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1994-1995 Dissertation Abstracts: Part 4
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ORDER NO: ABA95-18564
DISCIPLINARY DIFFERENCES IN STUDENT RATINGS OF INSTRUCTION AND COURSE DESIGN VARIABLES Author: FRANKLIN, JENNIFER LESLIE Degree: PH.D. Year: 1994 Corporate Source/Institution: INDIANA UNIVERSITY (0093) Chair: THOMAS SCHWEN Source: VOLUME 56/02-A OF DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. PAGE 520. 168 PAGES Descriptors: EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY; EDUCATION, HIGHER; EDUCATION, TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Many sources have reported disciplinary differences in student ratings of instruction. Typically, courses in the "engineering-math-science" area receive lower ratings than courses in the humanities and fine arts. No explanation for this variation has been proven. Because ratings are widely used to assess and document teaching performance for both administrative evaluation of teaching performance and faculty development, sources of systematic variation in ratings such as disciplinary differences merit study. This study investigates how instructional goals, activities, and methods for grading vary across discipline and how these course design variables are related to ratings, class size, course level, proportion of student's taking the course as a requirement versus elective, instructor's rank, years of teaching experience, and self-reported familiarity with teaching improvement literature. Student ratings of instruction and faculty responses to a survey probing course design were obtained and analyzed for over 3,000 course-sections in a large, urban research university. Expected disciplinary differences in student ratings of instruction were found using either Biglan's classification scheme or an ad hoc classification scheme similar to those used in studies previously reporting disciplinary differences. Significant patterns of association were found among the survey variables, student ratings, and Biglan dimensions. Although differences in ratings associated with course design variables were relatively small, these results underscore the need for reform in the use of ratings across disciplines, with particular emphasis on avoiding the use of unweighted means in comparisons of faculty across disciplines. From a theoretical perspective, the results demonstrate that course design variables comprise a previously unexplored but significant contribution to variation in ratings and may merit inclusion in attempts to model the relative and complex contributions of course, learner, and teacher characteristics to variation in student ratings.
ORDER NO: ABA95-18446
This dissertation is organized in three sections. The first section includes a review of the literature related to distance education covering (1) the history and definition of distance education, (2) a review of evaluation instruments used to assess student perceptions and attitudes, and (3) a summary of research findings in five areas of distance education: student motivation, student persistence, student achievement, student satisfaction, and comparisons of students in distance and traditional education settings. The focus of the literature review is on distance education using telecommunications technologies. Second, an article describing the development of an evaluation instrument for use in an interactive television instructional environment is presented. The instrument was developed for the Iowa Distance Education Alliance as part of the Iowa Star Schools project. The article describes the process of developing the instrument and defines five constructs important in evaluating an interactive television system. The five factors are instruction, technical aspects, membership, course management, and satisfaction. On the basis of factor and reliability analyses, the article concludes that the instrument is a useful tool for measuring student attitudes in interactive television courses. Third, another article describes the results of an evaluation of community college instruction over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), Iowa's two-way full motion interactive fiber optic network. The article looks at the relationship between student satisfaction and classroom interaction, age, gender, previous student experience with distance education, location at a remote or origination site, and number of sites connected. The article concludes that students appear satisfied with their distance learning experience, although remote students appear less satisfied than their origination site counterparts. There were some differences between male and female students and between students of different age groups. No differences were found based on previous student experience in distance education or on number of sites connected. Even though they were satisfied, students still felt technical problems interfered, materials were not delivered promptly, information on distance classes was not readily available, discipline problems occurred in sites without a teacher present, and the level of interaction was inhibited. Recommendations for improvement are provided and instruments are included.
