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1997 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 21
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ORDER NO: ABA98-06591 THE IMPACT OF SELECTIVE FACTORS RELATED TO COMPLETING THE DOCTOR OF ARTS DEGREE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY Author: BENNETT, RODNEY DWAYNE Degree: ED.D. Year: 1996 Corporate Source/Institution: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (0840) Director: PAUL CARAHER Source: VOLUME 58/08-A OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 2914. 113 PAGES Descriptors: EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION; EDUCATION, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION; EDUCATION, HIGHER
The purpose of this study was to provide a profile of students who were and were not able to successfully complete all degree requirements for the Doctor of Arts program at Middle Tennessee State University from 1990 through 1995. Differences, as well as similarities, between degreed and non-degreed students were identified in regard to the following areas: (a) demographics; (b) attitudes and perceptions of the program in the area of curriculum, administration, and interaction with faculty, advisors, and committee members; and (c) specific factors impacting the student's current status of either degreed or non-degreed. The study found that the profile of a degreed DA student at MTSU was a white married male, about 35 years old, who was a senior college faculty member earning between $30,000 and \$35,000 per year. The profile of a non-degreed DA student was also a white married male, about 36 years old, who was not a faculty member and made less than $30,000 per year. The study found that degreed students consistently reported a favorable attitude in all areas of subjective factors tested in this study. Non-degreed students did not provide such a favorable response in the same areas. The study found no significant difference between degreed and non-degreed students as it related to gender and current professional position at the time of the study. However, a significant difference was identified between degreed and non-degreed students when they were compared on the basis of professional position at the time of admittance into the program. Additionally, the study found significance between the salary level of degreed and non-degreed students. The study concluded that the greatest barriers to completing the DA program were: (a) interference with regular jobs, 33%; (b) lost interest in the program, 27%; and (c) acquired a job in which the degree was not necessary, 27%. Surprisingly, the study found that only 3% of those students leaving the DA program cited problems with the dissertation as a factor. Finally, the study concluded that more than 88% of the students participating in the study dropped out of the DA program prior to completing all course work requirements.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06590
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship of cooperative learning to critical thinking and achievement test scores. Data were collected by using the Nelson Deny Reading Test (Forms C & D), midterm examination, final examination, and four activities from the selected class text "Thinking Critically." The study lasted for 14 weeks and was conducted at Tennessee State University during the 1994 Fall semester. The subjects were 80 students enrolled in selected classes of remedial reading. The use of cooperative learning as an instructional methodology promote the cognitive beliefs that the subject matter was important, and that the student can affect his/her achievement in the class. The creativeness of problem solving depended upon the presence of controversy and divergent thinking within a group. The findings of the study support the view that students who use the cooperative learning structure attached greater importance to academic achievement and believed that their peers had a positive interest in their success in learning (Hutten, 1991, p. 11). Cooperative learning challenged students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they worked in groups. A non-independent experimental/control group was analyzed through correlational F test comparing pretest and posttest scores for the two groups analyzed. Statistical analysis of the results controlling for previous learning using an analysis of covariance procedure was tabulated for both groups. The results of the study showed that there were significant differences between the groups in achievement scores according to the instruments used in the study. Cooperative learning was found to be an effective method of instruction to be used in remedial reading classes.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06455
The focus of this study was on the potential impact of sex and gender-role orientation on one form of evaluation within higher education. Specifically, this study investigated sex and gender-role orientation as they relate to graduate student end-of-course evaluations of professors in the Counselor Education and the Counseling Psychology fields. Students enrolled in graduate courses in counselor education or counseling psychology at a large university in the Midwest completed the Instructional Development and Effectiveness Assessment (IDEA) end-of-course rating form, a modified version the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) short form, and a student questionnaire. Professors also participated by completing the IDEA Faculty Information Form and a modified version of the BSRI. The completion of these instruments allowed for the collection of data regarding the three independent variables in this study (sex of student, sex of professor, and gender-role orientation of professor as perceived by students) and the three dependent variables used for analysis (rating of self-reported progress on 10 separate learning objectives, rating of the instructor, and rating of the course). The data were analyzed for main effects and interaction effects using analyses of variance. No evidence for interaction effects was found. The results yielded by these analyses failed to provide consistent evidence for a main effect of student sex. The results yielded by these analyses provided some evidence for a main effect of professor sex when including only this variable in the model. However, when professor gender-role orientation as perceived by students was also included in the model, the analyses failed to yield consistent evidence for a main effect of student sex. Finally, the results did yield consistent evidence for a main effect of professor gender-role orientation and suggested that this variable explained a significantly greater proportion of variability in the student ratings of professors than did student sex or professor sex. These results may be useful to faculty members and administrators when considering issues or complaints of sex bias within student evaluations. They may also provide useful information about professorial qualities and styles appreciated by students within counselor education and counseling psychology.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06452
Many studies have been done concerning the classroom climate, particularly in the university setting. It has been found that the classroom climate for women is one that is cold, unreceptive, unwelcoming, and even hostile to women. This chilly reception is endured by female undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors. This researcher believes that the chilly classroom climate also extends to female graduate teaching assistants/instructors, I also believe that this chilly climate may be chillier and more hostile for them, since graduate teaching assistants/instructors do not have the status associated with a doctoral degree. This concept is the basis for what I have covered in my investigation of the college classroom. I utilized a triangulation of methods to explore the discrimination against female graduate teaching assistants/instructors within the classroom setting. My methods include unobtrusive observations, surveys, and consciousness-raising debriefings. What was found was that graduate teachers/instructors, whether female or male, experience a chilly/hostile classroom climate. However, female graduate teachers/instructors are more often than male graduate teachers/instructors confronted with hostile student behavior. Additionally, it was found that females in general are more often than males devalued by their students. Further research is suggested concerning this topic.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06352
