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1997 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 22
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ORDER NO: ABA98-05067 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPUTER SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE BUSINESS STUDENTS Author: RITTER, WALLACE VICTOR Degree: PH.D. Year: 1997 Corporate Source/Institution: THE CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY (0047) Source: VOLUME 58/08-A OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 2977. 216 PAGES Descriptors: EDUCATION, COMMUNITY COLLEGE; EDUCATION, BUSINESS; BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT; COMPUTER SCIENCE
The microcomputer revolution has profoundly affected business, individuals, and society. This revolution also is reshaping the educational environment. A growing number of educators integrate the use of microcomputers with instruction. Furthermore, those individuals having advanced computer expertise when they graduate will have an advantage over those students who enter the work environment without experience. Therefore, knowledge about using microcomputers, especially software experience, has become a virtual necessity. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to determine if significant identifiers exist for predicting and understanding the microcomputer software experience of community college business students. The sample consisted of 175 students enrolled in several different business management courses taught at Fullerton College during the Spring Semester of 1996. The sample included 95 male and 80 female students. Statistical tests used to analyze the data included descriptive statistics, t-tests, stepwise multiple regression analysis and multiple linear path analysis. Results of the study indicated that for microcomputer software experience, the dependent variable, strong predictors were computer interest, microcomputer experience in high school, and class level status. Gender was found to have an indirect relationship to microcomputer experience, as well as the independent variables of locus of control, computer interest and learning styles. More ever, gender, locus of control, and microcomputer software experience were significant predictors of microcomputer literacy.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05049
The purpose of this study was to investigate the collaboration across disciplines among professors on one comprehensive, Christian college campus in the Southwest, an institution that has historically emphasized the liberal arts in its undergraduate curriculum. A written questionnaire identified collaborators and provided information on attitudes and experiences of the faculty at large. Two cycles of interviews with individuals and two team interviews elicited details about the multiple collaborations of seventeen interviewees in the target colleges and in institutions where the professors were previously employed. The researcher transcribed all tapes and collapsed the transcripts of the individual interviews into a single profile of each interviewee, featuring the voices of the professors. He then burst the profiles into thematically labeled sections and filed the sections in electronic folders. Half of the survey respondents had collaborated across disciplines and half had not. The collaborations represented the categories of teaching, study-discussion, and research--with program development and leadership being occasional factors in all three. Naturalistic methods of analysis yielded sketches of individual interviewees and current collaborative interdisciplinary faculty groups. These methods also produced thematic analyses of why professors collaborated and why they stopped, of conflicts in collaboration, and of benefits and liabilities. Further findings included the changes resulting from collaboration and professors' insights in hindsight. Whether the professors will collaborate again and, if so, with which disciplines, the importance of personality and leadership, and the interviewees' resultant regard for other disciplines were also focuses of the analysis. Institutional support is critical to the quantity, quality, and longevity of collaborative initiatives. The college in this study had institutionalized some cross-disciplinary initiatives, and others continued as grassroots initiatives. It remains to be seen whether the recent apparent proliferation of such action will have a lasting effect on the faculty culture. Researchers should consider broadening this study to include the faculties of other member institutions of the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities, focusing ethnographic methods on half a dozen collaborating interdisciplinary faculty teams.
ORDER NO: ABA98-05048
The offering of remedial mathematics classes at California State University (CSU) campuses has become a controversial issue. Much press has been devoted to debating the appropriate location of math remediation efforts and decrying the need for such remediation in the first place. The CSU has adopted a resolution to reduce the level of remediation offered by the year 2007. Nevertheless, little is known about the faculty who teach math intervention courses at California community colleges and within the CSU system and their instructional delivery methods. In response to the gap in the literature, this study compiled a profile of California postsecondary mathematics intervention faculty and efforts at both the community college and CSU levels. In April 1996, questionnaires were mailed to faculty teaching mathematics intervention courses in the Spring term. All CSU mathematics intervention faculty were surveyed as well as all faculty teaching such classes at half of the community colleges. A total of 37 CSU instructors and 47 community college instructors responded. In addition, site visits were made to ten campuses: five community colleges and five CSU campuses. Findings of the study revealed that community college mathematics faculty are different from CSU mathematics intervention faculty in the following areas: community college faculty are more experienced, are older, are more likely to be tenured, are more likely to work full time and to hold a higher academic rank. Instructional delivery methods used by mathematics intervention faculty were primarily lecture and discussion. Only 11 percent of community college and 16 percent of CSU faculty incorporated writing into the mathematics intervention course. Few faculty at either institutional type have incorporated the computer into their instructional methods. The few who indicated the computer was used commented that students use the technology outside of class for drills and tutorials. Implications of the study for stakeholders--mathematics intervention faculty, high school counselors, and those hiring intervention faculty--are presented.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04933
