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1997 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 17
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ORDER NO: ABA98-12160 A CORRELATIONAL STUDY OF CULTURAL INCLUSION, SELF-ESTEEM AND ACADEMIC SELF-CONCEPT WITH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN NURSING STUDENTS ATTENDING PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITIES Author: THOMAS, LINDA WILSON Degree: PH.D. Year: 1996 Corporate Source/Institution: GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (0079) Source: VOLUME 58/10-B OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 5332. 157 PAGES Descriptors: HEALTH SCIENCES, NURSING; EDUCATION, HIGHER; SOCIOLOGY, ETHNIC AND RACIAL STUDIES; BLACK STUDIES
Limited numbers of African-Americans are entering and even fewer are graduating from schools of nursing (July, 1988). In the past, the issue of the high attrition for these students prompted many educators to examine variables that served as predictors of success. Recent theoretical literature suggests that the degree to which the curriculum is culturally inclusive is a significant predictor of academic success for ethnic minority students (Cummins, 1989). Therefore, this study examined the correlation of cultural inclusion, self-esteem and academic self-concept with academic performance for African-American nursing students attending predominantly white universities. Additionally, the covariants of age, gender, classification and employment were analyzed to ascertain which variables best correlate with academic performance. The sample consisted of 179 students enrolled in 26 National League of Nursing accredited programs located in the southeastern part of the United States. Methods of analyses included frequencies, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, analysis of variance, T-tests and Chi square. The study and demographic variables were analyzed with academic performance which was measured by a self reported college grade point average (GPA). Each of the demographic variables was also examined in relation to cultural inclusion, self-esteem and academic self-concept. The best predictors of performance for African-American students were academic self-concept and gender with females having higher GPAs than males. Cultural inclusion did not enter the regression equation for GPA. No significant relationship was found between self-esteem and academic performance. When multiple regression was used to analyze the data related to the variable cultural inclusion, age and classification entered the equation but were not significant. However, when Pearson coefficient procedure was computed a positive correlation was found between age, classification and cultural inclusion. Conclusions. Results indicated that academic self-concept and gender were the only statistically significant predictors of academic performance. Findings from this study support the literature that concludes academic self-concept is a good predictor of academic performance for African-American students. Although the variable cultural inclusion did not prove to be a predictor of academic performance, an item by item scale analysis revealed that some students (80%) either strongly agreed or agreed with the notion that a culturally inclusive curriculum would enhance African-American students' ability to academically succeed. Therefore, the investigator agrees with findings from the literature and recommends that nursing faculty include input from students when developing culturally-relevant curricula. In addition, faculty are encouraged to implement teaching strategies that enhance learning for ethnic minority students.
ORDER NO: ABA98-12153
Within the last several years nursing education programs have begun to implement curricula organized around the concept of caring. However, little is known about the experiences of faculty who teach in these new curricula. The purpose of this Heideggerian phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the experience of teaching in a caring curriculum. Ten nursing faculty at one Southern university participated in the study. Interviews were conducted with faculty and analyzed using the hermeneutic interpretative process developed by Diekelmann, Allen, and Tanner (1989). Methodological rigor was established through the trustworthiness and authenticity criteria (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, 1990). Three constitutive patterns were found: Caring Curriculum as Situated Freedom, Caring as Building Community, and Caring as Bringing Nursing Alive. As these faculty members implemented the caring curriculum, they integrated their personal and professional lives and related to each other and students in new ways. They uncovered and expressed their creativity, and used art to develop nursing knowledge, and to express the meanings and experiences of nursing. The faculty's commitment to authentically live the caring curriculum transformed the program as a whole. Feminist interpretation of the data revealed a need for faculty to balance caring for self, others and work, as well as a need for greater consciousness about cultural diversity within the program.
ORDER NO: ABA98-11813
It was the purpose of this study to assess the nature of ethical learning displayed in clinical practice settings by students in the undergraduate pharmacy program at the University of British Columbia. The research also formulated images of pharmacy held by pharmacy students concerning the ethical character of the profession. The study used qualitative data obtained through naturalistic methods involving participant observation, interviews, and written accounts of practice experiences. Three themes emerged from the study. Firstly, students expect that the curriculum for ethics teaching in the pharmacy undergraduate program will be structured so that they can consider the important connections between professional knowledge, skills and values. Secondly, students seem to understand the discordance between the contemporary image of pharmacy conveyed by the profession and a narrower, traditional view of pharmacy held by the public. Finally, students adopt a style of practice that is predominantly characterized by strong conformance with the regulatory standards of the profession, before they consider more ethically risky, patient-centered needs.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13777
Primary purpose of this study was to determine the use and perceived effectiveness of 18 media used by North Carolina community college instructors to obtain information for instructional purposes. The three teaching areas used for the study were General and Related Academics, Health Occupations, and Trades. A corollary purpose was to determine if six independent variables--age, years employed in North Carolina community colleges, principal area of instruction, education level, gender, and ethnicity--and two intervening variables-individual learning style and institution size based on full time enrollment equivalencies--were associated with instructor use and perceived effectiveness of these media. The 3,068 full-time instructors of the 58 North Carolina community colleges with Principal area of Instruction codes for General and Related Academics, Health Occupations, and Trades comprised the population for this study. A three-part questionnaire collected data from a state wide sample of community college instructors. The total sample comprised 150 instructors from each of the three teaching areas of interest. Of the 450 questionnaires distributed to instructors at 56 community colleges, 66 respondents teach General Academics, 89 teach Health Occupations, and 58 teach in Trades, for a return rate of 44%, 59.3%, and 38.6%, respectively. The primary statistical functions used in testing the hypotheses were analysis of variances and regression analysis. Several conclusions about North Carolina community college instructors were drawn from the study findings: (1) instructors exhibit significant differences in the frequencies of use of the media to obtain subject-matter information; (2) instructors differ in their perceptions of the effectiveness of media in retrieving information; (3) instructors' mean rates for use and perceived effectiveness were greater for traditional information sources than for electronically or computer-supported media; (4) media use was found associated with the instructors' demographic factors of Age, Years Employed, Teaching Area, Highest Degree, and Gender; (5) instructors' perception of the effectiveness of media were associated with the demographic factors of Age, Teaching Area, Highest Degree, and Gender; (6) instructors' individual learning style was associated with media use and perceived effectiveness; and (7) the size of the institution in which the instructors were teaching was associated with use of facsimile equipment.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13768