ORDER NO: ABA95-18430
Since the mid-1980s, controversy has surrounded the issue of undergraduate instruction at large research universities by teaching assistants who are not native speakers of English and who have received their undergraduate training outside the United States. Despite administrative endorsement of the importance of diversity on campus, the interaction between undergraduates and teaching assistants from abroad (now commonly called "international teaching assistants" or "ITAs") is a strained one, often threatened by misunderstandings and miscommunication. The current study used a survey, Questionnaire about International Teaching Assistants (QUITA), developed by Fox (1991), to collect background information about undergraduate students; inquire about their depth of experience with ITAs; and assess their attitudes toward teaching by ITAs, their cross-cultural awareness, and their willingness to take some of the responsibility for the interaction in ITA classes. The survey was administered in 62 sections of required communication courses (n = 1,819). A subset of survey respondents participated in focus group interviews (n = 20) in which they discussed their experiences with ITAs and offered opinions about how ITAs could be better prepared and how they would rank the ITA issue in a list of other possible academic problems. This study was modeled on an earlier Ph.D. investigation by Wanda Fox (August 1991, Purdue University). Findings at Iowa State University were compared with Fox's data and many similarities found. Over 72% of undergraduates in the sample had had courses with one or more ITAs. Based on an attitude scale of 21 statements (to be agreed or disagreed with), the effects of 16 student background characteristics (e.g., year of enrollment, academic college, age group, sex, hometown size, etc.) were tested and found to be statistically significant. Synthesis and interpretation of the findings led to recommendations for intervention strategies with undergraduate subsets most likely to encounter ITAs and/or who held negative attitudes toward ITAs. Ideas for future research included a four-year longitudinal study and the replication of the study at universities in different geographical regions.
ORDER NO: ABA95-18353
The purpose of this study was to reveal strategies and techniques used by college and university classroom educators who applied the philosophy and principles of Wm. Edwards Deming to their instructional processes. Data was gathered through interviews with three postsecondary educators and their students, through classroom observations, and through related support documents collected during the research process. The data were reviewed and analyzed to divulge the relevant characteristics of the three educators. Characteristics included the educators' attitudes about students, the classroom environment, and their own roles as teachers. Attributes given to them by students and associates were also revealed in the data. The instructional process used by the educators was studied. The instructional process consisted of four categories: the educators' preparation for instruction, their approaches to involving students in learning, their collection of feedback from students, and their assessments of students' progress. Each of the characteristics and each of the instructional process categories were compared with Deming's theory of profound knowledge and Fourteen Points for Quality Improvement. Those that fit into Deming's ideas were incorporated into a conceptual model of a postsecondary Deming educator. The study concluded with the conceptual model of a Deming educator revealed through the data. Portions of each respondents' strategies and techniques were used to create the model.
ORDER NO: ABA95-17909
This study attempted to answer the following question: What instructional methods should dietetic preceptors use to help dietetic interns meet the performance requirements specified by the American Dietetic Association (ADA, 1991) for entry-level dietitians? A national sample of 170 dietetic preceptors was surveyed. Ninety provided usable information to examine both the instructional methods they used to train interns as well as those methods they might try to use. Thirty instructional methods were grouped into six categories: one-to-one methods, practice/experiential methods, reading-writing methods, lecture-discussion methods, exercises/problem sets and student-directed learning. This study recommends seven "best" methods and seven "best" techniques for preceptors to use when instructing interns. Two methods, supervised practice and unsupervised practice, seemed the most important to include in the training of potential preceptors. These methods are effective, practical, and address criticality pertaining to the health and safety of patients and clients. To a lesser extent cost efficiency in these methods is related to the use of the preceptor's time. Unsupervised practice is the least time-intensive for the preceptor, but requires supporting techniques, such as, feedback or conferencing, to address health and safety issues. Five less expensive methods with equal effectiveness for promoting learning for adults can supplement or support these more costly one-to-one and supervised practice methods. These methods are shadowing, case studies, simulations, student-directed seminars and role playing. In addition, self-instruction, student teams, team building exercises, in-basket exercises and learning contracts can be blended with other instructional methods for better preceptor instruction. Since only 40 percent of the 90 preceptors surveyed reported having any preceptor training, a proposal is made to train new and experienced preceptors in the most applicable methods and techniques they can use in instructing and precepting dietetic interns.
