from teacher-centered methods to more learner-centered practices. Faculty selected for the study had been identified by community college staff development officers as teachers who had made changes in their teaching practice. Data used to extrapolate the study's emergent grounded theory came from 4 sources: in-depth interviews; career maps detailing faculty members' developmental evolution; a focus group used to confirm or disconfirm emerging core concepts; and a literature review. The emergent grounded theory pinpointed Restoring Equilibrium as the primary basic social process involved in faculty change. Consistent with current complexity/chaos theory, new teaching behaviors arise from a state of bounded instability. Faculty experience a 4-stage developmental process that leads them to make systemic changes in teaching practice. The 4 stages of this process are Disequilibrium, Stage 1; Reflecting, Stage 2; Experimenting, Stage 3; and Restoring Equilibrium, Stage 4. As the traditional paradigm that teachers bring with them to the classroom clashes with the realities of classroom life, faculty experience a state of disequilibrium. As described in the literature of complexity theory, new behaviors arise from the interaction of those far from equilibrium. As faculty reflect on the reasons for this disconnect between expectations and reality, faculty encounter an appropriate intervention--faculty development workshops and seminars, professional conference sessions, sabbaticals or other classroom distancing events--that introduces them to new teaching and learning paradigms. These new paradigms give faculty an opportunity to view classroom practice as learners, teachers as learners. If collegial and/or administrative support fosters faculty experimentation with new practices, and faculty find that equilibrium has been restored, community college faculty revise their teaching /learning paradigms and change their teaching practices.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29103
As we are moving toward the close of the millennium and facing the turn of the 21st century, public school administrators are encountering the greatest of challenges. The public's disenchantment with education in the 1980s has escalated to resentment. While negative momentum increases, public school education continues to be scrutinized. The educational reform movement has changed the way we look at our schools. Solutions to the complicated issues that administrators encounter are not found in simple cures. They are located in multiple domains which add to the complexity. The purpose of this inquiry was to reflect upon the depth of the contributions of the Ed.D. program at Peabody College. Conceptual frameworks and theory provided in the course work were examined from the perspective of an educational practitioner. Various organization theories as well as leadership theories were used to examine three personal case experiences. This study articulated the new insights gained through the doctoral course work. The research is reflective in nature and is presented in the form of a reflective essay. It records the personal growth that has occurred from the educational experiences at Vanderbilt University. The use of reflective inquiry in personal case studies moves out of the traditional realm of "teaching theory" and into a process of using theory in reflection, analysis, and synthesis. The result was a stronger connection between research and practice in the field of education administration. Consequently, the gap between research and practice was narrowed.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29097
In the United States and Canada, 213 members of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (NGCSA) serve students of the arts. A segment of these member institutions, called divisional schools, has been developed by music conservatories and college and university music departments. This study surveyed this segment of 46 schools, achieving a response rate of 97.83%. Before 1971, infrequent references occurred concerning research on college preparatory instruction. During the past 25 years, research and descriptive articles on the topic of preparatory instruction in higher education settings have gradually increased. To date, studies have focused on large populations, never on a select group of community music programs. This study investigated relationships between NGCSA divisional schools and their affiliated collegiate institutions in the four areas of administration, budget, faculty, and curriculum to determine if guidelines could be developed for operating community music programs. On the basis of student enrollments, data were categorized to discern differences and similarities within the entire population and between the 10 largest programs and 10 smallest programs. Respondents identified the head administrators of three exemplary programs for subsequent interviews. On the basis of a consensus from data, guidelines for community school administrators include: A community music school should have a mission statement and advisory board, a head administrator participating as a senior member of management, a budget and administrative staff separate from the college department, and the potential to raise funds independently of the college department. The parent department should provide, at a minimum, in-kind contributions of space and utilities. Recommendations include: (a) employment and evaluation of qualified teachers, (b) provision of medical and pension benefits for teachers, (c) scholarship funding for the community program, (d) opportunities for high school students to obtain college credit, (e) employment of sufficient personnel to administer properly a program, and (f) increased communication among NGCSA divisional members.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29072