Continuous Learning Assures Student Success (CLASS) was developed by the Carolina Quality Consortium for community college faculty. The program is approximately 16 hours in length and was designed to give participants hands-on application of a few adult education principles. One major theme was the development of teacher-learner teams. Effective instructors build on the reservoir of knowledge and experiences of the adult student. A second theme focused on learning styles or "intelligence's." Participants prepare lesson plans to teach the same lesson using strategies appropriate for each learning style. If CLASS training leads to improved teaching and learning, then that improvement may be detected through measures of success. Three measures of success addressed in this research were: (1) Student retention rates, (2) Student grade point averages, and (3) Student perception of instructor effectiveness. Student retention rates was the first measure of success to be analyzed. The data pool consisted of retention information from approximately 24,000 students taught by 100 instructors from four North Carolina Community Colleges. The t-test was used to compare the mean retention rate one year prior to CLASS training to the mean retention rate one year following the training. The p-value was 0.68. With an $\alpha$-level of 0.05, no statistical difference was demonstrated. The same results were found for student grade point averages (GPA's), the second measure of success. The same pool of instructors and students was used as before. The t-test was used to compare the mean GPA one year prior to CLASS training to the mean GPA one year following the training. The p-value was 0.53. With an $\alpha$-level of 0.05, no statistical difference was demonstrated. Student perception of instructional effectiveness was the third measure of success. If CLASS training makes a difference, student perception of instructor effectiveness should increase. The SAI II survey instrument developed by Dr. George A Baker III was administered to students of 18 faculty members (experimental group) who had participated in CLASS training and 22 faculty members (control group) who had not. The t-test returned a p-value of 0.59, which is not statistically significant with an $\alpha$-level of 0.05. Additional tests were performed on the data collected by the SAI II. Six tests were performed based on instructor characteristics. Another four tests were performed based on student characteristics. No statistical evidence was found to suggest that CLASS training increased student perception of instructor effectiveness. A total of 13 statistical tests were performed to determine if faculty participation in CLASS training had an effect on measures of success. None of the tests were determined to be statistically significant.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13764
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects on student evaluation of instruction when incongruence exists between the learning style of the instructors and the learning styles of the students. Learning styles were measured by the Situational Temperament Sorter (STS). Students evaluated instructors by completing the Student Assessment of Instruction (SAI-II) instrument. Mean student assessment of instruction scores were computed at the class level for questions one through forty and question forty through forty-five. Significant differences were found in three cases for both sets of questions. Although the analysis of the student assessment of instruction scores applied only to each instructor's course, the results are important for instructor's professional growth and development. In five of the cases, the instructor was rated higher by the student group whose learning style did not match the learning style of the instructor. In one case, the instructor was rated higher by the student group whose learning style matched the instructor's. No association was found between learning style and gender or between learning style and major. An association was found between the grade expected by the student and the faculty evaluation score given. The higher the grade expected, the higher the faculty evaluation score given.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13680
Many students who attend urban schools are poor and students of color. For the most part, they do not perform well academically. In fact, many drop out of school before graduating. This ethnographic case study describes the culture of a 10th grade English class in one urban high school. The research question is, "How does one urban high school teacher attempt to promote engagement in academic work, and how do her students respond?" Through a study of the theory and practice of the teacher, Judith Baker, and the response of her students, the research shows that establishing a culture of respect increases students' willingness to engage in academic work. Three aspects of this teacher's establishing a culture of respect are described: working to establish communication with her students, incorporating a study of students' home languages into the curriculum and, modeling the intellectual process as it is practiced in college. The data were collected during the 1993-1994 school year. Data include transcriptions of audiotaped classes observed approximately twice weekly throughout the year, transcriptions of interviews with 16 students and with the teacher, fieldnotes, students' responses to a questionnaire generated by the researcher, student writing, and school documents. This data were analyzed according to the principles of grounded theory. This work is meant to contribute to conversations among teachers and teacher educators about how to address the alienation and resistance some high school students demonstrate toward the study of academic disciplines. Further, it is an interpretation and display of the knowledge that one teacher has developed through her practice.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13650
Philip Barker (1996) describes the advantages to presenting textual material in electronic form in comparison to using a paper-based medium. Although Barker and others have studied the electronic-based medium according to its advantages, from an ergonomic perspective and with respect to electronic-based media's speed and accuracy, this dissertation examines the attitudes and opinions of users and potential users of electronic-based text. Although Barker and others have recorded the merits of electronic-based text, this dissertation will focus on students and instructors' opinions regarding what might be done to foster better textbooks, better selection of textbooks, and better use of textbooks in the future. Determining what kind of difficulties graduate students and instructors encounter may benefit instructional designers, administrators, and textbook publishers. This study supplies objective information about the use of electronic-based text in comparison to paper-based text, which may be used by a number of researchers and instructors, as well. A survey of graduate students and faculty in colleges nationwide was conducted during the summer of 1997 to help answer questions about use of electronic-based media in comparison to the paper-bound text. A computer attitude scale developed at Moorhead State University, a demographic questionnaire, and an attitude questionnaire developed by the researcher were included in the survey. The dissertation seeks to answer questions about user concerns, providing administrators and faculty with data that can help direct decisions regarding technological change within universities and colleges. Individuals to be sampled were selected from universities and colleges that have graduate programs. These individuals were selected on the basis of simple random sampling and sorted once they were received according to (a) students and faculty who own or use laptop computers, (b) students and faculty who use personal computers, and (c) students and faculty who do not use personal computers or laptops. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education in November of 1997. The dissertation may be used in comparing use of electronic media nationwide. In addition, the study provides valuable predictive and inferential data to be used in planning for the future.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13637