ORDER NO: ABA95-17319
Learning styles of participants in South Carolina Learning In Retirement Centers (LIRs), and the instructional methodology utilized with this population, was the central focus of this research. The research attempted to further illuminate what is known about the demographic mix of participants in LIRs and to begin developing a demographic profile of the faculty teaching in such centers. The five LIRs located in South Carolina were selected for this study. A questionnaire which gathered basic demographic information about the participants, as well as Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (1985 version) was administered to three hundred ninety-five participants. Two hundred forty-five responses were tabulated. A survey which gathered basic demographic information about the faculty and the teaching methodology employed was also administered. Results indicated that the largest percentages of participants were Assimilators (33.1%) and Divergers (32.7%). Divergers represented the largest group in Kolb's normative sample with 31% of his sample falling into this category. Demographically, this sample did not differ from previous research concerning participants in LIRs. The largest percentage of participants (64%) was female while the mean age was 66.6. Overall, the participants were a well educated group with 70.2% having earned at least a four-year degree. The response rate for the faculty precluded drawing any conclusions about this group, however, the information did serve to offer a profile for further study. Discussion about how senior adults learn best based on the findings of this research and how instructors teach conclude this dissertation. The utilization of a "mix" of instructional methodology, to meet the diverse needs of the learners in these LIRs, was central to the findings of this research. Finally, discussion centered around how LIRs can more effectively meet the educational needs of participants, as well as the need to increase faculty knowledge of learning styles. Implications for higher education were included.
ORDER NO: ABA95-17444
Despite increasing evidence of the heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among young adults, research with college students has been primarily restricted to descriptions of the levels of risky behavior and the correlates of that behavior. To date, few experimentally validated HIV prevention programs have been reported. Furthermore, the existing experimental investigations have seldom based an intervention on a thorough analysis of the barriers to the practice of safer sex. Experiment One surveyed 195 heterosexual college students to assess HIV risk factors, including sexual behavior, risk perception, knowledge and 10 barriers to the consistent practice of "safer" sex. The results of Experiment One showed that heterosexual college students reported high levels of sexual intercourse, thus placing them at risk for the sexual transmission of HIV. An analysis of barriers to the consistent practice of "safer" sex showed that men most frequently reported two barriers related to attitudes that "safer" sex practices reduced the erotic value of sexual intercourse. The top barrier cited by females was the belief that they would not contract a sexually transmitted disease. Based on these results, two versions of a "safer" sex video for heterosexual males were developed and experimentally evaluated. One version provided verbal instructions about how to use condoms and erotically incorporate them into sexual activity. The second version was identical to the first, but incorporated sexually explicit video clips to model the erotic techniques discussed in the video. Subjects included 80 male, heterosexual, college students, randomly assigned to one of the two video conditions or a control group. Analysis of self-reported barriers and sexual behaviors showed minimal changes between and within groups as a function of viewing the video tapes. These results suggest the need to consider alternative interventions (e.g., multicomponent interventions) to increase "safer" sexual behavior and decrease "risky" sexual behavior. Despite the limited impact of the intervention, the ranking of barriers to the practice of safer sex provides some guidance as to which factors might be prioritized in efforts to promote "safer" sex.
ORDER NO: ABA95-21420
A teacher/researcher studied the instructional feasibility and impact on students of using "cognitive apprenticeship" to integrate "what-if-not" problem posing with the University of Chicago's Advanced Algebra curriculum. Data collected from expert assessors, a classroom observer, classroom videotapes, and the teacher's journal were used to determine whether planned instruction included the intended design features, how delivered instruction related to intended instruction, and how the quantity and quality of instruction differed between a control (non-problem-posing) class and an experimental (problem-posing) class. Changes in student performance in the areas of mathematical disposition, problem-posing performance, and mathematical achievement were measured using a pretest-posttest design. Changes in mathematical disposition and problem-posing performance were studied both between the problem-posing and non-problem-posing class and within the problem-posing class; however, mathematical achievement was compared only between classes. The major findings regarding feasibility were that the intended design features were successfully incorporated into lesson plans, and the delivered instruction was generally aligned with planned instruction for key structural design features. The non-problem-posing class, however, appeared to spend more time on the textbook objectives than did the posing class. In general, students' mathematical achievement was statistically equivalent in the two classes. Both classes also showed a decrease in mathematical disposition. Change in mathematical disposition, however, was negatively correlated (r = $-$.392) with previous mathematical achievement in the problem-posing class, particularly for the students who had studied the UCSMP curriculum for the past several years (r = $-$.76, p $<$.05); whereas, it was positively correlated (r =.551, p $<$.05) with previous mathematical achievement in the non-problem-posing class. Thus, the findings suggest that the incorporation of problem posing into instruction in Algebra 2 had no negative effects on student achievement but that it was associated with negative affect on the part of students who had been successful with instruction not involving problem posing.