The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of first and second year medical students from their perspective, learning medicine with physicians in out-patient primary care preceptorships. A qualitative descriptive design was utilized to elicit a rich description. The findings described the student experience, the learning/teaching interactions and the applicability of social cognitive learning theory. Twenty-seven participants were included in the study, fourteen participated in individual interviews and thirteen participated in focus group sessions. Data included transcripts of interviews and focus groups, and field notes from site visits. Socialization into the culture of medicine was accelerated by the preceptorship experience. The preceptorship was a meaningful experience for students which supported their transition to the "student physician" role and created a safe learning environment. The context provided by the clinical preceptorship allowed classroom learning to become real and facilitated confidence and clinical competency. The variability of preceptorship experiences suggested the need for clearly stated objectives and outcome criteria. A successful, longitudinal relationship with the preceptor and the practice environment determined the success and satisfaction of the student in the preceptorship experience. Positive student/preceptor relationships followed a trajectory from teacher, to role model, to mentor, to colleague and/or friend. Student experience in the preceptorship lent insight into the teaching behaviors believed to be supportive of student learning and development in out-patient primary care settings. Social cognitive learning theory provided a valuable model for experiential learning due to its recognition of the multiple simultaneous influences on the learner. The authentic experience of the preceptorship provided valuable opportunities for students to perform clinical behaviors which enhanced perceived self-efficacy. The shift of medical care from the hospital setting to the outpatient environment opened the door for medical education to recontextualize its educational environment. The findings also suggest that although students were able to meet some of their needs for support with their preceptor, there is still a need for basic support services for medical students.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29058
The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics that describe effective alcohol education programming in higher education. A component of this description was to examine the funding sources and future of funding for alcohol education programming. A qualitative approach using an extensive interview format was utilized. Six institutions of higher education were identified as having premiere alcohol education programming or programming reported as having a positive impact on students' attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding the use and abuse of alcohol. These programs were also identified for their positive reputation and were commonly referred to by higher education professionals who revere and/or attempt to duplicate their ideas and programs. Telephone interviews were conducted with senior student affairs officers, health educators, and campus security officers to asses the characteristics of effective alcohol education programming. The information gathered from the interviews was categorized into the following themes: binge drinking, effectiveness of programming, funding, personnel, programming, role of theory, and underlying problem. A category titled history-expertise-observations-gut feelings or intuition also emerged as the data were organized. The characteristics which contributed to effective alcohol education programming were: a broad-based or campus-wide effort, student involvement, policy development and enforcement, top-down commitment, programming specific to campus environment, and the use of "teachable moments." Indicators of effectiveness were not readily identifiable as most respondents agreed that evaluation techniques and methods for this area of programming still need to be developed. This need is coupled with the fact that measuring student development during a student's four to five years in college is difficult. The questions about funding for this area of programming yielded the overall concern that it is difficult, if not impossible, to assign a dollar amount to alcohol education programming as so many facets of a campus are involved in educating about and impacting students' use and abuse of alcohol. FIPSE funds were used for the start-up costs for alcohol education programming at five of the campuses studied. The future of funding for this area of programming was in question at these five institutions. Recommendations for further research include interviewing students to assess what characteristics they identify as impacting their use and abuse of alcohol, both positively and negatively. Longitudinal studies that follow students after graduation may prove worthwhile in assessing the long-term impact that college programming and experiences have on alcohol use. Assessing individual campuses' environmental factors which contribute to students' use and abuse of alcohol also appears to be important in understanding the issue of alcohol in higher education. Application of student development theories to this area of programming deserves exploration as higher education continues to identify positive opportunities for students' growth and development.