The purpose of this study was to identify the professional roles and attitudes of early childhood associate degree graduates from selected Ohio two-year colleges. It sought, also, to examine factors that impacted the continued professional development of these graduates with reference to the National Association for Education of Young Children Professional Development Model. Current literature contains diverse definitions of professionalism in education with a paucity of information about the professional experiences of graduates at the associate degree level. This study implemented quantitative and qualitative methodology in an ex post facto design. Quantitative data were collected using a mailed questionnaire that was developed and validated by the investigator. One descriptive and 13 statistical hypotheses were formulated. The questionnaire was mailed to a 50% stratified random sample of graduates between 1987-1995 from each of the eight participating Ohio two-year colleges. Qualitative data were obtained in telephone interviews with a sample of the respondents. The interview data were summarized using a "categorizing" process. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the associate degree early childhood graduates' race, age, grade point average, job satisfaction and additional higher education as predictor variables in professional development. The sample population in this study were of homogeneous composition with little variability in the assigned variables. This appeared to contribute to nonsignificant findings in all the research hypotheses. The results of the study created a baseline profile of the associate degree early childhood education graduate in Ohio. Of the 175 graduate responses in the sample, 85.7% were employed in diverse settings, 67.4% held the associate level prekindergarten teaching certificate, 63% reported being satisfied in their career, 93.9% believed NAEYC activities toward professionalization to be important, and 72.9% saw classroom interactions and planning as most rewarding aspects of their professional roles. In this study 11.4% of the graduates had completed a four-year degree and moved from Level III to Level IV in the NAEYC model. An additional 46.3% had taken college courses since graduation. In the telephone interviews the graduates spoke articulately about "self as professional", "impact of associate degree", and "changing public perceptions" of early childhood. Their responses were rich in personal perspectives that described how associate degree graduates practice as professionals. These graduates reported similar professional activities in the classroom, credited their associate degree with building their professional and personal skills, and spoke to a need for greater public understanding of early childhood education. The roles and activities reported by graduates in this study appear to meet many of the criteria for "professional" as described in the literature.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13634
For the past 30 years, the field of composition has hosted a philosophical battlefield which has pitted a number of theoretical positions in opposition to each other. Each position stakes its claims on the basis of historical precedence and/or pedagogical superiority. Efforts to measure, in terms of degree and prevalence, these various positions at the first-year composition level have been limited. Therefore, the presence or absence of any specific attitudes and practices exhibited in the delivery of composition instruction at the college level has been largely anecdotal and theoretical. The few studies found in the review of literature suffered from methodological concerns, small or skewed sample sizes, or lack of replication. Efforts to measure instructors are only as effective as the instruments available. This study estimated the validity of a previously developed instrument, the Survey of Attitudes and Practices of Teachers of Freshman Composition (SAPTFC). The survey was based on a generic theory of the attitudes and practices of teachers at the college level and operationalized to reflect those same attitudes and practices in terms of first-year composition teachers. The three general classifications of instructors were considered to be didactic (subject-centered), philetic (student-centered), and heuristic (systems-centered). The subjects were instructors--full-time, adjunct, and graduate assistants--of first-year composition at several community colleges and private and public four-year colleges and universities in Northeastern Ohio. The subjects received mailed surveys of the SAPTFC, which also included demographic data, to which they responded. Hypotheses were generated based upon the previous study of the instrument and existing theory and tested using multiple linear regression, factor analytic, and correlational techniques. Statistically significant results and medium to large effect sizes indicate the ability of the instrument to distinguish among three orientations toward composition instruction. The factor analysis also demonstrated the multi-dimensional factor structure that was hypothesized. These strengths, in conjunction with suggested revisions, could produce an effective scale for instructors to use in reflecting on their practices.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13625
The overall objective of this research project was to provide an insight into students' conceptual understanding of acid/base principles as it relates to the comprehension and correct application of scientific concepts during a problem-solving activity. The difficulties experienced learning science and in developing appropriate problem-solving strategies most likely are predetermined by students' existing conceptual and procedural knowledge constructs; with the assimilation of newly acquired knowledge hindering or aiding the learning process. Learning chemistry requires a restructuring of content knowledge which will allow the individual to assemble and to integrate his/her own perception of science with instructional knowledge. The epistemology of constructivism, the theoretical grounding for this research project, recognizes the student's role as an active participant in the learning process. The study's design was exploratory in nature and descriptive in design. The problem-solving activity, the preparation of a chemical buffer solution at pH of 9, was selected and modified to reflect and meet the study's objective. Qualitative research methods (i.e., think aloud protocols, retrospective interviews, survey questionnaires such as the Scale of Intellectual Development (SID), and archival data sources) were used in the collection and assessment of data. Given its constructivist grounding, simplicity, and interpretative view of knowledge acquisition and learning of collegiate aged individuals, the Perry Intellectual and Ethical Development Model (1970) was chosen as the applied model for evaluation student cognition. The study's participants were twelve traditional college age students from a small, private liberal arts college. All participants volunteered for the project and had completed or were completing a general college chemistry course at the time of the project. Upon analysis of the data the following observations and results were noted: (1) students' overall comprehension level of key acid/base principles was at the misconception/miscued level of understanding; (2) the level of a student's conceptual knowledge effected their problem-solving performance and influenced their use of problem-solving tactics; (3) students casual use of the terms "acid" and/or "base" played a significant role in the misuse and misunderstanding of the principles of acid/base chemistry; (4) as assessed from their think aloud protocols and described by the Perry Scheme positions of intellect the study's participants' overall level of cognition were ranked as dualistic/relativistic thinkers; and (5) the SID questionnaire survey rankings did not seem to assess or reflect the participants' cognitive ability to learn or correctly use acid/base concepts as they preformed the study's problem-solving activity--the preparation of buffer solution having a pH of 9.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13580
The purpose of this study was to examine the critical thinking skills of undergraduate nursing faculty to determine how these skills compared with the established critical thinking skill norms for undergraduate nursing students and if the critical thinking skills of nursing faculty were related to the type of program they teach in, their years of experience in nursing education, their level of formal education, their preferred methods of instruction, and their level of formal training in critical thinking. Nursing faculty from 17 Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs and 11 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in the State of Michigan volunteered to participate as subjects in the study. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) (P. A. Facione, 1994) was administered to the 120 undergraduate nursing faculty participating in the study. The CCTST composite scores as well as the analysis, evaluation, and inference subscores were compared to national norms for student nurses (N. C. Facione, 1995). The findings of the study demonstrated that nursing faculty scored consistently higher than nursing students in all areas. In addition, when ADN faculty (n = 70) scores were compared to BSN faculty (n = 50) scores, BSN faculty demonstrated higher critical thinking skills than ADN faculty in the cognitive areas of analysis and evaluation. The remaining findings of the study did not support the relationship between critical thinking skills as measured by the CCTST and the variables of years of experience in nursing education, educational level, preferred teaching method, or level of formal training in critical thinking among faculty who participated in the study. The study was intended to examine critical thinking within the role of the instructor, who serves as an intervening variable in the development of critical thinking in nursing students. The study demonstrated that nursing faculty have critical thinking ability that exceeds that of their students, thus lending encouragement to the modeling of these skills in the didactic and clinical areas. The study also raises ongoing questions in regard to how the acquisition of critical thinking skills actually occurs.