ORDER NO: ABA95-17486
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of traditional educational experience along with more non-traditional educational experience on the educator's orientation toward the collaborative teaching-learning mode as defined by Conti's Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS). Demographic characteristics were collected through a Personal Data Inventory. Subjects were full time college instructors within the Kansas Independent College Association (K.I.C.A.). The data was examined for significance at the.05 level of confidence by means of a one-way analysis of variance. In cases of largely unequal cell sizes, the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA by Ranks was employed. The study established that there was a significant relationship between certain formal and informal educational experiences and the orientations of the K.I.C.A. instructors toward the collaborative teaching-learning mode as defined by Conti's PALS. This determination was supported by the finding that there was a significant interaction between the instructor's type of formal educational experience (major) at both the undergraduate and graduate level and the instructor's teaching-learning stance. However, there was not significant difference between the level or amount of formal education and the instructors's stance. In addition, there was no significant difference between instructors with formal "adult education" course work, defined as three or more formal courses in adult education, and those who did not have formal course work in adult education. The findings also support the conclusion that certain informal educational experiences influence an instructor's learning-teaching stance. There was a significant relationship between the number of years of college teaching experience and the instructor's stance. In addition, the number of years or work experience, not as an instructor in a college setting, was significant. Experience as an adult learner, however, was not a significant determinant.
ORDER NO: ABA95-17308
One hundred seventy-five students at a community college were placed at random into elementary algebra classes conducted using one of two methods: Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) or traditional lecture-based classroom instruction. Gain scores for each student were determined by using an equivalent forms pretest/posttest design. Data were gathered on other student characteristics, including race, sex, age and socioeconomic status. To determine students' learning styles, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Form G, was mailed to each of the subjects. The students' assessment of their family's socioeconomic status during the time they were in high school was used to indicate students' socioeconomic status. Nine null hypotheses were developed to test these data for significance at the alpha =.05 level. The results revealed the following characteristics to be common among the successful computer assisted instruction students: (1) Students under 25 years of age performed better in the computer-assisted format than students over 25; (2) minority students performed significantly better in the computer-assisted format than they did in the traditional classroom; and (3) students of middle or high socioeconomic status performed significantly better in the computer-assisted format than those of lower socioeconomic status. Eighteen tables and six figures are provided for illustration.
ORDER NO: ABA95-16705
All institutions of higher education have some methods for evaluating the performance of their faculty. Although different institutions place varying degrees of emphasis upon teaching, research, and service, this project focuses exclusively on the teaching portion of the faculty member's responsibilities. Specifically, the focus is on the procedures used by mathematical science departments and institutions to evaluate the teaching performance of their mathematics instructors. These procedures may include student written evaluations, classroom observation, and other methods. A questionnaire was developed to inquire about the practices used in the evaluation of mathematics teaching. The questionnaire was mailed to mathematics department chairs and administrators at all two-year and four-year colleges and universities in five states in the midwestern United States. A total of 352 questionnaires were mailed, and 170 responses were received. A review of the literature on student evaluations and other means of evaluating teaching is offered, and the results of the survey are presented and discussed in light of existing knowledge. Among the findings it is reported that 82% of institutions responding required the use of student written evaluations in the evaluation of mathematics teaching, and 65% of institutions use evaluation forms containing the same questions for mathematics teachers as for teachers in all other subjects. Over half of institutions responding require classroom visitations for at least some of their mathematics instructors. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for improving the evaluation of mathematics teaching are given, along with suggestions for further research.