Stepwise multiple regression and discriminant function analyses were used to investigate the relationship between predictor variables (gender, academic course credits, aesthetic course credits, practical course credits, high school grade point average (HSGPA), and American College Test (ACT) score) and each of two measures of college success (Utah Valley State College grade point average (UVSC GPA) and completion rate of two full-time freshman year semesters). Participants were 409 students who began their freshman year fall semester, 1995. Results indicated that only HSGPA and ACT score were effective predictors of the two measures of college success. The current practice of using high school course type in making college admissions decisions was not supported.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06343
The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant difference in the grade distribution in sections taught using the distance learning format and in sections taught by the same instructor in the same term, but utilizing the traditional classroom format. Data for courses were collected from the four colleges and/or universities by questionnaire, and were compared by figuring an average grade point average (GPA) for each setting. There were 397 students enrolled in the distance learning setting used in the study and 380 students enrolled in the traditional classroom setting. The study indicated no significant differences in average GPA's between distance (2.97) and traditional (3.0) formats. However, the results indicated that student completion rates might be higher in the traditional setting than in the distance setting, suggesting the need for additional research on student withdrawal in order to identify causes of higher withdrawal rate and opportunities for improving the completion rate for distance students. Eleven tables are presented representing the grade distribution and average GPA for the two learning settings, along with additional comparative information about the students enrolled in the two settings. The average GPA for each setting as used in this study was defined as the mean of the grades awarded by one instructor, in one course section, during two terms. Grades and quality points used in this study and included in the calculation of average, GPA were as follows: A = 4 points; B = 3 points; C = 2 points; D = 1 point; F = 0 points. Grades of "W" and "I" were not used in the calculations of average, GPA to maintain data integrity, sections of courses were included in the study only when an instructor taught two sections of one course; one section in the distance learning format and the other section in the traditional format and during the same term. Instructor and course information are coded to provide appropriate and complete instructor and student anonymity.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06334
This research explores the use of midterm grade reports in the Developmental Studies Math classes at Middle Tennessee State University during the spring, summer, and fall semesters of 1996. Twenty sections of DSM classes were used; ten in the experimental group and ten in the control group. The experimental group in which students received midterm grade reports consisted of five Elementary Algebra classes and five Intermediate Algebra classes. The control group in which students did not receive midterm grade reports consisted of the same type of classes. A total of 359 students were involved. The researcher gathered data from the twenty classes in the sample population in the form of gradebooks or spreadsheets used by each instructor. She used spreadsheets to calculate the midterm averages for the classes that did not receive midterm grade reports by the same manner in which she had calculated midterm averages for the classes that did receive midterm grade reports. Spreadsheets were also used for both the experimental and control groups to find the improvement between (1) the midterm and final averages and (2) the pretest scares and posttest scores. These improvements gave interval scales of measurement. Assuming a normal. distribution because of the large sample size, parametric tests were used. The means of the different groups were compared by 2-sample t-tests to determine if there is a significant difference in the two sets of improvement. No significant difference was found in the improvement between the midterm averages and the final averages in Elementary Algebra or Intermediate Algebra. No significant difference was found in the improvement between pretest scores and posttest scores in Elementary Algebra. A significant difference was found in the improvement between pretest scores and posttest scores in Intermediate Algebra. Another 2-sample t-test showed the improvement to be greater in the classes that did not receive midterm grade reports than in the classes that did receive the reports.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06324
Path analysis was utilized to test the validity of a hypothetical causal model, depicting the influence of students' stressors on Grade Point Average (GPA) when mediated by: (1) Cognitive Appraisal Strategies; (2) Cognitive Reactions; (3) Emotional Reactions; (4) Physiological Reactions; (5) Mastery Orientation; (6) Performance Orientation; and (7) Academic Self-Concept. Students' stressors consisted of: (1) Instruction and Evaluation; (2) Classroom Environment; (3) Teachers; (4) Work; (5) Family; and (6) Negative Personal Beliefs. The convenience sample consisted of college students (N = 582) from two major universities in the Midsouth: The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, and the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma. Students completed questionnaires designed to assess the aforementioned causal relationship. Results revealed that Academic Self-Concept was the most influential and predictive of GPA. Cognitive Appraisal Strategies and Negative Personal Beliefs Stressors had strong influences on Academic Self-Concept. Furthermore, Negative Personal Beliefs Stressors strongly influenced Cognitive Appraisal Strategies. Additionally, Negative Personal Beliefs Stressors correlated strongly with all stressors and stress reactions. Finally, tests for "goodness of fit" indicated that the trimmed model fits the data well.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06313
The purpose of this study was to examine the processes used in case analysis by preservice teachers in a media and technology course. Four aspects of case analysis were examined: (a) how students process information in case analysis, (b) how these processes of analysis develop over time, (c) motivational patterns which match theoretically consistent patterns of case processing, and (d) students' perceptions of the usefulness of cases for learning. This research took place in the context of an actual college course in which case analysis was a normal part of instruction. Verbal protocols of case analyses from six participants and written protocols from another six participants were the primary data sources, supplemented by several surveys and personal interactions with participants. Data were analyzed using the constant-comparative method. The data suggested that several processes were occurring during students' analyses of the cases and that the amount and depth of these processes varied by participant across time. These processes included restating, reflecting, questioning, and perspective-taking. Such processes are consistent with the literature regarding the importance of prior knowledge, schema induction and acquisition, restructuring of schema during problem-solving, and the development of expertise. Process evidence from the protocols also showed mismatches with survey data in motivation and self-regulation. The findings also support previous studies about the use of case-based instruction as an appealing method which helps students learn to "think like teachers."