ORDER NO: ABAD98-13579
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a deliberate, planned cooperative learning environment on the attitudes, social skills, and processing of baccalaureate nursing students. A convenience sample of 43 students (Registered Nurses) randomly assigned to one of eight cooperative learning groups were the subjects for this study. Cooperative learning was used as a teaching methodology for the entire class of 15 weeks duration. The study sought to answer the following questions: (a) What effect does a deliberate, planned cooperative learning environment have on the attitudes of BSN (Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing) students toward group work? (b) What effect does a deliberate, planned cooperative learning environment have on the frequency of the BSN student's social skills? and (c) What effect does a deliberate, planned cooperative learning environment have on the BSN student's ability to process? This study was a one group pretest-posttest design in which observations and testing were made before and after the treatment variable was introduced. Attitudes toward group work were measured using two different instruments pre- and immediately postintervention as well as 2 months later. Comfort in using social skills and the student's perceptions of the usage of these same social skills were measured pre- and immediately postintervention. To document the frequency of social skills when exhibited by each group member, faculty observations of each cooperative learning group were completed twice during the semester, utilizing a checklist of the six social skills. In measuring the student's ability to process, a series of two open-ended questions was utilized pre- and postintervention. Attitudes, social skill usage, and comfort in usage improved $(p <.05)$ from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester. Attitudes remained at that level $(p <.05)$ 2 months postintervention. The ability to process demonstrated improvement through the direction, specificity, and quality of change in the use of social skills. This study was based on the importance to higher education in producing educated, responsible, well-prepared people for the cooperative workplace. These affective cooperative skills are an essential component of this preparation.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13577
Community colleges are open door institutions that serve students who may lack the basic skills necessary to succeed in college. The number of academically underprepared students attending community colleges has been increasing over the years. Thus, there is a corresponding need for effective remedial programs to prepare the academically underprepared students for college -level work. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of remedial education. More specifically, the study was designed to measure the performance of academically underprepared students who complete required remediation compared to academically underprepared students who do not complete remediation. The study tested two hypotheses: first, that academically underprepared students who complete remediation achieve greater academic success in college -level courses than academically underprepared students who do not complete remediation; and second, that academically underprepared students who complete remediation persist longer towards their educational goals than academically underprepared students who do not complete remediation. The population for this study included 766 full-time, associate degree-seeking students at Ivy Tech State College, a two-year technical college in Indiana. All 766 students were identified as being deficient in reading, writing, and/or mathematics based on ASSET scores. Regarding academic achievement, results showed that academically underprepared students who completed remediation earned higher grades in college -level English and college -level math than those who did not complete remediation. Likewise, students who completed all remediation earned higher cumulative grade point averages than those who completed some or none of the remediation as indicated by ASSET scores. Concerning persistence, results showed that students who completed all remediation earned more accumulated credit hours than those who completed some remediation. Likewise, those who completed some remediation earned more accumulated credit hours than those who completed no remediation. These findings supported the hypotheses that academically underprepared students who complete remediation achieve greater academic success and persist longer towards their educational goals than academically underprepared students who do not complete remediation.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13574
The present study investigated the pragmatic competence of male Japanese university undergraduate learners of English at three levels of general English proficiency. Their proficiency level was assessed using a cloze test. Though not a longitudinal study, the results are interpreted as a proxy for diachronic pragmatic development. The study focused on the learners' ability to perform the speech act of requests, and their performance was compared with male British university undergraduates of the same age. The data were collected using a Discourse Completion Test (DCT). All of the situations involved making high imposition requests, to interlocutors one had never spoken to before. 60 Japanese learners (20 at each proficiency level), and 20 native speakers, participated in the study. In order to make comparisons with the learners' L1, a pilot study was conducted using the same DCT translated into Japanese. This DCT was completed in Japanese by 10 male university undergraduates who were not part of the main study. The data were analyzed using an adapted version of the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP) classification. Three macro categories (directness level, internal modification, and external modification), and a number of micro-level strategies were investigated. The study found that Japanese learners used more direct and fewer conventionally indirect strategies than native speakers, but with higher levels of proficiency moved in the direction of the native speaker norm. It also found that Japanese learners used considerably fewer hints than native speakers, and made no development in the use of this strategy. Within these macro patterns, however, there were a number of micro-level strategies which showed regression rather than development. The study also found that Japanese learners used less internal and external modification than native speakers, but again showed development, as proficiency increased, by moving in the direction of the native speaker norm. Further investigation, however, revealed a number of micro-level modifiers which showed either no development or regression. This skewed pragmatic development was attributed to the lack of linguistic means, an instructional effect from the teaching of English in Japanese schools, and the influence of the native language, i.e., pragmatic transfer. On the basis of the results, the study finishes with some recommendations for the teaching of pragmatic competence in the EFL context.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13548