ORDER NO: ABA97-29010
The purpose of this study was to determine if any relationship exists between the extent to which women administrators in higher education favor the employment of intuitive behaviors in the workplace as they relate to typical educational administrative categories of decision making, communication, and management processes. Three categories of administrative behaviors were identified from the literature on educational administration: Decision making, communication, and management processes. Each of these three categories was further clarified into seven subcategories: Allocation of human resources, allocation of material resources, psychological security of colleagues, passage of information, materials, and persons within the organization, passage of information, materials, and persons from the organization to the outside community, evaluation decisions, and instructional decisions. Seven categories of intuitive behaviors were identified from the literature on intuition: Active imagination, foresight, clearly seeing problems and solutions, optimal method, optimal application, hindsight, and holistic thinking. The extent to which women administrators in higher education believed that they favored characteristics in their administrative behaviors consonant with those described in the literature on intuition was compared to (1) the type of preparatory education they received and, (2) their perceptions of the educational organizational structure in which they work. It was concluded that all women administrators in higher education favored the use of intuition in the execution of their administrative roles without reference to academic preparation and organizational structure; that academic preparation in educational administration tended to lessen favoring the use of intuition in decision making and management processes, but not in communication processes; that organizational structure plays an important role in favoring the use of intuition; that academic preparation and organizational structure combined registered significant effects upon decision making, communication, and management processes.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28949
Dreaming in Shakespeare is a collage dissertation: a collection of three essays and three pieces of fiction that explore ways in which the work of Shakespeare can be vividly brought to life within the context of the college classroom and beyond. The dissertation offers readers ideas and opportunities to rediscover Shakespearean texts through various pedagogical methods, through the actual encounters with such texts that occur in a professional training program for actors, through the combined scholarly and theatrical considerations that mark the work of a dramaturg, and through the creativity of fiction. The thesis is the result of both traditional scholarly research and actual experience. While it is informed by and reflects many recent developments in literary and performance studies, it also represents the distillment of the author's experience as a teacher, both in the college classroom and elsewhere, of her studies with theater professionals in a month-long intensive workshop, and of her own imaginative endeavors as a writer of fiction. This combination of approaches, which also draws on her years of experience in the academy in other roles, offers readers the opportunity to examine how multiple ways of knowing inform the essential role of teachers in the contemporary world, wherever their classrooms and whatever the ages of their students. By exploring texts central to the traditional canon, but doing so in ways that go beyond the conventional definitions of scholarship, the author presents myriad possibilities for new understanding, critical revelation, and textual engagement. Teaching and learning are presented as life-long opportunities for self-discovery, for mutual understanding, and for critical exploration. Dreaming in Shakespeare proposes that we all grow richer through our interactions with the richness of our literary and dramatic heritage, and that continuing this exploration is one small way in which we can offer our own dreams to the future.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28933
The purpose of the study was to gain a greater understanding of the perceptions of faculty from St. Cloud State University regarding the adoption and utilization of Interactive Television (ITV) and to identify facilitators and barriers to the innovation adoption process. A case study was conducted utilizing qualitative research methodology. Data were gathered on-site through face-to-face interviews and review of documents. Using purposeful sampling, the researcher interviewed 23 faculty identified as either adopters or nonadopters of ITV. The open-ended, semi-structured interviews were designed to elicit responses from faculty concerning: (a) institutional context in which ITV was introduced to the campus; (b) their general levels of knowledge and awareness about ITV; (c) their experience with teaching via ITV; (d) their perceptions and attitudes about ITV use as a delivery mode; (e) facilitators of the innovation adoption process; and (f) barriers of the innovation adoption process. Interviews also were conducted with five key administrators to identify the institutional context within which ITV was initially adopted, and the degree to which ITV was emphasized and supported by the University . From the analysis and synthesis of data collected, four central themes emerged. The degree of willingness by faculty to continue with or to try ITV teaching was related to their perceptions and attitudes toward the ability ITV to: (a) support outreach services to students and provide increased access to the University ; (b) enhance professional growth and development; (c) assure the quality of instruction and potential for student interaction in those courses; and (d) contribute to effective teaching through adequate administrative and technical support. The willingness to continue with or to try ITV teaching by faculty identified as adopters related to their perceptions of the ability of ITV to effectively address all four issues. In contrast, the unwillingness to continue with or to try ITV teaching by faculty identified as nonadopters related to their perceptions of the lack of ability of ITV to effectively address these four areas of concern.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28867
This study examined the problem of financing of information technology in higher education institutions. Some of the pressures faced by those institutions as they attempt to control expenditures while continuing to support information technology were also examined. Particular emphasis was placed on the aspects of information technologies as they relate to pace of acquisition, the use of client/server computing, the Internet and the World Wide Web. The current study replicated a case study conducted by Samuel Levy at the University of Arizona in 1988, and extended it as described above, to explore various aspects of recent technological advances at Fairfield University. Levy (1988) used two surveys to assess computer use of the faculty and administrators. Those surveys were modified to reflect the environment in the case organization, and to capture data on the aspects that extended the original study. The study used multiple sources of data as recommended by the literature, to improve the reliability of the study. The multiple sources included interviews, and internal documents that were relevant to the research agenda. The results of the survey showed that respondents expect their use of the Internet and the World Wide Web to increase in the next few years. The current method of equipment procurement was found unsatisfactory by a majority of the respondents. With the use of client/server computing increasing at all institutions, and the rapid growth in the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web, the results of this study should be of value to many other institutions. The recommendations of the study include shortening the information technology planning cycle to reflect the rapid advances in technology. Each planning cycle should be followed by a survey to evaluate the user acceptance of the initiatives in the planning cycle. The study also recommended formal capacity planning procedures for client/server environments to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the operation. Future researchers might be able to use the new groupings of data that were developed in this study. New variables could lead to new analyses and fresh insight into the problem of rapid acquisition of information technology.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28782