ORDER NO: ABA98-06308
The major purpose of this study was to measure the impact an institutional effectiveness process had on Texas senior institutions. A second major purpose was to measure the degree to which institutions have embraced the concepts of institutional effectiveness during the last five years and to measure the effect the institutional effectiveness process has had on educational goals, planning, and achievement. The study focused on the Texas public and private senior institutions of higher education which are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The first phase involved the development of the questionnaire through a review of the literature and the identification of the basis of the SACS criteria on the institutional effectiveness process. The second phase involved the use of the panel of experts to establish face and content validity of the instrument. As a result of the panel's responses some of the items were reworded, some dropped, others added. The resulting instrument contained 88 items. For the final phase, the instrument was mailed to 71 Texas senior institutions in April 1997. Thirty-two responses were received; a 45 percent response. Techniques employed in the analysis of the data included descriptive statistics (such as frequencies, percentages, and means) and the Cochran's Q test. Statistical significance was tested at the.05 level. SACS has strengthened its criteria on the institutional effectiveness function continuously striving to improve the educational quality in the region. The results of the analysis significantly documented that Texas senior institutions, overall, have put into place an institutional effectiveness process that has implemented change(s). Changes have occurred in all areas including: student, program, and administrative and educational support services. The results of this study indicated that institutions have made significant advances in meeting the criteria relating to institutional effectiveness established by SACS. The study indicted institutions may not have implemented all aspects of the process, but have made significant progress in complying with SACS Criteria. Institutions have made the most progress in implementing the institutional effectiveness process in the use of results where the proportion of institutions reporting the use of results increased from 12 percent to 84 percent over the last five years. The evaluation of assessment efforts involving student and program outcomes has effectively helped the institution reach its educational goals and evaluate its program quality.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06306
Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine educators' beliefs about the use of the Internet for multicultural education. Comparisons of beliefs were made according to the selected educators' background factors of gender and age, ethnicity and student ethnicity in school, subject and grade-level taught, use of the Internet, and use of the Internet for multicultural education. Barriers to using the Internet for multicultural education, as perceived by selected Texas educators, were examined. Procedure. A 39-item survey questionnaire was used to collect data. The subjects were 229 educators enrolled in graduate courses at a southwestern regional university. The overall beliefs about the use of the Internet for multicultural education were analyzed by frequencies and frequency percentages. The differences in beliefs were analyzed by Chi Square $(\chi\sp2)$ statistics. Findings. Educators responded positively on twenty of the questionnaire items regarding the usefulness of the Internet for multicultural education. Significant differences were found in educators' beliefs according to their ethnic background, student ethnic population, and grade levels taught in the school. No differences were found in educator's beliefs according to educators' gender and age, subject taught, and use of the Internet. Language differences and misunderstanding, lack of face-to-face communication, bias and unwillingness to communicate, some of the limitations of the Internet, and difficulty in curriculum integration were considered as barriers to using the Internet for multicultural education. Conclusions. These selected educators have positive beliefs about using the Internet for multicultural education. On-line and face-to-face communication are considered as enhance each other in intercultural communication. The usefulness of the Internet in foreign language and second language learning is still questioned by educators. Educators have similar beliefs on the issue of using the Internet for multicultural education regardless of their gender, age, subject taught, and use of the Internet. Non-Caucasian educators and Caucasian educators have different beliefs. Also, educators who work in schools of more than 30% of ethnic minority students and educators who work in schools of lower than 31% of ethnic minority students have different beliefs. Educators in K-12 and higher education have different beliefs.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06304
The primary purpose of this study was to compare differences among learning-style groups and their preferences for teaching methods with nontraditional college students. The effects of gender and age groups on preferred teaching methods also were studied. The participants in this study were 183 nontraditional undergraduate students (ages 25 and older) enrolled at Texas A&M University -Commerce (TAMUC) in the spring of 1997. The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory Form G was used to identify participants' learning styles, and the Teaching Methods Preference Questionnaire, which consisted of 10 teaching methods commonly used in higher education classrooms, was utilized to assess participants' preferences for teaching methods. A Demographic Information Form was utilized to classify the participants. A descriptive research design was used in this study. Hypotheses were tested by use of a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, the Tukey/Kramer method was utilized to test the hypothesis that compared multiple groups. All hypotheses were tested at the.05 level of significance. Findings indicated that preferences for the teaching methods of brainstorming, group project, lecture, small group, and videotapes/films were significantly different between extroversion (E) students and introversion (I) students. Preferences for the teaching methods of demonstration, discussion, research, and videotapes/films were significantly different between sensing (S) students and intuition (N) students. Demonstration was the only teaching method that revealed a significant difference between the preferences of the male and those of the female nontraditional college students. Age did not have a significant effect among nontraditional college students in their preferences for teaching methods.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06287
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if the intent and goals of the professional growth requirements of Senate Bill 813 for credential renewal are being achieved as policy changes have been implemented over the post decade. To realize this purpose, the research was intended to describe and measure: (1) the content of teachers' professional growth, (2) the conditions of commitment that influence a teacher's selection of professional growth content, (3) what incentives motivate teachers to participate in professional growth, (4) which sources of professional development are most commonly used by teachers, and (5) what difference, if any, exists between new and veteran teachers in any of the four preceding items. Methodology. This was a descriptive study. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from both new and veteran teachers. Two teachers from 161 randomly selected schools representing 17 of 18 districts in a northern California county participated in the study. Responses from 105 veteran teachers, and 94 new teachers were received and analyzed through descriptive statistics. Findings. Six of the nineteen areas of knowledge and skill that define quality professional growth were contained in the last 150 hours of professional growth of 75 percent or more of the respondents. Teachers reported moderately high levels of commitment to the majority of specified knowledge and skill areas. In addition, personal interest and practicality were found to be the most important incentives for professional growth participation. Teachers were also found more often to chose the college and university option as providers of professional growth. Finally, new and veteran teachers were found to have the same general response to all surveyed items. Conclusions. Both new and veteran teachers reported similar characteristics in that they: (1) have moderately high commitment to quality, professional growth content in fulfillment of their credential renewal requirement, (2) are motivated to select content that is personally interesting and practical, and (3) chiefly use colleges and universities to receive professional growth experience. Recommendations. On the basis of this study, it is recommended that: (1) continuous professional growth for credential renewal become a required additional component of the teacher evaluation process, and (2) the teacher and evaluator/professional growth advisor review relevant research that describes the critical competencies which define the teaching profession.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06241