The purposes of the present study were to determine: (a) whether the treatment subjects who were exposed to visual imagery, or verbal rehearsal or a combination of visual imagery and verbal rehearsal produced higher comprehension scores on a reading achievement test than those subjects who did not receive any special instruction, and (b) whether the groups would maintain a similar performance in comprehension after an intervening delay of fourteen days. The visual imagery strategy chosen for this study involved making mental pictures of objects and words when reading text, while the verbal rehearsal strategy involved paraphrasing ideas, or paragraphs. The subjects, 52 underprepared college freshmen, were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a visual imagery, a verbal rehearsal, a combined group (visual imagery and verbal rehearsal), and a no-treatment control group. Slightly more females (27) than males (25) participated in the study. The three treatment groups were trained in strategy use during 30-minute sessions (once a week) over a four-week period. The control group received no training. Following the experiment all the groups read a text-type passage. Immediate and delayed posttests were administered to measure comprehension of the texttype passage. Results of two one-way analysis of variance procedures and Fisher's post-hoc multiple comparison tests indicated (a) underprepared college students using a combined strategy of visual imagery and verbal rehearsal performed better at a statistically significant level than a visual-imagery and a control group on the immediate test of a text-type passage (p $<$.005), and (b) students receiving combined training performed significantly better than those who received visual imagery or verbal rehearsal but not significantly better than a control group on the delayed comprehension test (p $<$.005). The results of this study support the use of a combined visual-imagery and verbal-rehearsal strategy for facilitating both immediate and delayed recall of a text-type passage by underprepared college students. The notion that successful strategy use appeared to be related to a period of instruction coupled with teacher modeling followed by guided and independent practice, as well as limitations of the study, and implications for future research are discussed.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13507
One hundred twenty-six Korean and Japanese students from selected boarding schools in the Philadelphia and New York metropolitan areas including New Jersey, indicated the reasons why they are attending American independent boarding schools, the reasons they believe their parents sent them to an American boarding school, their satisfaction with their boarding school experience (and whether GPA affects this experience), the extent to which they believe their parents are satisfied with the experience, and adjustment issues with suggestions for improvement on the Boarding School Experience Scale (BSES). Two of the 14 student reasons for attending American boarding schools (i.e., "Learn English" and "College Admission") were found to be significantly important reasons for students in their decision to attend boarding school. Ten of the 14 student reasons were found to be significantly unimportant reasons in student's decision to attend boarding school. A large majority of students (92.8%) indicated that the reason, "Learn English" was the most important reason in their decision to attend boarding school. The next most important reason was "College Admission" with 74.6% of the students indicating this as an Important reason. On the other hand, students cited the reasons "Parents Educated USA" (4.8%), "Family Problems" (6.3%), and "Political Unrest" (6.4%) as the least important reasons in their decision to attend boarding school. Similar results were obtained when students were asked to consider the reasons why they believed their parents sent them to an American boarding school. Students indicated a significant level of satisfaction with their boarding school experience. Students also believed that their parents would indicate a significant level of satisfaction with their child's boarding school experience. The single most reported adjustment issue was found in the area of Language and Communication by 45.4% (N = 50) of the participants. The most frequently reported suggestion related to, "having more structured time available to interact with American students and their families (17%, N = 16). Students' level of academic success was not found to be significantly related to satisfaction with their boarding school experience. Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations of the study and suggestions for further research are discussed.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13487
The purpose of the study is to ascertain how Colleges of Education from universities and four-year colleges use the personal computer and related technologies for instructional purposes in the workplace. Nine Research Questions were raised by the researcher, five of which dealt with different types of support for using the personal computer, and for evaluating instructional materials developed by the faculty. A three-part instrument in the form of a questionnaire was developed to gather data for the study. Part I dealt with demographics, Part II with Faculty's personal computer and related technology usage and its intersection with student usage, and Part III with the Faculty's thoughts on the use of personal computer for instructional purposes. Seventy-four institutions were targeted in twenty-three states, but the primary focus was Pennsylvania. The return rate for the questionnaires was 32.5%. Major findings of the study follow: One, there is still a great need for technical support for all teaching-learning activities associated with the computer and related technologies, but more especially, the activity of developing instructional material. Two, much of the instructional material is being developed alone and on personal time which imply individual rather than collaborative efforts. Three, there is a great need for wider use of "more sophisticated" techniques in the development of instructional materials. Fourth, and most importantly, all essential support and attention must be given to the evaluation of instructional materials developed by faculty. The researcher, therefore, has made two recommendations: One, A Professional Development Plan that will encompass all faculty engaged in preparing elementary and secondary classroom teachers, address the issues of a deeper understanding of the technologies themselves, their different "strands", and the acquisition of the skills that are necessary for unleashing their potentials for instructional purposes. Two, Action Research that will provide the backbone for the development and evaluation of instructional materials. An interdisciplinary and collaborative approach in this type of research should provide the opportunity for integrating the technologies into the curriculum as seamlessly as possible. Action Research can then be used as an extended or alternative research base for assessing faculty's performance and for awarding promotion, and tenure.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13475
Concerns about the teaching of science in elementary grades have led in recent years to studies of teacher efficacy beliefs, their relation to teaching behaviors, and mechanisms which promote positive changes in those beliefs. The purpose of this study was to determine if science teaching efficacy beliefs of preservice elementary teachers are changed by a process emphasis physical science course and by a content emphasis physical science course and to compare these two effects. The STEBI-B instrument was given as a pretest at the beginning and a posttest at the conclusion of semester physical science courses to 94 subjects in a small liberal arts-based college. The STEBI-B instrument was also given as a pretest at the beginning and a posttest at the conclusion of semester science teaching methods courses to 61 subjects at the same college. No significant change occurred in the outcome expectancy subscale for the content emphasis course, the process emphasis course, or the science methods course. No significant change occurred in the self-efficacy subscale for the content emphasis course. A significant increase occurred in the self-efficacy subscale for the process emphasis course and the science methods course. When the process emphasis subjects were broken down into subgroups based on when the methods course was taken, a significant increase was found only for the subgroups who had previously taken or were concurrently taking a methods course with the physical science course. No significant difference was found in either outcome expectancy or self-efficacy between the content emphasis and process emphasis with ANCOVA using the pretest STEBI-B subscale as a covariate. The results suggest that a physical science course which emphasizes science process by using an integrated approach of lecture, hands-on activities and discussion may result in increased science teaching self-efficacy beliefs for preservice elementary teachers. The results also suggest that these changes in self-efficacy beliefs may not occur if the process emphasis physical science course is taken prior to a science teaching methods course.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13314