The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the best practices being used by elementary school Teacher Assistance Teams (TATs). The population used for the study consisted of the 25 elementary schools in the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency (AEA #9) that were using Teacher Assistance Teams (TATs) for at least their third year as of the 1995-96 school year. A multiple-part Teacher Assistance Team Progress Report Questionnaire was sent to each of the 25 elementary schools. These questionnaires were adapted from the work of Drs. James Chalfant and Margaret Pysh from the University of Arizona. The questionnaires were completed by key individuals at each school: the building principal, the team leader, team members and using teachers. These respondents were asked to focus their responses from data based on the 1995-96 school year. The results were compiled and a scoring rubric was developed to aid the researcher in making objective judgments about the success of each of the teams based on the data reported in the questionnaires. Eleven criteria formed the basis for the rubric and each was assigned a numerical value of from 5 (high) to 1 (low) for each of the criteria. As a check for validity, the researcher compared the ranking of his top five teams with the top five rankings provided by two independent evaluators employed by the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency (AEA #9) as trainers in the Chalfant/Pysh Model. The top two teams that were contained on both of the lists were chosen for a more in-depth Case Study at the school site. A Case Study was then conducted at these two sites, consisting of in-depth interviews with the building principal, the team leader, a team member, and a using teacher at each site and observation of an actual Teacher Assistance Team (TAT) meeting. Analysis of results indicate key best practices found in use by elementary school Teacher Assistance Teams (TATs) include: supportive principals and dedicated staff members who generally serve on a voluntary basis without compensation the Chalfant/Pysh Model is closely followed, a wide variety and levels of staff serve on the team, detailed minutes of each team meeting are published, case managers are utilized for management purposes and rotation of membership ensures equity of work. Key areas of concern include: increasing the staff support of the concept, providing for more objective assessment criteria, increasing parental involvement in the process, and finding more time during the contract day for team members to meet.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04930
The purpose of this study is to determine the applicability of financial benchmarking to institutions of higher education and whether or not the financial benchmarks are related to and can predict institutional quality. The study measures the financial benchmarks using data collected by the National Association of College and Business Officers and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems. These data are related statistically to a quality measure of America's best colleges. The conceptual framework for the study lies in the Strategic Assessment Model proposed by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (AHEFO) in January 1996. It is hypothesized that the AHEFO's Strategic Assessment Model developed benchmarks for facilities management to measure performance. These indicators can be used to categorize institutions based on the quality of the institution. The study uses two separate regression models. Ordinary least squares regression is used first to regress RANK on each of the five benchmarks separately, controlling for the type of university and instructional expenditures per student. To test for sensitivity, the relationship is re-estimated using multi-category logistics regression. In this procedure, TIER is regressed on each of the five benchmarks separately, controlling for the category national university and instructional expenditures per student. The results revealed that only one of the benchmarks suggested a significant relationship between financial benchmarks and institutional quality. The other four benchmarks did not suggest a significant relationship between financial benchmarks and institutional quality. The statistical results of the study were inconclusive; however, some increased prediction power in the proxy benchmarks was observed. Further study was recommended to develop more refined benchmarks.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04710
On a national level, boys and men score higher than girls and women on science and math tests. There have been several investigations into the reasons for these differences, with some believing that they are caused by innate biological sex differences and some that they are caused by social and cultural gender differences. In addition, women who plan to major in science and engineering drop out of those majors at higher rates than men do. This study was designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion about why these differences between women and men exist. This study compared post-test physics scores of a matched sample of men and women to see whether there were differences in how much physics had been learned at the end of a course when there were few differences at the beginning of the course. The study also looked at the ratings that men and women gave to the problem solving method and the sections of the course that used cooperative grouping. It was found that, although the population of students taking Physics 1251 showed differences in performance on physics tests both at the beginning and at the end of the course, when students were matched according to their high school background and their physics pretest scores there was no difference in their post-test scores. It was also found that women liked the relevant aspects of the course more than men did. Implications of these results are discussed.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04550
Nationwide, undergraduate students are entering colleges and universities without the basic study skills necessary to achieve academically at post-secondary institutions. Institutions have responded to students' needs by offering study skills training to incoming freshmen. Although many institutions view study skills training as a retention strategy: of the studies that are available, empirical findings suggest that students' academic achievement does not always improve as a result of study skills training. Scholars who have examined study strategies in a post-secondary setting explain that attitudinal variables influence the degree to which students will utilize the study skills taught to them (Jones et al., 1995; Jones et al., 1993; Cone & Owens, 1990; Perry & Penner; 1990; Wilhite; 1990). Specific factors such as students' loci of control, attitudes toward intelligence, and utilization of proper study skills have been found to mediate academic achievement. Guided by Dweck and Leggett's (1988) theory of attitudes toward intelligence and Rotter's (1966) concept of locus of control, this study investigated variables that the literature suggests mediate students' use of proper study skills and academic achievement. The study combines a quasi-experimental and a cohort design. Two hundred ninety-four freshmen at a private, urban university in the Northeast of the United States were followed for fifteen weeks in the Fall of 1996. Freshmen who participated in study skills training were compared to those who did not at the beginning and the end of the first semester. Results showed that study skills training did improve students' self-reported use of proper study habits and participation in study skills training was associated with higher first-semester GPAs. While attitudes toward intelligence mediated the act of volunteering in study skills training, it did not influence persistence in study skills training, utilization of proper study habits or first-semester GPA. Locus of control did not influence the act of volunteering for study skills training or subsequent participation, but at post-test, there was a strong relationship between locus of control and first-semester GPA. Prior research has suggested that students' academic achievement does not always improve as a result of study skills training. For students in this study, participation in study skills training positively influenced their academic achievement. Hence, the role of study skills training and how it influences academic performance needs to be better understood.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04440