This study investigates the acquisition of Russian grammatical aspect by 30 American college students who participated in a four month study-abroad program in Russia. The data consist of oral proficiency interviews administered before and after the study-abroad program. The use of Russian aspect in the past tense was then coded for all of the participants. The method of investigation was both cross-sectional and longitudinal with an emphasis on form-to-function analysis. Interviews with seven native speakers of Russian allowed the interlanguage data to be compared with target-language utterances elicited in similar circumstances. It was found that the acquisition of Russian aspect was similar to both first and second language acquisition of tense and aspect systems in other languages. The system which emerges strongly supports the idea of pragmatic marking of both the perfective and the imperfective verb in Russian. The perfective verb is the first to acquire a productive formal marking of meaning, while the imperfective is the first to be acquired for target-like usage. Study-abroad is shown to have several significant effects on the use of aspect by American students. Implications for the teaching of Russian grammatical aspect are discussed.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06188
Employers and educators have drawn attention to the deficiency of critical thinking skills among college students. Although increasing numbers of students with learning disabilities are enrolling in institutions of higher education, research attempting to design effective methods of instruction of critical thinking skills for postsecondary students with learning disabilities has been limited. This study examined the effectiveness of several methods of instruction of critical thinking skills for postsecondary students with and without learning disabilities. Seventy-five subjects were involved: 56 subjects without documented learning disabilities and 19 subjects with learning disabilities. Two instructional methods were used, one an enhanced version of the other. Three groups of students were involved. Two received explicit and embedded instruction of critical thinking skills as part of the curriculum of a literature course. One of those groups was also instructed in the use of icons which were designed to enhance instruction as aids to processing or representatives of analogous modes of thoughts. Inclusion of the icons was based on evidence of their effectiveness as found in a review of the literature (Grossen & Carnine, 1990: Montague & Bos, 1986). The third group was the control group. All students completed pre- and post-intervention tests: Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Forms A & B. Data from writing samples required for the class were gathered, and dichotomously coded to assess the connections between LD status and method of instruction as well as transfer of those skills. Using the pretest as the covariate, analyses of covariance were used to determine differences between means. The findings revealed that students who received explicit instruction improved their scores; however, instruction enhanced by icons was not more effective than instruction without icons. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences on the percentage scores on the writing samples of the two treatment groups. Students with LD received consistently lower scores on the writing samples. Qualitative data, which included the instructor's journal and interviews with a subset of the sample, indicated that subjects were more focused on comprehending content than they were on acquiring critical thinking skills.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06163
Reform efforts in science education stress the importance of preservice and inservice teacher education in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. A change in current student assessment practices is seen as the catalyst in the reform of curriculum and instruction. Recommended for assessment of the proposed inquiry-based science programs are performance-based assessments (National Research Council, 1996). The constructivist philosophy, the foundation for these reform efforts, proposes that knowledge acquisition by the learner is a result of the interaction between what is brought to the learning situation and what is experienced while in it. Literature supports the use of constructivist-based instructional strategies for preservice and inservice teacher education (American Federation of Teachers, National Council on Measurement in Education, and National Education Association, 1990). Literature also provides support for the importance of teacher beliefs in relation to the successful transfer of these instructional strategies (Keegan, 1992; Nespor, 1987). There is not supporting evidence related to constructivist instructional strategies and teacher beliefs transferring to the use of performance assessment. This study identified whether preservice and inservice teachers differed with respect to their beliefs about constructivist-based learning strategies and performance assessment. It also identified whether teacher beliefs held about constructivist-based learning strategies were related to the construction of assessments they developed for use in their classrooms. Education majors enrolled in a Northeastern university's assessment course and inservice teachers from three Northeast public school districts participated in this study. Results of a 36-item belief survey, administered to preservice and inservice teachers, and a 10-item checklist, used to score assessment examples provided by the teachers, concluded that attitudes toward constructivist-based learning strategies is a predictor for group membership with the inservice teacher group. There is a correlation between attitudes toward constructivism and attitudes related to the benefits of using performance assessments for both the preservice and inservice groups. There is not a significant correlation between constructivist attitudes and using performance assessment. Although teachers in this study hold constructivist attitudes and acknowledge the benefits of using performance assessment, they do not use performance assessments.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06050
This study examined the effects of a multiple component study strategy on learners' immediate and delayed retention of novel concepts from text. Students in the treatment class received a multiple component study strategy as a homework assignment to assist them in processing the text. The control class received no formal assistance in how to study the text. Graded spotquizzes were also used in both classes as an incentive to encourage students to study. Data was analyzed to determine whether learners who received the study strategy with the incentive would recall the concepts in the text better than those who received the incentive alone on several short-term and delayed achievement measures. Students' college grade point averages (GPA) were also collected to determine whether general academic achievement moderated the effect of the treatment. Students also reported the amount of time they spent studying throughout the course. Additionally, this study distinguished between achievement and reported study time at different periods in the course (early and late) to determine differences in the effect of the treatment at different times during the course. The results showed no significant differences between the performance of the two classes on any of the achievement measures. Although level of GPA predicted course performance, the treatment had no differential effects across levels of GPA. The performance of the treatment class improved from early in the course to late in the course while the scores of the control class did not improve across the period of instruction. However, the interaction between treatment and the period of instruction did not reach statistical significance. The reported study times for the treatment class decreased from early to late in the course while the reports of the control class did not creating a significant interaction between treatment and period of instruction on reported study time. However, the reported study times were significantly higher for the treatment class during both the early and late periods of the course. The results of the study are discussed in light of past research. Implications of the study are also discussed along with suggestions for future research.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06035