My research has centered on the Aunt Jemima pancake mix logo. An example from my past illustrates the phenomenon of white racial unawareness. Aunt Jemima was my father's favorite pancake mix. Even today, the taste brings back memories of a warm kitchen, family fun and pancakes coming off the grill. There was no thought in my family nor our white midwestern community that this stereotype was offensive to anyone. When I brought the package of pancake mix to my classes, I observed that my college students were also unaware of the stereotypes. Without awareness or awakening to the symbolic meanings of visuals, racism continues to maintain itself at an unconscious level. My investigation focused attention on the link between unconscious and conscious visual racism. Using a classroom intervention, students become critically aware of visual cues in American popular culture, opening them to the possibility that they may harbor racist biases. Since many students experienced dissonance from the classroom encounter with the Aunt Jemima logo they needed time to sort out the conflictive situation. For this reason the study occurred throughout an academic quarter. The instructional intervention took the following sequence: From unawareness to CONFLICT$\longrightarrow$field experience, peer discussions, and journal-keeping$\longrightarrow$CHOICE. This formula is typical of constructivist observations of classroom learning. I developed a new model consisting of a two dimensional oval representing oppression and a three dimensional form for the liberation cycle. Additionally the study suggested a means of evaluating one's conclusions to developing critical thought in art criticism models. If I had to summarize the whole study with a new term--it would be "visual racism". I developed this term for this study. The entire document investigates the process by which a visual stereotype enters into cognitive schemata that are assimilated along with other items and which does much damage to segments of society. It is visual racism and the point is to recognize and confront these in one's own mind.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13297
The purpose of this document is to analyze current trends in contrabass pedagogy at colleges and universities in the United States of America. Before this century, the contrabass was considered to be merely an accompanimental instrument. Except for an occasional solo line in some orchestral and chamber works, the melodic capability of this instrument was largely ignored by major composers. The voice of the solo contrabass emerged in various styles of music during the twentieth century, and many new approaches, methods, techniques, and sounds have been developed. Most college students of the contrabass are now required to give full solo recitals before they graduate. To better understand these expectations, a questionnaire was sent to contrabass instructors at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America. Four-hundred-eighty-nine questionnaires were sent to contrabass instructors at colleges and universities in The United States of America at the beginning of the 1996-97 academic year. One-hundred-twenty-nine final responses were received by June 30th, 1997. The questionnaire focused on contrabass pedagogy, student opportunities and program requirements. The results show the Simandl and Rabbath methods to be most favored. While some instructors choose to teach exclusively the French or German bow, most are willing and able to teach both. More than half of the pedagogues teach the use of the thumb in the lower positions, extended fingerings, and pivot fingerings; less than half teach the use of the third finger separate from the fourth in the lower positions. While only 47% of students occasionally record their lessons, 60% of instructors believe their students record practice sessions. Over 90% of the teachers advise their students to practice in front of a mirror and with a metronome. Recital requirements average between one and two full recitals for BA, BM, MA, MM, and Ph.D. degrees; MFA and AD degrees averaged between two and three recitals while the DMA averaged 3.22 recitals. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents require a jury or orchestral board for their students.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13247
Previous state policy efforts at school reform have been hampered by a lack of consensus on what constitutes success. Ideally, Ohio's Venture Capital Program is seed money for systemic reform that fundamentally impacts every aspect of schools--the structure, practice, and classroom dynamics. It enables educators to invest in professional development to improve student learning. Venture Capital encourages educators to take risks in creating a more effective education system. This study compares and contrasts the perceptions of state legislators and local educators on what constitutes effective indicators of success for Venture Capital schools. The methods used to collect data for this study were interviews and surveys. The study examined three sets of data: (1) state-level stakeholder interviews, (2) school-based data of 65 randomly selected schools collected by the Venture Capital Assessment Team, and (3) a survey of state legislators and local educators' perceptions on indicators of success. Generally speaking, legislators supported the need for school improvement and Venture Capital's objective for systemic reform. However, there was considerable disagreement on which indicators of success should guide the performance of schools participating in the Venture Capital Program. Generally speaking, state and local stakeholders valued a wide array of indicators. Based upon the findings of this study, several conclusions can be drawn. First, Ohio legislators see a need for and strongly support renovating and revitalizing the public education system. Second, interviewed do not possess indepth knowledge about Venture schools and/or quality indicators. Third, state stakeholders place the highest value on indicators related to parental involvement, but there is not a consensus on how to assess this important reform variable.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13177
The literature suggests that parental involvement in schools results in positive changes in students and that schools need to provide opportunities for parents to share in the learning process. Workshops are an effective method of engaging parents in the education of their children. This dissertation studies the effects of voluntary Family Science and Technology Workshops on elementary children's science interest and achievement, as well as on parents' collaboration in their child's education. The study involved 35 second and third-grade students and their parents who volunteered to participate. The parental volunteers were randomly assigned to either the control group (children attending the workshops without a parent) or the treatment group (children attending the workshops with a parent). The study was conducted in the Fall of 1995 over a four-week period. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine the effects of the workshops on children's science achievement and science curiosity, as well as on parents' involvement with their child's education. The study revealed that there was no significant statistical difference at the.05 level between the treatment/control groups in children's science achievement or science curiosity, or in parent's involvement with their children's education. However, the study did focus parental attention on effective education and points the way to more extensive research in this critical learning area. This dual study, that is, the effects of teaching basic technology to young students with the support of their parents, reflects the focus of the Salve Regina University Ph.D. program in which technology is examined in its effects on humans. In essence, this program investigates what it means to be human in an age of advanced technology.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13165