This quasi-experimental study was designed to explore the effects of short-term, supplementary, computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on improving the math scores of rural, economically-disadvantaged seventh grade students as measured by standardized tests. The study examined the significance of gender, age, time the use of an integrated learning system (ILS), before- and after-school CAI sessions, and the correlation between the math portions of the California Achievement Test (Spring, CAT 16E) and the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (Fall, MEAP) test. All Michigan schools participate in MEAP math testing every school year, five weeks into the school year. Many studies have investigated the effectiveness of CAI upon academic performance for elementary, high school, and university students in urban settings, Past research studies have shown the usefulness of CAI with economically and educationally challenged pupils, as well as low-achieving students, but a limited amount of research has focused upon the math performance of middle level, economically-disadvantaged, rural students. The population of this study consisted of the entire 1996-2000 seventh grade population of 180 students at a northern Michigan middle school. Thirty-five students were randomly chosen for the CAI experimental group from a group of 60 volunteers. The five week, daily, CAI sessions occurred in a before- and after-school format. The control group consisted of 35 students randomly chosen from the remaining students. The spring math CAT 16E (pretest) was used to verify there existed no significant difference in the groups. The impact of CAI upon the MEAP math test (posttest) was examined by 12 hypotheses. No significant difference on the posttest was found between those students who received the compressed CAI instruction and those who did not based on gender, time on the ILS, and the before- and after-school format. A correlation at the.01 level existed between the pretest and posttests. Additional data regarding MEAP reading scores showed a correlation at the.05 level to the MEAP math results.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04382
Alexander Bain, Scottish professor of Logic and Rhetoric at the University of Aberdeen from 1860 to 1880, formulated a theory of rhetoric which prefigured what is taught in modern basic writing courses. Bain recognized the Scottish students from the northern provinces as ones "who are not qualified, either in respect to age or previous requirements," and proceeded to take on the responsibility of educating these students. Far from just seeing Bain as a prescriber of rules, compositionists, particularly in basic writing, must begin to view Bain as a reformer within the context of his times, a liberal thinker, advancing a legacy of educational practice based on student needs in a changing society. His adaptation of teaching methods and curriculum to meet the needs of the poorly prepared students at the University of Aberdeen provides an historical link in the developing discipline of basic writing. This study offers Alexander Bain's connections and contributions to basic writing as it outlines the rich legacy he has left for instructors of the beginning writer, a legacy grounded in the historical framework of the Scottish-American connection. Bain's commitment to democratic education and student-centered pedagogy reveals his legacy to basic writing, providing a framework for evaluating modern practice.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04380
Statement of the problem. The investigator designed this study to determine the significance of a standards-based teaching /learning environment and its impact on student conceptualization. Where appropriate, nonstandard teaching and learning strategies were incorporated in the methodology. Standards recommended by the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Crossroads In Mathematics: Standards for Introductory College Mathematics Before Calculus guided the study. Method. Two sections of precalculus mathematics participated. A Standards-Based Reform (SBR) section, received instruction based on nontraditional, technology-enhanced teaching /learning strategies. A Calculator-Based Lecture (CBL) section, received calculator assisted, lecture based instruction. The SBR treatment pedagogy included cooperative group activities, computer assisted topic exploration, extensive use of hand-held graphing calculators, and the use of electronic displays. The study included qualitative methodologies to help describe any individual treatment affects on student participants. The investigation included analysis of gender differences in performance and attitude. Results. Analysis of variance determined the two groups different at the beginning of the study. A two-way analysis of covariance revealed significance for main effect Sex. Results of t tests showed a significant difference between SBR females and CBL females, and between SBR females and SBR males. Conclusions. Females in the SBR section appeared the least prepared for the course. In addition, this group appeared to have received the most benefit from a standards based approach to learning. Most SBR students had no experience with a graphing calculator, and no students had been exposed to a computer algebra system. SBR students felt less prepared for the course than CBL students. However, SBR students reported an increased level of interest for the course material.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04369
The nature of an undergraduate, nonmajors biology laboratory was investigated in this study. Student participants were enrolled in a general education biology laboratory course at the University of Northern Iowa. The researcher's purpose was to gain a characterization of the instructional format and laboratory activities experienced by students. Interpretation of student and instructor responses enabled an insider's view of the biology laboratory. The laboratory period was consistently described by both students and instructors as having three parts, Beginning, Middle, and End, with the End being of special importance for conceptual development. The instructional format of the three instructors differed within the three portions of the laboratory period, ranging from an inquiry-oriented, partial learning cycle to a fairly expository model labeled inform/verify/practice. There was striking similarity in intrasectional student and teacher descriptions of instructional format. Additionally, students experiencing the alternate instructor provided the same characterizations of instructional format as those provided by the instructor's usual students. There were no discernible patterns of instructional format based on sex or reasoning level. In addition to the central role of instructional format, three areas of importance emerged: the social aspects of learning, the collaborative and cooperative nature of laboratory work and learning, and the role of self-efficacy. Theory developed from and grounded in the data showed six factors important in the introductory college biology laboratory: collaborative and cooperative learning, student-student and teacher-student interactions, attitude and self-efficacy, learning process and learning style, effective instructional format, and science content. These factors were found to be similar to factors identified in the literature as important in K-12 science education. These factors were set in the context of schooling and learning paradigms, paralleling J. J. Schwab's four conditions of a curriculum (subject matter, learners, teachers, and milieus), Benjamin Bloom's model of important factors in student achievement and schooling (cognitive entry behaviors, affective entry behaviors, and quality of instruction), and fitting a constructivist epistemological framework.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04353