The purposes of the study were (1) to determine whether computer attitudes differ among various demographic groups; (2) to investigate the ways in which the systemic variables such as technology training programs, administrative support, and colleague relationships influence the computer attitudes of teachers; and (3) to identify the characteristics of teacher groups and their different levels of computer attitudes. The computer attitude scale developed by Nickell and Pinto (1986) was administrated to 651 university business instructors in Taiwan. The independent variables included age, gender, computer knowledge/skills, computer experiences, academic background, knowing a programming language, technology training background, administrative support, and collegial relationships. The dependent variables were positive attitudes, intimidation, usefulness of computers, and negative attitudes toward computers. There were 13 hypotheses tested. The statistical methods of one way Multivariate Analysis of Variances (MANOVA), and multiple Linear regression were used. Computer ownership, length of computer use and computer knowledge/skills, colleague relationships, teaching methods for technology training, and administrative support contributed to the positive attitudes about computers. Feelings of intimidation about computers were affected by gender, age, computer ownership, length of computer use, academic background, programming language experience and computer knowledge/skills. Colleague relationship and teaching methods for technology training were also related to feelings of intimidation about computers. Age, computer ownership, length of computer use, academic background and computer knowledge/skills affected the usefulness of computers. Colleague relationship and teaching methods used in technology training also related to the usefulness of the computer. Different groups of gender, computer ownership, length of computer use, in-service technology training backgrounds and computer knowledge/skills demonstrated different negative attitudes. Colleague relationships and teaching methods for technology training also related to negative computer attitudes. Areas recommended for further study included: (1) establishing the relationship between computer attitudes and computer usage; (2) developing appropriate methods to reduce feelings of intimidation and negative attitudes; (3) improving teaching methods of technology training programs; (4) finding appropriate ways to integrate technology into teaching ; and (5) improving collegial relationships.
ORDER NO: ABA98-06014
This dissertation proposes a typology of community college students that includes traditional college students and seven types of nontraditional students. Since the 1960s the number and types of nontraditional students has increased as a broader portion of the American population seeks higher education. Based on the literature of the past twenty-five years, a typology of eight students types was developed and tested for existence. Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, profiles of each student type was developed. The profiles were tested for differences among the eight types. Of the student population in the campus studied, only 1% were traditional college students. The remaining students were clustered into three primary and four secondary types. Differences among the primary types were observed across six categories of defining characteristics. The primary groups included first-generation adult students who were unprepared for college, unprepared "New" students who were not first-generation students, and nontraditional adult students who were not first-generation students. Contrary to previous studies of nontraditional students, students in this study reported support for their education efforts from their family, friends and employers. The study concludes with a suggested three-dimensional community college function model that provides a means to consider the "fit" or congruence between the function model in place at a community college and profile of the students the college attracts.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05938
This study describes and compares perceptions of: (a) scientific literacy; (b) the National Science Education Standards (NSES) (NRC, 1996); and (c) elementary teachers' scientific literacy and elementary teacher preparation programs. Study participants were university professors involved in elementary science teacher preparation. Interview and course syllabi data allowed for descriptions and comparisons of professors' perceptions of: (a) the definition, components, and implementation of scientific literacy, (b) NSES' definition and components of scientific literacy, the NSES document, NSES' inquiry emphasis, and barriers to NSES' implementation, and (c) elementary teachers' scientific literacy and elementary teacher preparation programs. The study was conducted in a southeastern state university system in the summer and fall of 1996. Thirty-one science teacher educators from nine state universities were interviewed, including sixteen life/physical science professors and fifteen elementary science education professors. Results indicated that science professors emphasized science content when defining scientific literacy, while science education professors emphasized science inquiry. Science professors used lecture to promote scientific literacy, while science education professors used student participation. Science professors were less familiar with NSES than science education professors. Professors were generally positive toward NSES and its inquiry emphasis, but expressed concern about the balance between science inquiry and content. Barriers to implementation of NSES were cited, including society/community and classroom teachers. Most professors indicated that elementary teachers were generally unprepared to teach science, recommending changes in university teacher preparation, in elementary school structure, and among individual teachers to enhance elementary teacher preparation. Based on the findings, further study is recommended to describe differences between perceptions and implementation of scientific literacy among science professors and science education professors, including perceptions of laboratory and community college science instructors. More training and exposure to NSES are recommended for university professors, particularly for science professors. More efficient dissemination, a more specific implementation plan, and a description of the universities' responsibility regarding NSES is suggested. Science and methods courses structured around NSES and the K-6 science content curriculum are recommended, including special science courses and more laboratory experiences for elementary majors. Collaboration is suggested between science and education departments through various strategies, including seminars, workshops, co-teaching, and co-planning of courses.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05932
This essay is intended as a self-instructional tool to assist band directors and their students in learning more about the drum set. The essay includes a manual and videotape that demonstrate particular drum set techniques that are relevant to the jazz ensemble in the school music program. The manual includes fifty musical examples that are demonstrated in the order in which they appear on the videotape. The essay and manual discuss: drum set notation; various jazz styles; examples of embellishments of notated rhythm patterns; and information on basic musicianship skills. The essay concludes with a discography of classic jazz recordings, a video discography, and a list of method books. The videotape is on reserve at the University of Miami School of Music Archives.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05867