Field instruction is a central component of social work education. However, practicum teaching methods are rarely clearly structured. Furthermore, there are few approaches that operationalize principles of quality field education. Although field instructors are responsible for assisting student learning, there is a paucity of models with detailed guidelines that structure the field instruction process and offer methods for achieving practicum objectives. As such, many practicum instructors educate using a personal, often unstructured, approach to supervision raising concerns about accountability and quality field instruction. This study presents the task-centered model for field instruction (TCMFI), a well-explicated approach that guides students and supervisors through the teaching -learning process. In particular, it offers strategies for the systematic attainment of learning and practice goals. TCMFI was constructed, field tested and refined through developmental research. The task-centered practice model, an established and empirically validated approach for clinical social work, provided the framework for constructing this field instruction approach. Additionally, the development of the model incorporated an array of related literature some of which included the supervisor-supervisee relationship, student autonomy and dependence, student and field instructor anxiety, structure, feminist pedagogy, andragogy, classroom-field integration, contracts, feedback processes, evaluation, agency context, and an exploration of existing field education approaches. Data was collected during and after the field trial for the purposes of gaining insight into TCMFI's performance. The duration of the field trial was a full school year. A sample of ten students supervised by two field instructors (each field instructor supervised five students) was utilized. Data collection strategies included interviews, critical incident reports, contracts, a self-evaluation instrument, audiotaped supervision meetings, and interpersonal process recall. Findings were used to modify and improve the model. The result is a refined model, with step-by-step guidelines, ready for application and further testing. Although a small sample was used, thus limiting generalizability, students highly endorsed TCMFI supporting its structure, collaborative process, provision of ongoing feedback, and its focus on achieving learning goals. Implications for the model's application and examination of how TCMFI addresses long-standing concerns in field education are discussed. Recommendations for future development and research of the model are also presented.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28618
The purpose of this study was to determine student preference for media presentation in large group instruction. The intent of the study was to assess student preferences and perceptions that involve media presentation by comparing multimediated instruction and traditional analog presentation. The results of this study should help define the role and value of multimedia in large group instruction and provide valuable information for community colleges who experience a growing diverse population and dwindling financial resources. The population in this study included 228 undergraduate students enrolled in a community college. The subjects in this study consisted of students registered in four different sections of Health Science 1 which is a general education class required for graduation. The students in Health Science represent a cross section of the entire school population of approximately 18,000 students. Students were divided into two groups. The first group included multimediated instruction with single display (one image) and the second group included multimediated instruction dual display (two images juxtaposed). Statistical data indicated that students preferred multimediated instruction compared to traditional analog presentation. Of the five components or factors measured: learning, attendance, preference for media, recommendation to other students, and class organization; the factor learning explained students' preference for multimediated instruction greater than any other factor (eigenvalue = 20.09, loading factor $>$.6). These findings and the written comments indicated that students consider multimediated instruction to be more beneficial to their learning than traditional analog presentation in large group instruction. The findings in this study clearly demonstrate that students preferred multimediated instruction over traditional analog presentation. This study provided the means to measure and understand student preferences for multimediated instruction over traditional analog presentation. Further investigation is needed to confirm or reject these findings. The results of this study will be valuable to colleges as they attempt to find innovative methods to meet the educational needs of a growing, diverse population.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28551
This study combines philosophical and qualitative inquiry to answer two research questions: (1) What does it mean to be at risk, and (2) What does it mean for students at State University to be at risk? Chapter One outlines the problematic status of survey research and program evaluations that points respectively to the need for philosophical and qualitative inquiry in the study of college retention. Chapter Two answers the first research question in the analytic philosophical tradition with a conceptual analysis of at-risk. Chapter Three provides the conceptual framework of "the problem of the other" in continental philosophy. Chapter Four presents the qualitative research, an account of student experiences. Data include: summaries of documents in the archives, summaries of administrative reports, interviews with 100 students, faculty responses to open-ended questions about their teaching, classroom observations, and student writing samples. The chapter concludes with portrayals of three students who are counter-examples of predicted outcomes: a former at-risk student who has received his degree, and two former Honors College students on academic probation. Chapter Five interprets the account with the conceptual framework of the problem of the other presented in Chapter Three. For well-prepared, well-adjusted students focused on an appropriate field of study, State University is one of the best choices in higher education. To educate students who do not fit that description will require major changes in instruction and the delivery of services. Opposing such changes is the concept, deeply embedded in the culture, of education as a commodity.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28543
This study examines student self-reported data from community college White, African-American and Hispanic students in the transfer and vocational areas in order to identify "good practice indicators" (Ewell, Lovell, Dressler, and Jones, 1994) of growth and development in both cognitive and affective areas. Sample data is derived from the results of the administration of the CCSEQ (Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire) by 52 institutions over a period from 1991 to 1994. Discriminant analysis is used to investigate how students grow and develop differentially as a function of their curriculum choices. Regression analysis is used to examine the influence of quality of effort on the students' perceptions of gains. Results indicated that students did perceive growth and development differentially as a function of their curriculum choices but that "good practice" indicators were the same for all students, independent of reason for attending or ethnicity. Also, results indicated that in all five areas of student perceived gains--personal development, career development, math and science, communication skills, and liberal arts--the strongest and most important influence was students' involvement. The implications of these potential "good practice" indicators of student involvement for policy direction and action are discussed.