This study explores the complex interaction and individuality of students in a community college basic writing class. Students represented a diverse population in terms of age and ethnicity. The study makes use of informal as well as formal modes of writing in the classroom as a way to understand writing as both an individual activity and a social process. The two formal assignments were on the topic of literacy: first, students described their personal histories with learning to read and write; second, students researched their community or family's attitudes towards reading and writing. Journals and informal writings documented students' understanding of the writing process and perceptions of the classroom experience. The research reflects how writing in the classroom encouraged personal reflection and problem solving in a very immediate manner. Students interpreted and re-interpreted life experiences and were empowered to move outside limitations they had experienced. Research revealed the value of studying writing in the context of the classroom. Field notes, description of classroom experience, and large portions of students' writings contribute to the interpretation. Case histories are used to follow the experiences of particular students. The teacher/researcher reflects on her theoretical framework, referring to objectivist, subjectivist, transactional/interactionist, feminist and socio-cultural theories. As participant research, both teacher and students describe the effects of observation, dialogue, and reflection in this classroom environment. Further interpretation of the findings focuses on developing a more comprehensive understanding of the concepts "purpose," "authority/confidence," and the question "What is writing?" This research was designed so that it can be replicated as research or as curriculum and may be considered action research.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13152
The Taos Education Center (TEC) was created in the Fall of 1973 as a Resident Instruction Program from the New Mexico Highlands University. Later in 1982 this program was formally established as a Center through the Off Campus Act. In the time period from 1973-1997 the TEC has been governed by three different parent institutions: New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU), Northern New Mexico Community College (NNMCC) and The University of New Mexico (UNM). This study investigated the evolution of The Taos Education Center from 1973 to the present, focusing especially on the influence of political and socio-economic variables in its formation and subsequent development. To accomplish this study a qualitative research design was used, specifically an historical case study, with data collected through interviews with 28 informants and document analysis. Political factors which played a key role in the evolution of the TEC were related to efforts at the national, state and local level. At the national level, Financial Aid Programs and Bilingual Education Programs have been significant during the 24 years of the TEC through educational opportunities for minority groups. The community college mission has helped the Taos Education Center to reinforce the educational opportunities to the Taos County population. At the state level the New Mexico Commission of Higher Education, the New Mexico State Department of Education and the New Mexico Legislature also represented an important role in decisions related to the expansion, curricular changes, and financial matters that have affected the TEC. Furthermore, politics and key players at the local level have had the most important influence in this postsecondary institution. Among the key participants, the Taos School Board of Education, and local educational administrators have been very involved in decisions and efforts to maintain and support the TEC during its 24 years of service in Taos County.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13059
Encounters with value conflicts and ethical dilemmas are inevitable occurrences in social work practice in today's complex and technologically advanced society. Competent practice in an era characterized by encroaching managed care, increasing allegations of malpractice, and the rationing of scarce resources demands sensitivity to ethical issues, knowledge sufficient for engaging in ethical analysis, and skill in ethical decision making. A descriptive and exploratory study of values, ethics, and ethical dilemmas in the undergraduate social work curriculum employed a cross-sectional survey design to address eight research questions: the definition of ethics, the inclusion of ethical content, the importance of ethical content in the curriculum, educational goals for instruction in ethics, the pervasiveness of ethics in social work, the relevance of resolution alternatives for ethical dilemmas, proficiency in ethical decision making, and the experience of teaching ethics in undergraduate social work education. The sample consisted of faculty and students from 25 programs of undergraduate social work education in the U.S. Survey results indicated the importance of the NASW Code of Ethics and social work values as definitions of ethics and as resolution alternatives for ethical dilemmas. The goal of expanding self awareness was identified as an important one for BSW education. Respondents demonstrated proficiency in recognizing and characterizing the nature of an ethical dilemma portrayed in a vignette. When proposing a resolution to the dilemma, respondents relied on a problem-solving approach, indicating a lack of skill (a) in conceptualizing a dilemma as two desirable outcomes which exist in tension with one another and (b) in analyzing and prioritizing the competing values represented in the dilemma. Implications for social work education include the need for incorporating a seminar on social work ethics into the undergraduate curriculum, with content focused on the concepts, principles, and skills of ethical analysis. Additional implications include the need for the development and testing of resources to assist faculty in the teaching of ethics in the courses of the professional foundation.
ORDER NO: ABA98-13000
The purpose of this paper was to research and to examine a rationale for developing a more effective and efficient means of providing leadership instruction. Learning styles and leadership styles were investigated and their relationships studied. The study included 41 subjects, doctoral students in education at Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky. The instruments used were the Learning Style Measure, developed by Dr. Bernice McCarthy, author of the 4MAT Learning System. The Learning Style Measure was administered to the research subjects to determine preferred learning styles. The Leadership Style Behavioral Matrix, authored by Susan Sayer, was also given to all subjects to ascertain preferred leadership styles. Sections of the literature review included leadership training, leadership style theory, adult learning theory, learning style theory, and the 4MAT learning system. Results of the study indicated a relationship existed, however, most outcomes were not at a statistically significant level. In some specific instances, the results did indicate statistically significant results.