This case study used qualitative methods to examine the process of learning to value the teaching, research, and service roles from the perspective of two beginning higher education faculty members. First, analysis led to description of the perceived influence of the doctoral department culture on attitudes developed toward the roles of teaching, research, and service while they were graduate students. Second, the perceived culture of the employing department and institution were examined to assess the impact of these on faculty attitudes during the first two years of career. Third, perceived departmental, institutional, and disciplinary community cultures were examined for influence on attitudes about faculty roles into the third year of career. The primary data collection method was a standardized open-ended interview conducted with one beginning faculty member from a social science department and one from a natural science department at a state university. In each case, four departmental colleagues were interviewed to evaluate whether the key informant's perceptions and experiences were typical or atypical of local disciplinary peers. The anticipatory socialization of the social science professor to research and service were greatly influenced by the culture of the doctoral department. For the natural science professor, the culture of the doctoral department influenced attitudes about all faculty roles. As beginning faculty, both professors were strongly influenced by the culture of their respective employing departments and both expressed mixed affinity with the perceived institutional culture. Analysis of perceptions and personal attitudes as third year professors revealed, for the natural science professor, strong departmental culture influence as well as influence by institution and disciplinary community cultures relative to some faculty roles. By the third year of career, the social science professors' attitudes had diverged considerably from the perceived culture of all but his academic department. For professors in this study, institutional culture, as suggested by W. G. Tierney (1991), was not the primary role socialization influence. While there were considerable differences in influence felt by the professors at the levels of institutional and disciplinary cultures, the value placed by each on faculty roles was most strongly influenced by the employing department's culture.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05837
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of continuous review and massed review homework assignments on achievement in a beginning college level algebra course. A second purpose was to determine if the continuous review homework assignment format would affect the amount of class time spent reviewing the homework assignments. A quasi-experimental design was used with 19 sections of Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, Mathematics 0003. The author designed the two homework packets based on a compiled list of topics covered in the text. Each student purchased one of two types of homework packets consisting of problems taken from the text with an equal number of problems per assignment. The control group used the massed review format. The experimental group used the continuous review format with approximately five problems from the new lesson and the remaining problems from previously taught lessons. Each assignment included at least one problem from each of the previously covered topics. A total of 405 of the 604 enrolled students volunteered to participate in the study. Only 326 volunteers took the departmental final examination which was used as the measure of achievement. The course coordinator designed the final examination. Nine instructors each taught one control and one experimental randomly assigned classes, and the author taught an experimental class. These instructors were asked to keep a daily log with an estimate of the amount of time spent going over the homework for each class. Fourteen logs were maintained by seven instructors. An independent t test was computed on the two group mean ACT scores. The test indicated no significant difference in mathematical ability between the two groups. Continuous review scores were significantly (p $<$ 0.05) higher on the final examination. Female continuous review scores were significantly higher on the final exam. There was no significant difference in class time devoted to homework between the two treatments, but the accuracy of the recorded times was questionable.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05720
The literature on legal writing suggests that learning to write like a lawyer is a difficult task. This study examines the factors that affect both the teaching and the learning of effective legal writing in law school. A legal writing professor and five of her students were studied during the first semester of law school. The data surveyed included classroom lectures, writing conference dialogues, course materials, interviews with the participants, all drafts of the legal memoranda the students composed, the professor's written comments on the final drafts of those memoranda, class notes taken by the students, student journals, and the researcher's fieldnotes. The study concludes that the design of the legal writing course allowed for limited exploration of the nature of the writing process as recursive and generative, the nature and uses of language, and the nature of writers and readers privileging instead the teaching and study of legal research and legal reasoning. While necessary to the process of learning to write like a lawyer, attention to the external and internal structuring of legal memoranda took precedence over potentially valuable discussions concerning the legal audience and the purpose for which the students were writing. The law students' status as novice legal writers further affected their ability to compose effective legal memoranda. Despite detailed instruction, the students' narrow knowledge base regarding conducting legal research, structuring legal analysis. and writing and using legal memoranda, coupled with their inexperience in making judgments about how to focus and how to structure their legal analysis, hindered these first-time legal thinkers and writers. Further, though less significant to this study, the low status of legal writing courses and the professionals who teach them affects the credit and resources accorded and can affect the process of learning. The study concludes that learning to write like a lawyer is a long-term endeavor, one aided by a legal writing curriculum in law school which presents student writers with clear goals, sample legal texts, experience in legal research and reasoning, writing conferences, appreciation for writing as a mode of learning, and numerous opportunities to write.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05651
The purpose of this study was to develop an internal evaluation model for university continuing education credit programs. Three questions were addressed. (1) What are the essential program elements for evaluation of continuing education? (2) What are the stages of an internal evaluation for university continuing education credit programs? (3) What are the procedural guidelines for evaluating a university continuing education credit program? The author reviewed the literature, presents original concepts, and proposed a new internal evaluation model. The model includes three major stages (plan evaluation, perform evaluation, review evaluation) and four essential program elements (instruction, participants, curriculum, environment). One program element, instruction, was evaluated to test the validity of the model. Five areas of instruction were examined, "teaching methods," "instructional materials," "communication," "delivery system," and "overall," with separate instructor and student survey instruments. The survey contains demographic, Likert-scale, and open-ended items. Questionnaires were administered to nine instructors and 139 students in 14 interactive television courses of the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) at The University of Iowa in the Fall semester of 1996. The survey revealed that both instructors and students shared favorable opinions concerning the ICN. Students rated "communication" quality at a lower level (statistically significant) than did instructors. The author gave numerous suggestions for program improvement drawn, mostly, from the survey, and from personal experience and literature review. The new evaluation model, instruction assessment questionnaires, and author's suggestions for improving continuing education credit program offerings are the central contributions of this study. The most salient lessons from the study are as follows. An ongoing evaluation effort is necessary for the success of any continuing education program. The proposed evaluation model is reliable, as described, for the five instruction categories. Accessibility was the major determinant for ICN course attendance. Instructors and students viewed "delivery system" favorably. However, "delivery system" was rated lower than all other categories. Students perceived "communication" less favorably than did instructors. Students' background variables were not good predictors of their responses in the five instruction categories.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05564