ORDER NO: ABA95-16051
Despite disagreement about definitions of the construct and our ability to measure it, "critical thinking" has become an increasingly important movement in education. Speech communication joins itself to the movement by claiming "critical thinking" as a goal and an achievement of its curriculum. In an era when educators are expected to provide accountability through program assessment, it is incumbent upon the speech communication discipline to seek measurement of its critical thinking instruction. Argumentation has asserted itself as a unifying force in speech communication with a unique ability to foster critical thinking. Past efforts to measure the impact of argumentation instruction on critical thinking have centered upon the role of intercollegiate debate and full-semester argumentation courses. In this dissertation, I create a micro-unit in argumentation theory to test in a wider variety of speech communication core and general education public speaking courses to determine its impact on critical thinking through a quasi-experimental design. Forty treatment group subjects obtained from several classes completed a pretest consisting of three subtests of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (Form A), then received ninety minutes of instruction in fundamental argumentation theory, followed by a posttest of Form B of the Watson-Glaser instrument. Thirty-four control group subjects completed the pretest and posttest with no instruction in argumentation theory. All subjects also completed a demographic questionnaire designed to determine previous instruction. Data were analyzed using the SAS computer program to perform a series of t-tests on the means of the difference scores between groups. Statistically significant results were indicated for speech core treatment subjects on the "interpretation of data" subtest, and for general education public speaking students on the "argument" subtest. No statistically significant results were obtained for the overall test or any other subtests, nor for effects of previous instruction. Recommendations based on the results include further study of the effects of long-term argumentation instruction, creation of critical thinking assessment instruments specific to speech communication, and recognition of the need to assess disposition toward critical thinking as well as the skills themselves.
ORDER NO: ABA95-14622
The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of two study strategies--summarizing and outlining on reading comprehension of Taiwan EFL college freshmen students. The effect of summarizing and outlining on EFL college students' reading comprehension and their achievement in summarizing and outlining were studied, and the effect on students' study habits and attitudes were investigated as well. Subjects, sixty-four EFL freshmen college students enrolled in the English Department of a university in Taiwan, were randomly split into the experimental and control groups. A thirty-two-week study was conducted with all sixty-four students. During the whole school year, thirty-two students participated in the experimental group, took the intensive training of two study strategies, summarizing and outlining, in conjunction with regular reading instruction. Meanwhile, the same researcher compared and contrasted the other thirty-two students which were designated as the control group. The control group received regular reading instruction without training in the two study strategies. The results indicated that: (1) The experimental group did not show a significant difference on reading comprehension in comparison with the control group. (2) The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on outlining. In the summarizing intervention, there was no significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. (3) The students who were in the experimental group showed there was no significant difference on growth of Study Habits and Study Attitudes after the experiment. (4) The students who were in the control group showed that there was a negative significant difference on Study Habits but no significant difference on Study Attitudes after the experiment. The researcher developed a regression model to describe the relationship among the four tests including TOEFL, SSHA, Summarizing and Outlining and to predict the effect of summarizing an outlining on TOEFL.