ORDER NO: ABA97-28136
At a time when cognitive skills explain a significant portion of the recent increase in the college wage premium experienced by young workers, this dissertation studies whether high school graduates who complete the "New Basics" as recommended by the authors of A Nation at Risk make significantly larger gains in achievement compared to those who do not. It also examines how these gains changed over time in response to the rise in the percentage of students who completed this pattern of courses--recent education statistics indicate that 13.4 percent of high school graduates completed the New Basics in 1982 compared to 46.8 percent in 1992. Longitudinal data for two nationally representative cohorts of students are used to estimate a "switching regression model with endogenous switching." Predictions based on parameter estimates of this model of student achievement indicate that the effectiveness of the New Basics as a curricular "treatment" declined between 1982 and 1992. One possible explanation for this finding is that the smaller percentage of students who completed the New Basics in 1982 was a more "select" group compared to the larger percentage who did the same in 1992. This hypothesis, however, is not supported by the data. Another possibility is that the disproportionate changes in course-taking patterns and course performance by the two curricular groups that occurred during this time period explain this result. Although these factors account for much of the effect of the New Basics, they do not explain its weakened effectiveness. In fact, other things equal, the average level of senior achievement among those who did not complete the New Basics in 1982 would have been up to 12 percent higher if they had completed this core curriculum. For otherwise identical students in 1992, it would have been only 3 percent higher if they had done the same. Interestingly, slight deviations in course performance by the two curricular groups in the 1992 cohort have the same impact on achievement as does completing the New Basics. Policy implications of these findings are discussed in the study.
ORDER NO: ABANN-16271
The purpose of this thesis was to examine the relationship between effective teaching and student learning. This was accomplished by first investigating the causal links between effective instruction and student learning of novel lecture material, and second, by exploring the student entry characteristics that benefit from and are compensated for by effective teaching behaviors. The experimental design involved 295 introductory psychology students and consisted of a Lecture Expressiveness (low, high) by Lecture Organization (low, high) by Locus of Control (low, high) by Test Anxiety (low, moderate, high), 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 design. Four teaching conditions were defined by the following manipulations: low expressiveness/low organization, low expressiveness/high organization, high expressiveness/low organization, high expressiveness/high organization. Dichotomizing the Multidimensional-Multiattributional causality Locus of Control subscale scores distinguished students as either externals or internals and a trichotomization of the Test Anxiety Scale scores categorized students as low, moderate, or high test-anxious. The dependent variables included student attention and achievement. Locus of control proved to be a poor predictor of student learning. Test anxiety, on the other hand, consistently predicted student differences in learning. High test anxiety interfered with achievement performance. In the present study, organization demonstrated a consistent pattern of student learning outcomes. First, it had a strong influence on student attention and achievement outcomes. Second, high organized instruction, in combination with high expressiveness, produced an optimal learning condition for students. Third, low organized instruction seemed to interfere with the facilitative effects previously found with high expressiveness, thwarting students' learning. Fourth, students with more adaptive learning orientations benefited from highly organized instruction . Not unexpectedly, organized instruction was effective for students with more positive cognitive qualities, such as those with an internal locus of control or with low or moderate levels of test anxiety. However, in some cases, students with less adaptive learning orientations also benefited from the facilitative effects of highly organized instruction. High expressiveness, on the other hand, provided an optimal learning condition for internals and compensated for high test-anxious students' less adaptive learning orientations. The implications of these findings were discussed. First, specific explanations were postulated as to how the differences in effective teaching behaviours and student differences may operate together to produce ideal and less than ideal learning environments. Second, a number of new directions were suggested for future research in order to identify the critical links of the teaching/learning paradigm. Finally, students seeking potentially effective instructors and administrators searching for potentially facilitative teaching are encourage to not only focus on elocutionary skills, but also on organization skills.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34294