Problem. The problem of this study was to determine the differences in class test scores between four specified groups of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary students. These groups of students included: students who participated in a learning style seminar and utilized a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) package, students who participated in the learning style seminar but did not utilize a CAI package, students who utilized a CAI package but did not participate in the learning style seminar, and students who did not participate in the learning style seminar nor did they utilize the CAI package. Procedures. A four-group post test only experimental design was used with 131 volunteer students enrolled in all sections of the course Youth Education in the Church, at the Fort Worth, Texas, campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary during the fall semester, 1996. Group one participated in the learning style seminar and utilized the CAI package. Group two participated in the learning style seminar. Group three utilized the CAI package. Group four was the control group and experienced no treatments. Nine weeks into the semester, the students were given an unannounced, fifty-question, objective test over the course material. The two-way ANOVA determined if there was interaction between the independent variables or whether the independent variables affected the dependent variable. The one-way ANOVA determined if there was a significant difference between the four groups. The Fisher-Protected Least Significant Difference determined which of the group means differed significantly from the other means. Findings and conclusion. The statistical analysis revealed that there was no interaction between the independent variables, the independent variables did not affect the dependent variable, there was a significant difference between the four groups, and the treatment groups scored significantly higher than the control group. Student's academic achievement was positively affected by participation in the learning style seminar, utilization of the CAI package, and combining the participation in the learning style seminar with the utilization of the CAI package.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05389
The primary purpose of this inquiry was to refine instructional design theories based on cognitive psychology. Secondly, this work sought to make a contribution to the practice of teaching. To meet those objectives the researcher conducted a study that compared three groups of undergraduate students who engaged in different instructional treatments. The instructional treatments were assigned randomly to three intact introductory computing classes. The students in one class, the control group, engaged in traditional instruction. Students in the other two classes engaged in constructivist instruction which included: (1) Discussions of authentic computing problems; (2) An attempt by students to design and develop a solution to a data processing problem common in business; (3) Feedback intended to improve the solutions devised by students; and (4) Student collaboration. Additionally, students in one of the constructivist classes, the so-called BIG (Beyond the Information Given) group, considered a conceptual outline of computer mastery. The outline served to provide one particular conceptual perspective on computer mastery. In contrast, the students in the so-called WIG (Without the Information Given) constructivist class, learned about computing concepts without the broad perspective provided by the outline of computer mastery. All subjects completed the pretest which consisted of an open-ended question and a concept mapping item. After one month of instruction the subjects completed a post-test which contained a concept map item, concept differentiation items, and an open-ended question. The subjects also submitted the databases they created during instruction. Concept map scores and concept differentiation scores were compared using the analysis of variance statistic. Responses to the open-ended question and assessments of the databases provided qualitative data. The pretest data indicated that the groups held similar conceptions about computing when the study commenced. Most of the post-test measures and the databases submitted revealed few differences between the groups. The post-test concept maps revealed the key difference. That is, the BIG group scored significantly higher than the WIG and control groups. Results of this study were used to make three suggestions concerning teaching. The suggestions pertain to the reviewing of course material; the use of individual and group assignments; and the presentation of conceptual frameworks prior to commencing instruction. Results of this study were also used to advance a prescriptive instructional theory based on cognitivism. The theory is viewed as a refinement of extant instructional design theories because it is prescriptive and avoids ambiguous language.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05356
A concern that schools are failing to effectively educate students of color and from lower SES backgrounds and that classrooms are dominated by a relatively middle-class, homogeneous group of teachers has spurred the growth of multicultural teacher education course work. The value of this course work in changing preservice teachers' attitudes and perceptions of diversity has been the focus of recent educational research. Using an interpretative approach, this study examined the impact of what instructors taught in courses which directly supported teaching and learning from a multicultural perspective. This research attempted to liberate the discourse from structural constraints by locating it in the problematic context of teacher education and a critical discourse of teacher education research. In an examination of the perspectives that prospective teachers brought to multicultural education classes, thirteen preservice teachers enrolled in semester long multicultural education courses were observed and regularly interviewed. Data analysis led to the examination of preservice teacher experiences in the context of teacher socialization research. Many preservice teachers were noted to have developed increased awareness, insights and revelations concerning issues of diversity. Analysis of findings revealed that preservice teachers entered teacher education with a considerably rich body of knowledge about social stratification, social mobility, and human differences which they had constructed from their personal life experiences. Changes of perspectives towards diversity were limited considering the university was predominantly White and perspectives were seldom challenged outside of the multicultural classroom. Preservice teachers' perspectives and perceptions towards multiculturalism were also limited by an institutional history that perpetuated the status quo. Despite the barriers and resistance to multicultural education, the precepts of multicultural education were firmly rooted and growing in the teacher education program. This growth was due to the initiative of individual faculty members and their willingness to address the issues in their classes.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05343
Foreign language learners are also culture learners. However, foreign language education has done much to remove cultural information from the language class. This is a disservice to students because they lose the context of the language, a large part of what they need to communicate. They also lose one of the most motivating aspects of foreign language study: learning about other peoples and cultures. The integration of language and culture in foreign language classes should be the goal of foreign language education, which necessitates first addressing several pertinent issues. One preliminary concern is defining culture. Until we know what culture is, it is difficult to integrate it in a systematic fashion. This dissertation discusses definitions from various fields, assesses them for the foreign language context and concludes that the most appropriate definition of culture for foreign language education is the one broad enough to encompass all aspects of the language community. Another concern is the benefits to the students of integrating language and culture. Culture plays an important role in foreign language teaching because it motivates students and facilitates communication. Studying culture exposes students to other cultures and encourages analysis of their own culture. Culture study affects students' attitudes and motivations. These factors must be ascertained before they can be changed. This dissertation identifies the attitudes of students in Spanish classes at Indiana University, by analyzing the data gathered from a questionnaire. The data show that, while students have generally negative attitudes toward foreign language study, those who have studied a language longest have more positive attitudes. The factors that affect the students' attitudes toward foreign language study are: instrumental motivation, attitudes toward the Spanish class and teacher, and age. Students who have studied Spanish have less stereotypical perceptions of native Spanish speakers than those who have not studied Spanish. The factors that affect these perceptions are integrative motivation, age and study of other languages. Successfully integrating cultural information in language classes will help to increase students' integrative and instrumental motivation which in turn will improve their attitudes toward foreign language study and their perceptions of native Spanish speakers.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05338