This dissertation explored the use of a contextualized teaching method compared to a traditional method of instruction in four pre-calculus courses at an Upstate New York community college in order to investigate the relative effectiveness of each style. The researcher administered pre- and post-tests to ascertain students' beliefs and perceptions regarding math and conducted classroom observations, interviews with both the students and three professors and an analysis of the textbooks used. Two of the classes were taught using a traditional approach and two used a contextualized approach. Three of the four professors involved agreed to participate in interviews and observations with the researcher. The fourth professor allowed his students to participate in the study; however, he declined to participate further in the role as instructor. Results were analyzed by calculating the change in percentage points in the students' pre- and post-tests regarding their perceptions about math. Additionally, the student interviews, instructor interviews, classroom observations, and comparisons of the two textbooks used in teaching the course were analyzed. It was the researcher's assumption at the onset of this study that a contextualized method of instruction could be a pivotal approach to changing the community college 's pedagogy as the college prepares its diverse student population for the new workforce paradigm. However, the findings of this study did not suggest that the contextualized pedagogy is as strong as the researcher originally thought it would be. The results of this study indicate the limitations of this investigation and possible directions for future research. Recommendations based on this study include the following: the need for a larger group in future studies; the need for studying a variety of settings of community colleges to obtain a more ethnically and geographically diverse population of students; the need to study the role of the instructors in overall student outcomes; and the need to take into account the learning environments and experiences of the students prior to the community college setting. All played an important role in the outcomes of this study. It will also be important to establish control groups in some future studies to more clearly ascertain which specific pedagogical components impact the students' attitudes and behaviors as related to the workplace.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04305
A Ph.D. degree program in the non-engineering aeronautical/aerospace sciences (aeronology) will likely be required in the near future to meet the increasing demands for qualified faculty, administrators, and industry representatives within the aviation/aerospace field. Since there is no Ph.D. degree program dedicated exclusively to a non-engineering aeronautical/aerospace science discipline, this study provides a contribution to the aviation/aerospace literature from a curriculum design perspective for scholars to utilize in designing a curriculum. The purpose of this study was to design and propose a Ph.D. curriculum model based upon two curriculum models--a research/practitioner model and a practitioner model. The descriptive studies method was utilized for this study by distributing questionnaires to 105 University Aviation Association institutional members from the United States to solicit their professional expertise in designing and proposing a curriculum model. The study found that support for each of the two curriculum models was approximately equal although overall support for both models was not overwhelmingly high. A majority of the scholars support several aspects of curriculum design in developing a new Ph.D. program. These curriculum design attributes included a computer science requirement, an oral communication requirement, a core program requirement, and a global education awareness requirement.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04170
This project examines the effects of alternative teaching methods on math achievement and attitudes toward mathematics. The target group was two classes of Math for Elementary Teachers in a small private college located in Florida. The first group was taught using a combination of lecture and cooperative learning methods. Computer-assisted learning was the instructional method for group number two. Increased math achievement was measured by comparing pretest and posttest scores on achievement test. Attitudes were evaluated by a questionnaire. The results indicated that students who participated in the cooperative learning class outperformed students in the computer-assisted class on posttest achievement scores. A higher percentage of the cooperative learning students had improved attitudes toward mathematics than their computer-assisted counterparts. Limitations: The sample was not randomly selected. The lecture/cooperative learning and computer-assisted learning methods were the only strategies compared. The course content only dealt with arithmetic algorithms and problem solving. The equipment and software used in the computer-assisted course were outdated and there was no LAN (local area network) to assist with the administrative aspects of the class. Another limiting factor was that students were not allowed to set their own test dates, therefore this was not truly a self-paced course.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04169
This study investigated how Technical Management learners with technical backgrounds respond to Organizational Behavior (OB) course material. The research question was: How does a class of graduate adult learners react to the integration of Organizational Behavior material into a Technical Management curriculum? This question was addressed by evaluating and describing learner responses to classroom sessions on OB within courses on Technical Management that were part of the Technical Management Master of Science Degree Program offered by the G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University. The population was the class in two courses, Technical Group Management and the Management of Technical Organizations. The total class population was 36 learners. Direct observation was made of all class sessions. In addition to the observations, weekly questionnaires were completed by the learners that commented on the session in qualitative terms and also provided quantitative data on the importance of the topic to them as managers and their satisfaction with the treatment of the topic. A final class evaluation in which a rank ordering of all sessions and further qualitative reflection by the learners completes the data set. The reaction of the learners with technical backgrounds to OB course content was very positive. An end-of-course ranking of all the class sessions by the learners revealed that the OB sessions were perceived as more valuable to the learners than the traditional course content. By my drawing on OB theory but reformatting and rephrasing it using a technical approach and conciseness, the individuals with technical backgrounds not only understood the material but actively embraced it. They were excited about the improved understanding they were gaining through their new knowledge, which would assist them in their roles as technical managers and leaders. This excitement was demonstrated by their comments during class and on feedback questionnaires, their enthusiastic participation during the OB sessions, and the extensive and effective use of OB material in their written course work.