ORDER NO: ABA98-12969
This dissertation provides information concerning the educational experience of females studying in undergraduate fields of math, engineering and science at a large research institution in the West. The majority of the participants were Project Access students, chosen because of their high achievements in science and mathematics during their secondary education. The study identifies and attempts to understand critical factors within the academic environment of science that contribute to female persistence in math, engineering and science (MES) disciplines. The study postulates that universities can make a difference in the education of women by providing programs that assure quality education and the fostering of female interest in science domains. The study recommends the incorporation of collaborative learning processes and teaching methods, cohort involvement and the fostering of study groups, encouragement of professorial associations with students, and internship and lab programs in an attempt to provide a more holistic and less fragmented education, thus benefiting women seeking MES degrees. Also, the research presented in this paper determined that the formation of positive associations and support networks was crucial to college female population studied. The interpretive study's aim is to enhance persistence rates among undergraduate students studying in math, engineering and science fields.
ORDER NO: ABA98-12891
Self-regulation, the ability to control one's cognitions and behaviors to attain goals, is associated with academic success in higher education. For a variety of reasons, some students are entering colleges and universities without being able to self-regulate their academic behavior. Institutions of higher education have responded with courses designed to assist students in learning self-regulated behavior. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into such a course and its impact on students by focusing on teacher intentions for the course, implementation of those intentions, and student perceptions of instruction.
ORDER NO: ABA98-12873
American autobiography represents a diverse body of writing which raises a number of questions about what it means to be American, to be a writing subject, and to be heard and read in the multinational context of the United States. Because these issues are at the core of discourses about multiculturalism, autobiography is richly suggestive in theorizing curricular change to reflect the diversity of U.S. experience. Drawing on feminist, literary, and pedagogical theories, this dissertation sets up cross-cultural dialogues between six women writers' autobiographies to address teaching issues such as the role of identity and identity politics in the classroom, cross-cultural communication, and belonging and affiliation in school settings. The dissertation sets up intentional contact zones, which Mary Louise Pratt defines as "social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other... in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power." In view of the cross-cultural work represented by the dialogic acts of reading and writing in the contact zone, the dissertation models what Caren Kaplan has called "resistance criticism," and thus contributes to a growing body of feminist criticism which attempts to bridge theory with practice, criticism with politics, and the personal with the public. Chapter One introduces the theoretical concepts underpinning the work. Chapter Two compares Annie Dillard's An American Childhood with Audre Lorde's autobiography Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, calling attention to the diversity of American identity through themes of safety, danger, and belonging. Cherrie Moraga's Loving in the War Years and The Last Generation are placed in dialogue with Spiderwoman Theater's film Sun, Moon and Feather in Chapter Three. Framing these works as autoethnography, the chapter focuses specifically on issues of biculturality and "passing." Chapter Four looks at the concepts of lies, truth, and authority in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's autobiography, The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Zora Neale Hurston's Dust Tracks on a Road. Chapter Five brings together the cross-cultural issues of previous chapters by offering a model for curricular change in university literature and writing courses which utilizes both autobiography and cross-cultural dialogues in course content and structure.
ORDER NO: ABA98-12756
This study was designed to survey and analyze contemporary African American college students' perceptions of their ethnic identity and cultural heritage. The data collected by the survey instrument was analyzed on its own terms within the context of larger questions of historical trends among African Americans as it regards their feelings, attitudes, and perspectives toward ethnic versus national identity. This work also investigates the current educational curriculum controversy regarding multiculturalism and the role of public schools in addressing questions of ethnic identity. These questions of history, culture, ethnic identity, and multiculturalism are all interrelated and together have great bearing on the development of sound educational policy. Hence, the objective of the study is to identify African American undergraduate students belief systems, worldviews, as well as their level of consciousness as it pertains to the existence and preservation of African American culture and heritage. Specifically, this dissertation addresses three major research questions, they are as follows: (1) Are there gender differences in major domains or dimensions of cultural identity among this African American sample which I have surveyed? (2) Do African American students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities differ from their counterparts in Traditionally White Institutions? and (3) How do various dimensions of cultural identity differentiate African American students in their orientations toward multicultural policy issues? These questions are addressed with primary data obtained through the survey instrument. Quantitative descriptive analysis will present the results within the following chapters of this dissertation.
ORDER NO: ABA98-12583
Conceptualizing response to student writing as communication, this dissertation challenges basic assumptions about what constitutes effective response, the influences that shape it, and how it is achieved. Drawing on sociohistoric theory and a semester-long naturalistic study of two college classrooms, it begins by arguing that both teachers and scholars, when conceptualizing response, can shift into a transmission model of communication, presuming that language has meaning in and of itself, independent of particular contexts and people, and thus that students and teachers do or at least should understand each other's intended meanings. Noting that scholars and teachers do not consistently (or consciously) rely on a transmission model but rather shift between this model and "post-transmission" models, the dissertation points out that such shifting is significant given the widely-held assumption that people's models of communication are stable. It then goes on to account for these shifts, noting that an awareness of the influences that trigger them will help teachers and scholars gain more control over the models of communication that inform their practice, research, and theory-building. Gaining such control over our models of communication is important because these models can significantly shape the outcomes of an interaction, in particular how much students learn. How we think communication works, in other words, shapes how we do communicate, and in turn shapes how effectively we are able to respond to students. The dissertation then examines two families of "post-transmission" models, the "meaning-as-negotiated" and dialogic models, and extends the latter to take into account awareness of interpretive difference. Based on this extension of the dialogic model, it is argued that communicative problems can often be traced not to interpretive difference, as has generally been assumed, but rather to lack of awareness of interpretive difference. Working within this revised framework will not only prevent our theories of "misunderstanding" from being impoverished, but it will also allow us to develop strategies to communicate, and thus to teach, more effectively. | ||||||||||||