Educational institutions are incorporating computer technology into many areas of the education experience. This study addressed the integration of computer-delivered listening comprehension exercises into the university -level foreign language curriculum. The study attempted to answer four fundamental questions: (1) Will students who use computer-delivered listening comprehension exercises learn the language more effectively than students using a cassette tape and lab manual? (2) Will these students learn the language more efficiently? (3) Will they find the digital exercises more appealing? and (4) Will they have an improved attitude towards learning a foreign language? Eighty subjects in five sections of a beginning Spanish language class were randomly assigned to a traditional instruction, or a computer-based instruction group. Every other aspect of the course remained constant for both groups except for the delivery system used to deliver the listening comprehension exercises. Listening comprehension pretests, practice tests and post-tests, and various attitude surveys were used to measure effects of the respective attributes of each delivery system on subject learning achievement and attitude throughout the study. Results of the study suggested that: (1) students tend to learn more effectively/efficiently using the computer delivery system; (2) students who complete more exercises learn more (significant only for the computer group); (3) there is a time advantage to using the computer; (4) students who complete the exercises via computer have a more positive attitude toward the listening comprehension exercises, and yet a less positive attitude towards the delivery medium, when compared to their counterparts using the traditional format; (5) students in the computer group have a more positive attitude towards language learning in general. Conclusion. There are few, if any disadvantages to students using computer-delivered listening comprehension exercises, and in fact there appear to be several advantages. However, the study is preliminary and the results should be treated with caution.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05283
The mission of teacher education programs at Christian colleges is primarily twofold: to promote the faith development of their students and to prepare them as effective teachers. While many studies have investigated the personal development of teachers and the correlation of that development with effective teaching practices, none have considered the faith development of teachers. That gap in the literature provides the impetus for this study. Measurement of faith development was undertaken by means of Allport and Ross's Religious Orientation Scale (ROS), and Responsiveness to Students (RTS) was investigated as an established component of effective teaching. Surveys were returned from 168 student teachers at Christian colleges in Washington, Oregon and California, and 11 of those respondents also provided a video tape of their teaching for further analysis. Findings of the study included a description of the student teachers as predominately teacher-centered in their preferences and practices (and therefore less responsive), while those with a higher extrinsic Religious Orientation were significantly more student-centered (and therefore more responsive). Additionally, both the Religious Orientation of the student teachers and their Responsiveness to Students varied significantly according to the teacher education institution they attended. In the context of a discussion about the potential dangers of measuring teacher responsiveness exclusively in terms of student-centered and teacher-centered instruction, a primary conclusion was that the developmental nature of effective teaching does not allow for student teachers with little experience to exhibit higher levels of responsiveness. Furthermore, student teachers of higher extrinsic Religious Orientation will be more inclined to systematically adopt the student-centered teaching practices recommended by their supervisors, but that does not necessarily indicate a robust and internalized Responsiveness to Students. Based on the significant variation in the student teachers' Religious Orientation as well as Responsiveness to Students according to the college they attended, a final conclusion suggests that teacher education programs at Christian colleges may need to more specifically articulate their goals for both the faith development and teaching practices of their student teachers.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05222
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sport education programs of 30 universities in the Republic of Korea selected by a panel of experts. Twelve of the universities were public institutions and eighteen were private. The evaluative instrument was a modified version of N. P. Neilson's pioneer score card first developed in 1929 for the evaluation of high school physical education programs in the United States. When identifying the sample, the following factors were considered: (1) The selection of a representative sample from a variety of schools should be made, (2) The sample should be identified by a recognized geographical area, and (3) The sample universities should be representative of all the universities with sport education programs. To modify the N. P. Neilson score card instrument to evaluate the sport education programs in the Republic of Korea universities, a panel of five south Korean experts were selected through a review of literature based upon their publications and experience in university sport education programs. Each program was evaluated by the modified N. P. Neilson score card which assessed the universities': (1) Instructional Staff, (2) Facilities, (3) Program Organization, (4) Program Activities, (5) Professional Assistance, and (6) Instructor Education Program. All data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, scoring each university as excellent, good, average, below average, or poor in each of the six program divisions. Results indicated the total scores for sport education programs in all universities as poor. However, good evaluations were indicated in the specific areas of Instructional Staff, Professional Assistance, Facilities, Organization Program, and Activities Program.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05116
Data collected demonstrate that general environmental education has been largely ignored at the community college level in the state of California. Evidence is presented that the community colleges educate the majority of California's college students. In an effort to develop a model for an effective general education program in environmental education, the theoretical components of "environmental literacy" are presented. These components include the dimensions of knowledge, skills, affect, and behavior. Some current theories relative to environmental education content and process are analyzed. It is argued that appropriate content areas of knowledge include science, the humanities and social science, the current environmental situation, and wisdom from the past. A model for instruction in environmental values is provided and it is suggested that general environmental education would be enhanced by extending it across the curriculum. It is further theorized that interdisciplinary education, experiential education, and the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge are appropriate process avenues to learning. A self-correcting method of application that empowers students to take part in the remediation of campus and community environmental problems is presented. Personal interviews with representatives of eleven colleges and universities reveal the natures of their environmental education problems and lend support for the theoretical content and process uncovered. Further, ways in which the campus and the community can be used to elevate experiential environmental education are reviewed. The special problems associated with education at the community college level are discussed. Finally, a model for a complete, coherent, environmental studies program that is appropriate for general education at the community college level is provided. This program includes sample interdisciplinary courses and an administrative structure that features the creation of a campus-wide "environmental learning academy" that is responsible for the development, presentation, and administration of general environmental education programs for the campus and community. | ||||||||||||