ORDER NO: ABA98-04126
In order to investigate the relationship of learning style as measured by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and teaching methods of lecture-discussion and case study-discussion to the academic achievement variables of objective test scores and grade point averages of Community College Nursing Students, a pretest-posttest Quasi-experimental design was employed. Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory was administered to a sample of two groups (n = 43) of nursing students enrolled in a senior level nursing course in a Community College. The predominant learning style was identified as Assimilative. The participants were identified as group "A" and "B". Selected content was taught to group "A" by the lecture-discussion method and group "B" by the case study-discussion method; a different selection of content was taught to group "A" by the case study-discussion method and group "B" by the lecture-discussion method; thus, two groups emerged--43 student who were taught by lecture-discussion and the same number by case study-discussion. Because the measures were repeated, the groups acted as their own control. The mean achievement score on the posttests and grade point average were used as measures of achievement. The dependent variables were mean scores on the posttests and grade point average and the independent variables were learning style as defined by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and teaching methods of lecture-discussion and case study-discussion. The data were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics, the t-Test, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r), Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Regression Analysis (R). A t-Test of the means of the two groups taught by lecture-discussion and case study-discussion failed to yield a value approaching a level of significance, therefore the hypothesis of no significant difference in the achievement of the two groups was accepted. No significant relationship of learning style as measured by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and achievement as measured by objective tests and grade point averages was evident; this hypothesis was supported. Statistical analysis revealed a significant main effect and interaction for method of instruction and the learning styles modes. Thus, the hypothesis of no significant main and interactive effects of learning style and teaching methods was rejected. The regression analysis revealed that learning style variables cannot be used for prediction of achievement on objective tests. However, most of the learning style variables (except Abstract conceptualization) were significant predictors of achievement as measured by grade point average. This hypothesis was partially supported. The t-Test was also employed to determine whether there was any significant change in the posttest scores when compared to the pretest scores for the two teaching methods. The results of this analysis indicated that a significant amount of learning occurred regardless of the teaching method. The implications of this investigation support the utilization of a variety of resources and teaching strategies to complement individual differences. Recommendations for further study are offered.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03949
In fall 1985, Tennessee State University (TSU), implemented a new remedial and developmental studies program. This program was developed and implemented as part of a Tennessee Board of Regents reform initiative to provide comprehensive educational services for the educationally disadvantaged and under-prepared student. This study examined the effects of the remedial and developmental studies program on: (1) First year grade point average in college courses, (2) Retention after the first year, (3) Retention after the second year, (4) Grades earned in the first college course, which corresponded to the area of deficiency in English, mathematics or history, and (5) Six year graduation rates. The study sample consisted of 1,691 first-time, full-time, freshmen who entered the University in Fall 1986 or Fall 1988. Utilizing a regression discontinuity design, the 1,691 students in the sample were divided into two groups, based solely on a set cut-off score on the pre-program measure. The pre-program measure was the ACT score and the cutoff was 15. Students scoring below 15 on the ACT test were assigned to the treatment group and students scoring above 15 were assigned to the comparison group. 1,041 students were assigned to the treatment group, while 650 students were assigned to the comparison group. A regression discontinuity statistical model was used to adjust for the non-equivalence of these two groups on the pre-program measure. Additionally, a secondary analysis was done to determine the impact of the performance of treatment group participants in mathematics, English and history, on first year college grade point average, persistence and six-year graduation rates. Several findings and the implications for a net program impact are discussed as a result of these analyses.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03861
Current research is attributing various positive effects towards computer-based multimedia. The experiment conducted for this dissertation was used to determine if the incorporation of computer-based multimedia into instructor-led media-oriented instruction results in a significant change in student attitudes towards technology. The experiment incorporated Campbell & Stanley's quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design #10. The sample used in the control and treatment groups consisted of college undergraduate students who were enrolled in an introductory computer information systems course concentrating on the use of computerized information systems. The experiment measured the effects upon the attitude of college students towards, and about, technology resulting from the incorporation of computer-based multimedia. The effects of age, experience, and gender were also analyzed to confirm the results first obtained by the attitude survey developed by Gressard and Loyd and used as the test instrument within the experiment. The results of the experiment showed that there were no significant effects upon attitudes of liking computers and confidence towards computers due to the incorporation of computer-based multimedia. The experiment did show a reduction in the attitude of anxiety about computers in the treatment group. The reduction of anxiety could have been the result of incorporating the medium within the treatment or the content delivered by the treatment.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03831