ORDER NO: ABA95-14120
University students in Malaysia need to demonstrate a high proficiency of the English language, particularly so in institutions of higher learning such as the International Islamic University where the medium of instruction is English in order to succeed academically. Here, the students are not only expected to comprehend academic texts in English but also to produce acceptable texts of their own. Unfortunately, they are often unable to do so because their prior training has not prepared them to organize textual information in a manner expected by a native speaker of the English language. Although they have acquired some skills in composition and drafting, they are still unable to write clearly and coherently, a problem related to the lack of control of the grammatical system. This difficulty appears to stem from two factors: first, the abstract treatment of grammar in the Malaysian academic world which makes it difficult for the the learners to internalize it; second, the emphasis on sentence level exercises in the structural syllabus precludes the raising of grammar consciousness of the students beyond this level. As a result of this situation, text features which help native speakers to produce coherent texts elude the ESL learners. This study was designed to determine, through an experimental design, whether writing instruction highlighting the contrastive grammatical features of the L1 and L2 through a functional approach would have any effect on clarity and coherence of ESL learners' compositions. The study was conducted at the International Islamic University with a sample of 61 second year Malay students pursuing the Advanced English Writing Course. They were divided into an experimental group (31) and a control group (30). The former received a 12-week treatment of half-hour lessons per week on contrastive grammatical features, and the latter were given the regular grammar exercises. All subjects were required to take a pretest, a posttest and a revised posttest. The essays were assessed by two raters using a holistic scoring method; then they were subjected to a series of grammatical analyses. The collected data was tested for statistical significance by means of ANOVA, the Tukey's tests and Pearson r correlation measure. The results were statistically significant for the treatment group exposed to contrastive grammar instruction as the subjects showed considerable improvement in their ability to convey clear messages, as well as in the overall quality of their compositions. The investigation, based on the findings, made the following recommendations: first, that English composition classes should include systematic instruction in contrastive grammar (English/Malay); second, that a functional approach demonstrating how language works will yield more positive results than one emphasizing formal grammatical explanations; and finally, that all grammar instruction should be contextualized.
ORDER NO: ABA95-13888
This study of principal preparation programs composing the Danforth Foundation Program for the Preparation of School Principals (DPPSP) was conducted to identify and compare the perceptions of program faculty and program coordinators of their respective instructional planning and teaching practices, and their like perceptions of department expectations of faculty regarding these same roles. Variables were constructed using a pilot survey with selected faculty who were members of the Southern Region Council for Education Administration. There were three major findings. Faculty and program coordinators ranked their perceptions of their own practice highly. Faculty and program coordinators ranked their perceptions of their own instructional planning and teaching higher than they ranked their perceptions of department expectations of faculty regarding their teaching. Faculty and program coordinators ranked their perceptions of their own practice higher than they ranked their self-reported use of various instructional planning and teaching strategies, and methods and resources. Several recommendations resulted from this study. Among the most notable were the following: faculty and program coordinators in DPPSP programs need to conduct research which focuses on graduate perceptions of the quality of instructional planning and teaching they experienced while in the preparation program: similar research which focuses on other principal preparation program faculty teaching practices needs to be conducted, possibly using a qualitative approach: in light of the disparity between faculty and program coordinator perceptions of their instructional planning and teaching practices, and their self-reported utilization of various instructional planning and teaching methods and resources, it was recommended that DPPSP faculties and coordinators engage in critical assessment of the assumptions under which they plan for and enact teaching and learning activities.
ORDER NO: ABA95-12951
This study investigated the effects on learning of two methods of instruction, computer-based tutorial and computer-based simulation, in four different combinations of computer-based programs: (1) a computer-based tutorial alone, (2) a computer-based simulation alone, (3) a computer-based tutorial followed by a computer-based simulation, and (4) a computer-based simulation followed by a computer-based tutorial. The two methods of instruction differed in their continuing motivational qualities, function to enhance self-regulating behaviors, application of discovery-based learning, role as an advance organizer, ability to promote transfer of learning, and sequence of information presentation. Both methods taught life management skills that included the topics of financial planning, housing, and insurance. All four computer-based programs used in the study included identical demographics, pretest, posttest, and opinionnaire instruments in addition to the lesson content. The results of this study revealed that the computer-based simulation alone was not effective as a method of instruction for the content presented. The posttest scores for the computer-based tutorial alone method and the computer-based simulation followed by tutorial method were not significantly different. This indicated that (1) the simulation was ineffective as an advance organizer and had no effect on learning and (2) the tutorial had continuing motivation that promoted increased time-on-task but lacked the format to facilitate transfer of learning. Posttest results revealed that learning was significantly enhanced by combining the sequence of tutorial followed by simulation when compared with simulation alone. These findings suggest that the sequence of tutorial followed by simulation presented the knowledge in a controlled format that compelled the students to read the content screen by screen throughout the tutorial. The simulation that followed then presented the same information in a discovery-based learning format which allowed the students to reinforce their knowledge. Students who were more motivated utilized self-regulating behaviors and selected more discovery-based learning icons. The tutorial followed by simulation further enhanced learning by providing the students opportunities for transfer of learning through problem solving during the simulation.