This study investigated and compared the prevalence and quality of formal training pertaining to four areas of interpersonal violence (sexual assault, domestic violence, and childhood sexual and physical abuse) in psychology doctoral level programs and psychiatry residency training programs. This was a more detailed and comprehensive investigation than prior research; data were collected through a survey as well as in in-depth interviews regarding the content areas covered and the teaching methods used. The final goal was the development of a model curriculum for interpersonal violence graduate education. Surveys were sent to 583 programs, resulting in 105 responses (18% response rate). Results indicate that education about adult sexual assault and domestic violence was offered significantly less often than education about childhood sexual and physical abuse. Only 20% of programs offered all areas of training, while 31% of the psychology programs and 15% of the psychiatry programs offered nothing in these areas. Additionally, 95% of psychology programs and 88% of psychiatry programs did not require any training in interpersonal violence, although 97% of psychology programs and 98% of psychiatry residency programs stated that they believed they should provide it. Overall, psychiatry residency programs required more exposure to interpersonal violence issues than psychology programs, although less than 12% of all programs required exposure to all four areas. Other findings include: the majority of programs are not doing any research on interpersonal violence; assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are covered most often, while vicarious trauma of the practitioner, psychological effects of trauma, and treatment of male victims, child victims of domestic violence, and adult survivors of childhood abuse are covered least often. When interpersonal violence education is taught, the majority of hours spent per area is less than five. The findings reveal a minimal amount of training with wide variations in depth and scope, and no consistent rationale for providing it. Without mandated profession-based standards and support for education, it is doubtful that more in-depth professional training on interpersonal violence will occur. Finally, the model curriculum consists of two courses addressing the full continuum of interpersonal violence, including assessment and treatment.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34056
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a teaching module designed to improve the health communication skills of respiratory therapists in training. The study answers the question: What affect will a health communication teaching module have on a trainee's health communication skills? A modified version of the Delphi Technique was used as a method in the development of the content for the communication teaching module and evaluative questionnaire items. The communication teaching module was then presented to respiratory therapy students in class as part of their introductory allied health class at a participating community college. Data from student and instructor questionnaires were collected three weeks later and again at the end of the semester. This resulted in two post-module evaluations submitted by the students and instructors. The study involved 30 entering freshman and students and 10 clinical instructors. Data collected from the student questionnaires consisted of responses to 10 questions about how effective they perceived they would be at communicating with patients after exposure to the health communication teaching module. Data were collected from the instructors which consisted of responses to 10 questions about how effective they perceived the students would be at communicating with patients. The results indicated that the respiratory therapy students perceived themselves to be more confident in their ability to establish an effective practitioner/patient rapport. In addition, they indicated that they were more competent to implement an appropriate treatment plan by getting patients to express their concerns about therapy, understand it, and become more compliant. Instructors indicated that the students were able to understand how to plan and do follow-up therapy more effectively after exposure to the module; however, instructors indicated that students did not have sufficient clinical experience. The teaching module was viewed as an appropriate learning experience when used in the students' initial preparation for clinical practice.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34897
The purpose of this study is to examine how personal narrative writing assignments are perceived by students and instructors in the college composition classroom, and to explore the roles of narrative writing in the acquisition of written academic discourse. I collected data from four first-year composition classrooms at the University of New Hampshire, where the writing program has a long history of valuing personal narrative writing. I interviewed the instructors and four focal students from each class. I also observed each class three times over the semester, and took field notes of classroom activities and interactions. I collected written documents in the form of syllabi and handouts, as well as samples of the focal students' writing in various genres. I analyzed the data focusing on themes that emerged from my literature review, and those that emerged from interviews. Classroom observations and writing samples contextualized and triangulated my findings, which I present in four classroom portraits. The results indicate that most students prefer narrative writing over other genres. Instructors and students reported both cognitive and emotional dimensions when they discussed narrative writing, attention to thought as well as feeling. While all instructors emphasized transfer of skills across genres, many students saw few connections between narrative writing and later analysis and research. This academic writing either bewildered or bored most students. Students often referred to high school writing experiences, where inclusion of the personal was unacceptable and the focus was on gathering and presenting information without reference to one's self. These results suggest students need specific and explicit instruction in mastering academic genres, and instructors need to consider ways to keep students invested in and motivated by their writing. The importance of topic choice reverberated throughout the study, as well as the need for clear feedback on and guidelines for all writing assignments. Other perceptions of personal narrative and its relationship to academic discourse were unique to each classroom and reflected both the instructors' ideologies about the value of various written genres, how he or she orchestrated the course, and the individuality of each student and his or her literacy experiences.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34888