The purpose of this research was to determine the knowledge and use of Problem-based Learning (PBL) by professors of clinical nutrition teaching in undergraduate, dietetics didactic programs in the United State and Puerto Rico. The project also sought to identify the techniques used to teach clinical nutrition and to determine if any factors are associated with the knowledge and use of PBL. A questionnaire was sent to professors of clinical nutrition teaching in undergraduate, dietetics didactic programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Two hundred and thirty-three surveys were mailed, yielding 151 usable surveys. Using the 6.1 version of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, frequencies were calculated for all of the data and chi-square was utilized to identify any associations between PBL and personal and program demographic variables. Eighty-two percent (n = 123) of the respondents indicated that they were familiar with PBL and 59% (n = 89) responded that they had used PBL. Eighty-four percent (n = 75) of the educators (n = 89) reported using PBL to teach diet therapy courses. However, responses of how classtime was spent and when case studies were given suggested that only two (2%) of the 89 subjects had actually used PBL, with only one of these subjects using PBL to teach diet therapy. Although some of the subjects appeared to be using some aspects of PBL to teach clinical nutrition, conventional teaching methods predominated. Opinions about PBL as a teaching method were favorable. Responses regarding the positive outcomes of PBL outnumbered the limitations 2 to 1. The number of times that an instructor had taught clinical nutrition was associated with knowledge of PBL (p $<$.01) and clinical experience was associated with the use of PBL (p $<$.05). The subjects indicated that they wanted to learn about PBL. Some professors of clinical nutrition in undergraduate, dietetics didactic programs are familiar with and may be using PBL to teach clinical nutrition as well as other dietetics courses. However, not all who claim to be familiar with it and using it really are. Dietetics educators need more information about PBL and more research is needed about the usefulness and use of PBL in dietetics education.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03830
This study was designed using qualitative methodology and its purpose was to gather and analyze data which will help to understand those factors that influence the perceptions of African American educators as those perceptions relate to education and career choice. The study was guided by factors including perceptions, rewards and incentives, teacher competency tests, recruiting and retention, and college and university teacher preparation programs. Structured interviews were used from an instrument developed by the investigator. Participants were selected from the African American certificated staff of the Hazelwood School District. A total of 10 participants were chosen. Interviewee job assignments included building administrators, classroom teachers, and counselors. Consent and full disclosure of the intent of the study was made known to each participant. The participants were chosen through the qualitative technique of purposeful sampling. This technique was used because it enabled the research to (1) include a variety of subjects (job assignments); (2) did not tell how many or in what particular job assignments the interviewees should have; (3) the researcher was free to choose particular subjects because they are believed to facilitate the expansion of the developing theory; and (4) the sample selected was not randomly sampled. The characteristics of the subjects in this study did not have to be in the same proportion that they appear in the total population. The participants were chosen because they have experienced success as educators and have accumulated a wealth of knowledge, essential to this study. The interviews were audio recorded with the permission of the participant. The audio tape was transcribed for the purpose of data analysis and all participants were assured of confidentiality and may obtain a copy of the transcript of their interview if requested. Participants' names and schools were not revealed. The participants were identified alphabetically by A, B, C, etc.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03767
The effects of staff development on hands-on teaching and assessment of Illinois benchmarks in early elementary mathematics and science were examined in Madison County, Illinois. The study determined if teachers teach or assess Illinois learning benchmarks, or use hands-on methods to teach or assess the learning benchmarks. The study determined if teachers had college courses or staff development that included methods of teaching and assessing early elementary level mathematics and science, and the frequency mathematics and science were taught using hands-on methods. The research determined the relationship between the teaching and assessment of Illinois benchmarks and the frequency the benchmarks were taught with 11 selected teacher characteristics. A sample of early elementary teachers from Madison County, Illinois was randomly selected to participate in the study. A researcher designed survey instrument was mailed to the teachers. The analysis of variance was used to measure the statistical interaction between the variables. Statistically significant interaction occurred in 25 of 132 hypotheses tested. There was a relationship between the frequency science was taught using hands-on methods and the number of college courses and workshops completed that included hands-on methods of teaching and assessing science. There was a relationship between the frequency mathematics was taught using hands-on methods and the number of years taught. There was a relationship between the frequency mathematics was assessed and the number of years taught, college courses completed that included hands-on methods of teaching and assessing, and workshops completed that included hands-on methods of assessing. Less than half of the science benchmarks were taught, and very few of the benchmarks were assessed. Less than half of the mathematics benchmarks were taught and a third were assessed. Less than thirty percent of the science benchmarks were taught or assessed using hands-on methods. Forty four percent of the mathematics benchmarks were taught or assessed using hands-on methods. Science and mathematics benchmarks were taught and assessed using hands-on methods very infrequently. Science benchmarks are taught and assessed using hands-on methods each semester. Mathematics benchmarks were taught using hands-on methods monthly and assessed using hands-on methods each semester. Teachers completed one college course that included hands-on methods of teaching or assessing. Teachers completed nearly two workshops that included hands-on methods of teaching or assessment. College courses and workshops should be made available to teachers to improve their ability to teach and assess mathematics and science learning benchmarks and to use hands-on techniques. Educators must acknowledge that teaching arid learning and staff development reform have created a "generation gap" for veteran teachers. Many early elementary teachers will need staff development to adequately and effectively teach and assess mathematics and science according to the mandates of the 1990s.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03673