Writing difficulties among schooled subjects have been alternatively explained as difficulties in the transition from (a) the oral to the written mode, or (b) a contextualized to a decontextualized way of using language. The distinction oral/written is not identical, but overlaps with the distinction contextualized/decontextualized language use. This study examines how the two relate to each other in the language performance of Spanish-speaking, working-class Costa Rican adults, and how they relate to speakers' writing skills. The research asks how do two groups of working-class adults entering the State Distance University (one previously assessed as "poor writers", and the other as "good writers") perform linguistically on two successive trials of an informational task, orally and in writing, in contextualized and decontextualized communicative situations. To answer this question, 32 incoming students (16 "poor writers" and 16 "good writers") were presented with a picture description task varying the instructions in such a way as to elicit oral contextualized, oral decontextualized, written contextualized, and written decontextualized performances. Descriptions were coded for specific features which reflect four major dimensions expected to be sensitive to changes in task conditions: quantity, specificity, informativeness and text genre structure. Additionally, participants were interviewed about their educational and occupational history; school, job, and home uses of literacy, and career expectations. Statistical results showed strong effects of time, and of decontextualized task situation, in complex covariation with task mode and group membership. Differences between subjects with contrasting writing skills surfaced more saliently and consistently across conditions in the orders of productivity, genre-specific structure (related to underlying text-building strategies), and in processing skills such as revising text, and monitoring it for grammaticality. These aspects were poor writers' weakest. Interview data suggested that contrasting writing skills are associated with subjects' daily language practices, particularly at the workplace. Conclusions stress that all subjects recognized varying task demands, and adjusted language to satisfy them to some extent, and that performance was improved when they gained "task experience" over time even practicing independently; were instructed to produce under decontextualized conditions, and were faced with increasingly higher communicative exigencies, such as the joint demands of decontextualization and writing.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34849
Despite the availability of distance education technology, Oregon State University Extension Service educators have made limited use of this equipment for delivery of educational programs to clients of the state's 36 county Extension Service offices. Some Extension educators may be hesitant to use distance technology because they are unsure whether clients will accept distance delivered programming. This project explored this issue, framed in the question: Is distance education received favorably or unfavorably by volunteer adult learners? A volunteer learner is defined as one who seeks to gain knowledge while interacting with others who share like interests, a description that fits many Extension Service clients. Other questions in the project were: How much do volunteer learners learn from distance delivered instruction compared to traditional instruction ? and How much do volunteer learners interact with instructors and each other in the distance classroom compared to the traditional classroom? Participants in the project were adults taking part in the MG training program in February 1993 in five Oregon counties. These adult learners participated in two 90-minute instructional segments; part one, 'Landscaping for Wildlife' and part two, 'Controlling Wildlife in the Home Landscape.' Part one was delivered via satellite delivery. Part two was delivered to participants in person by the instructor. In both parts, learners were pre- and post-tested on the subject matter presented. Learners also completed opinion surveys for each session. Audio tapes were made of each session for analysis of learner-learner, and learner-instructor interaction. Also, the Extension agents acting as downlink site coordinators in the project were interviewed to assess their opinions of the distance education session. Comparison of the data indicate that learners felt the quality of learning experience in both modes of program delivery was about equal. Also, the testing component indicated that participants learned about the same amount of material. Interaction analysis results indicated little or no difference in the amount of interaction in both the traditional and distance sessions. The results show that the effectiveness of distance delivery of Master Gardener training instruction to adult learners is equivalent to traditional delivery of training instruction for participants in this study.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34845
My study explores the impact of participation in a faculty teaching and learning community (TLC) on the professional development of community college faculty. I address the problem that, in spite of the growth of faculty development activity in the community college during the past decade, how faculty development occurs is not well understood. Previous research generally measures the success of individual faculty development strategies without providing much insight into how development occurs. Critical change forces that are currently impacting community college teaching require effective professional development. These critical forces are: changes in the nation's population demographics, economy, and the nature of work; the technological revolution; systems thinking; and developments in our understanding of how people learn in diverse ways. My research methodology was a descriptive, interpretive case study, focused on understanding how faculty viewed their experiences while participating in a TLC planning team during the 18-month study. I conducted multiple interviews with the 11 planning team members, supported with site visits and field notes; collected documents; conducted five triangulation interviews at different sites; and participated in