The computer, once thought of as an answer for numerous educational instruction problems, has generally proved disappointing. With each major advancement, the vision of the computer as a learning tool resurfaced, but generally failed to meet expectations. Perhaps the answer lies with interactive multimedia now available for the personal computer. At the time of this study there was a lack of research using this medium for instruction, especially any requiring student use for long periods of time. Eight units of interactive multimedia simulating geological field trips were added to one section of an environmental geology course and compared to another section that did not receive the multimedia. These simulations took the students an average of 25 hours to complete. This study examined the level of student involvement with the content of science-based interactive multimedia as measured by achievement, attitudes, and higher level thinking skills (many college students think at the concrete level but are taught at a higher level). The research design was quasi-experimental, using intact groups. Students self-selected into available sections of the course. Data consisting of: course grades, pre- and post-cognitive level, science attitude, and computer attitude were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Of eleven hypotheses tested, the following three were significant at the.05 level. (1) The proportion of students with a passing grade (B or better) was higher for those in the treatment group than those in the control group. (2) Students in all groups with a GALT (Group Assessment of Logical Thinking) score indicating cognitive development equal to transitional level or higher (score of 11 or above) performed significantly better (grade B or higher) when compared to those below transitional level. (3) Non-traditional students (both groups) performed significantly better (grade B or higher) when compared to traditional students in a science class for non-science majors. This study adds to the current body of knowledge. It may assist educators' decisions about whether to use computers to promote problem solving skills, assist in studying and applying scientific methods, and replace science labs and field trips.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03567
Criticism of traditional methods of training doctors for the medical professions has led to the re-examination of curriculum and curricular formats. Some of the changes introduced have been radical departures from the traditional methods of large group lectures. Problem-based learning--a small group, student-centered learning format in which a medical problem is the focus of the learning rather than the lecture or textbook--is one such approach. Upon developing and pilot testing a totally problem-based learning curriculum and comparing it with a traditional curriculum (i.e., a lecture-based curriculum), Barrows and Tamblyn found that problem-based learning students displayed a greater increase in problem-solving skills and self-directed study. Additionally, they displayed greater motivation to seek clinical experiences on their own (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980). The purpose of this research was to examine students in a hybrid curriculum--one that is traditional with a problem-based component--to see whether or not behaviors that characterize problem-solvers and life-long learners were present to a greater degree in students from a hybrid curriculum than in ones from a traditional curriculum. Searches of the literature produced studies comparing problem-based learning (PBL) tracks with traditional tracks or sole PBL curriculum schools with solely traditional schools. However, there was a dearth of information on hybrid curricula and the impact, if any, on the behaviors of medical students. For this research, Rudolph Mitchell's Cognitive Behavior Survey was used to examine the impact of curricular change on student behaviors. It was distributed to three successive classes of second-year students at a medical school and returned on a voluntary basis. Two of the classes studied were from the traditional curriculum, one from the new hybrid curriculum. All were from the same medical college. Using descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, contingency table analyses, and regression analyses each class was compared with the others in its ratings of the use and value of cognitive behaviors associated with a deep approach to learning (conceptualization and reflection) and with a surface approach (memorization). Preferences for active and passive forms of learning, as well as use of learning resources in gaining medical knowledge, were also examined. It was found that the hybrid class rated conceptualization and reflection higher than traditional classes but lower than a PBL class. Unexpectedly, it rated memorization higher than either PBL or traditional classes. Further investigation revealed that there appeared to be an inverse relation between age and the use of memorization--as the age level increased, memorization ratings decreased. The hybrid curriculum class used a greater variety of resources but favored lectures (a relatively passive form of learning) over small-group sessions. Self-directed learning was rated most highly among the learning formats by all classes studied. Overall, the movement by the hybrid curriculum class toward the behaviors expected of students in PBL was slight but nevertheless indicative of progress being made toward the desired behaviors as outlined by the hybrid curricular goals. Increasingly, medical schools are incorporating problem-based elements into their curriculum. Knowing if a problem-based learning format can be nestled within a traditional curriculum and still be able to bring about desired results can aid in curricular change decisions. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
ORDER NO: ABA98-03538
This longitudinal case study is the story of one high school's efforts to implement curriculum reform and the profound effect of local circumstances on reform ideologies. What began as a study of inter- and intradisciplinary collaborative science curriculum integration became the study of a systemic failure to modify cultural practices. Poritical, economic, and structural measures initiated to facilitate reform ultimately represent inherent conflicts of interest which undermine the reform effort. This research exposes obstacles that are deeply embedded within the school's governance, the beliefs and knowledge of teachers, and the culture of schools. The study site is both a new entity and a new concept: a specialized math/science high school located on a state university campus; the school recruits underrepresented students to become acclimated to university coursework and culture. To date, the school has maintained an exceptional record of college and university placements. The school is governed by a partnership representing the university, the corporate sector, and 11 surrounding K-12 school districts. Free from the regularities of a traditional high school, the school appears to be ideally situated for innovation. The principle innovations at this school relate to its organizational structure--heterogeneous student groupings, cooperative group work, curriculum integration, block scheduling, and concurrent university coursework. For teachers, grade level teams replace departments as the dominant unit for professional, curricular, and social interactions. Within teacher teams, collaboration centers around ongoing student problems and policies, subordinating academic content and significant interdisciplinary connections. Without active discipline-based departments and curricular leadership, however, this research finds an absence of academic direction and accountability.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03531
This study examines organizational culture--its mission, practices, rituals, stories, identity, and self-belief--in a newly established private university in the republic of Azerbaijan. After providing a general overview of the conditions leading up to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the parallel pre- and post-independence events in Azerbaijan, the author describes the Soviet system of higher education in Azerbaijan and discusses the reasons for the emergence of private higher education during and after the major reforms of the perestroika period. The impact of private alternatives on higher education in Azerbaijan is discussed as well as the plausible reasons for this sector's explosive growth in the years following Azerbaijan's independence. Using naturalistic methods over a period of three years, the author examined the construction of top-down, authoritarian, controlling mechanisms, and organizational self-belief in Caspian (a pseudonym) University, a new private university. The author found that the elements of its culture were constructed from "the top down", centrally controlled by the founder and university chancellor. Caspian's culture was also found to be improvisational and evolving--the old ways of doing things were still valued, but different structures and mechanisms (along with different attitudes and behavior) were acceptable and welcomed because Caspian was seen as a trendsetter and trailblazer of higher education in Azerbaijan. This combination of authoritarian values and improvisational values in a small, family-like institution was peculiar and characterized the tension which Caspian was experiencing in the midst the chaos of the social transition occurring in the former Soviet republic. Another aspect of Caspian's culture examined is its desire to be an institution that pursues the twin ideals of teaching and research, with research being its overarching priority. Closely attached to this mission is it's choice of English as the medium of instruction, the foreign institutional support it has developed, and its market-based academic programs. In addition to analyzing the institutional culture of this university, this study outlines future prospects for private universities in Azerbaijan and their potential contributions to building civil society and national identity in the aftermath of the collapse of the former Soviet Union.
ORDER NO: ABA98-03530
Over the past two decades, a wealth of theories has emerged on the preparation of educators to teach a growing multicultural/bilingual student population. A social reconstructionist approach emphasizes the socio-political components of diversity and considers teachers as agents of social change. As a Ph.D. candidate and a teacher candidate, I participated with diverse teacher candidates and teacher educators in a social reconstructionist teacher education program. In this ethnographic case study, I use analytic perspectives from sociocultural theory to better understand the factors that both enriched and complicated the process of implementing this approach to teacher education. Participants struggled with: (1) the intersection of theory and practice in teacher education, (2) social reconstructionist teacher education pedagogy, (3) social reconstructionist curriculum, and (4) the obstacles facing the reform process. These issues challenged teacher candidates and teacher educators beyond their traditional expectations and roles. Participants drew upon perspectives and insights from their diverse peers to meet these challenges. Careful analysis of their experiences illustrates that teaching and learning social reconstructionist principles involve dynamic interactions among participants and their learning community. This study reveals that discrepancies in status and emotional elements inherently emerge when diverse participants engage in critical self and social examination. As participants addressed these discrepancies they developed strong critiques of the sources contributing to them. Though at times painful, in this process they forged new understandings and meanings of social reconstructionist principles. Thus, the diversity of participants proved to be the program's greatest curricular resource. These findings implicate recruitment and admissions policies in social reconstructionist teacher education programs--especially in this era of anti-affirmative action. The diversity of participants as a curricular resource and the quintessential social nature of learning must be more carefully considered in the conceptualization and implementation of this approach to teacher education. Without this consideration, social reconstructionist teacher education programs may overlook some of the most subtle obstacles and under utilize some of the greatest resources for teaching and learning social reconstructionist principles.
ORDER NO: ABA97-38300
This research project was a study of the non-auditioned, mixed collegiate choral ensemble. The investigation focused on successful ensembles of this type at five universities in the midwestern United States. The purpose of the study was to investigate the ensemble's need for existence and its function within the university 's choral program, to research teaching strategies that work with such a unique ensemble, and to discover tactics which help this type of group reach its full potential. Information for the study was garnered through observations of the five choirs, through surveys of the group participants, and through interviews with the conductors. A total of 372 participants completed surveys. The surveys contained a variety of questions regarding group demographics, reasons for participating, rehearsal techniques, repertoire, and benefits of participating. Responses were compiled and then analyzed for similarities and differences. Three types of statistical tests were utilized to discover if significant differences existed. For those responses which were of a nominal nature, a chi-square test was used to determine if there was any significant interaction between the responses and the various ensembles. For those responses which were of a numerical nature, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was performed to determine if there were any significant differences among the choirs. If significant differences were detected $(p <.05),$ a Tukey HSD post hoc test was utilized to determine where the differences occurred. For those questions which were of a qualitative nature, responses were simply compiled and compared for similarities and differences. The five conductors were interviewed and questioned regarding the purpose of their ensemble, the type of teaching strategies they incorporate, the structure of their rehearsals, any methods of motivation and reinforcement they use, and what techniques they use to help the ensemble reach its full potential. Some similarities were discovered among the five choirs, with the most striking one being the high level of satisfaction among the participants. Significant differences were also discovered between the choirs in a variety of areas, including reasons for participating, group perception, evaluation of the conductor's rehearsal techniques, and productivity of the rehearsal. | ||||||||||||