peer briefings with a researcher who was concurrently studying a different faculty teaching and learning community model. The TLC faculty planning team members tell the story of the evolution of their teaching and learning community in four conversations that I created from the interviews. The essence of how faculty professional development occurs through the TLC can be described as a web of inclusion. This web incorporates the personal and professional development connections which the faculty make through the learner-centered environment of their TLC. Their TLC includes, supports, and promotes all kinds of personal and professional development, including kinds described as traditional by the TLC planning team. Key factors in the planning team's perceptions of how professional development occurs are (a) that they experience any specific professional development approach within the context of personal and social interactions, and (b) that they put their leadership efforts into creating a campus climate and conditions which have the capacity to increase the possibilities for professional development to occur.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34840
This dissertation details an experiment designed to identify gender differences in learning using three experimental treatments: animation, static graphics, and verbal instruction alone. Three learning presentations were used in testing of 332 university students. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, binomial tests for differences of proportion, and descriptive statistics. Results showed that animation significantly improved women's long-term learning over static graphics (p = 0.067), but didn't significantly improve men's long-term learning over static graphics. In all cases, women's scores improved with animation over both other forms of instruction for long-term testing, indicating that future research should not abandon the study of animation as a tool that may promote gender equity in science. Short-term test differences were smaller, and not statistically significant. Variation present in short-term scores was related more to presentation topic than treatment. This research also details characteristics of each of the three presentations, to identify variables (e.g. level of abstraction in presentation) affecting score differences within treatments. Differences between men's and women's scores were non-standard between presentations, but these differences were not statistically significant (long-term p = 0.2961, short-term p = 0.2893). In future research, experiments might be better designed to test these presentational variables in isolation, possibly yielding more distinctive differences between presentational scores. Differences in confidence interval overlaps between presentations suggested that treatment superiority may be somewhat dependent on the design or topic of the learning presentation. Confidence intervals greatly overlap in all situations. This undercut, to some degree, the surety of conclusions indicating superiority of one treatment type over the others. However, confidence intervals for animation were smaller, overlapped nearly completely for men and women (there was less overlap between the genders for the other two treatments), and centered around slightly higher means, lending further support to the conclusion that animation helped equalize men's and women's learning. The most important conclusion identified in this research is that gender is an important variable experimental populations testing animation as a learning device. Averages indicated that both men and women prefer to work with animation over either static graphics or verbal instruction alone.
ORDER NO: ABA97-34797
The main questions that guided this qualitative study were: How do teachers perceive and describe their initial experience planning and conducting teacher-research in their own professional settings? What do teachers report as their plans for the use of findings from their studies? What do teachers report as the effects of this experience on their classroom practice and professional interactions? By teacher-research, I mean systematic intentional inquiry by teachers about issues of practice (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1990). Most literature on teacher-research consists of texts describing techniques of classroom-inquiry, statements advocating teacher-research and teacher-authored accounts of classroom studies. These accounts provide some evidence of the influence of participation on the professional lives of teachers. There is, however, little empirical research that documents teachers' perspectives on their participation in teacher-research. I studied the experience of 15 full-time teachers enrolled in a naturalistic inquiry course. The instructor, Lynne Miller, is a nationally recognized leader in teacher development and university /school improvement efforts. I used three methods to collect data: (1) observation; (2) document collection and analysis; and (3) structured interviews. I combined both segmentation and narrative strategies to organize and interpret data. This study demonstrates just how challenging focused study of one's own work or work setting can be and illustrates the potentially rewarding nature of such systematic reflective inquiry for both teachers and students. As teachers collected and publicly analyzed data, they examined and rethought their professional beliefs and actions, developed deep understanding of their research topics, learned how their findings could inform their own practice and that of their colleagues, and initiated action plans based on these findings. Their stance toward their work changed in significant ways as they repositioned themselves professionally as teacher-researchers. They changed from teaching, telling, and acting to listening, observing and learning. They developed collaborative relationships with students and colleagues and their interactions with colleagues changed from congenial to collegial as they exchanged isolation for collaboration. These were not easy undertakings, particularly because these teachers became researchers in the very settings where they taught--their own professional settings. | ||||||||||||