ORDER NO: ABA95-12851
Over a period of five years, this study followed a cohort of students who completed a summer developmental program and matriculated to East Stroudsburg University and compared their progress with a group of students who had been admitted through the regular, competitive admissions process during the same time period. GPAs were compared for 190 students who had graduated, dropped out, or were continuing at the time data collection ended. Repeated measures analysis of variance results indicated a significant difference in initial and final grade point averages based on group and on graduation status. Survival analysis results indicated a significant difference for retention in favor of the developmental students. GPAs were analyzed for developmental students by group based on pretest scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. Repeated measures analysis of variance results indicated no significant difference in initial or final grade point averages based on students' pretest scores which placed them in the average or below average range; however, results did indicate a significant difference in GPAs based on graduation status. Survival analysis results indicated no significant difference for retention between the two groups. Grades earned in each of four social science courses which are highly dependent on text comprehension were compared for developmental and regular admit students. ANOVA results indicated no significant difference in grades earned in the courses between the two groups. An original, authentic assessment, using a passage from a psychology textbook, was developed and tested for concurrent validity with the Nelson-Denny Reading Test.
ORDER NO: ABA95-12224
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs, attitudes and practices of the chief instructional officers (CIO's) of the California community colleges toward Continuous Quality Improvement in their colleges. It also explores their attitudes toward CQI and the extent to which CIO's use the tools and strategies commonly associated with CQI. Variables considered were the CIO's age, gender, length of experience as a CIO, training in administrative skills, the recency of that training, and extent of formal training in CQI. Methodology. A questionnaire was mailed to all (107) of the California community chief instructional officers. The number returned was eighty-five. The questionnaire was divided into four sections addressing three major themes as well as demographic data about the CIO's. The three major themes were: CIO level of agreement with CQI philosophy and principles, CIO attitude towards CQI, and the level of CIO use of CQI tools and techniques. The data collected were tabulated and then cross-tabulated across the three major themes as well as the questionnaire statements and questions within those themes by the demographic variables. A statistical software package for the social sciences was used to analyze the data. Tests for significance were conducted using the ONEWAY Analysis of Variance followed by the Scheffe' or a simple t-test if only two independent variables were considered. Findings and conclusions. There is a generally high level of agreement with the philosophy and principles of CQI among the California community college CIO's. As a group, they have a fairly positive attitude towards CQI but they don't use CQI tools and strategies very much in their work. Although their responses differed by age, gender, length of service, education, etc., the differences were not significant with the exception in the amount of CQI training. CQI training did make a significant difference relative to the extent the CIO's used CQI tools and strategies. The data indicates that the CIO's are generally prepared and ready to assume leadership roles in their colleges to create a CQI environment that is customer and data driven, and based on collaboration and consensus among and between self-managed teams.
ORDER NO: ABA95-12218
Purpose. The focus of this research was to determine the role instructional deans play and/or will play in shared governance and to assess their role through their perceptions and those of the chief instructional officer and faculty leadership. Further, the study examined how deans involve others in decision-making, and the skills they, faculty, and the CIO perceive need further development. Methodology. This qualitative study of five cases involved semi-structured interviews with 35 full-time community college staff members including instructional deans, their supervisors, department chairs, and academic senate leaders. Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Challenge Framework was used to assess the perception of role and Flanagan's Critical Incident Technique was used to assess decision-making processes. A skills inventory, which consisted of a list of personal, interpersonal and technical leadership skills constructed by the researcher from current leadership literature was also administered to the participants. The theoretical base for this study was role theory. Findings and conclusions. The deans, faculty, and CIOs generally agreed that the instructional dean's role was that of a director, organizing people and brokering with others. Perceptions of the role has not significantly changed since the implementation of shared governance. The deans demonstrated five of the ten factors of the Leadership Challenge, that of searching for opportunities, fostering an environment of collaboration, strengthening others, planning small wins toward change, and recognizing the contributions of others. The deans were not perceived to demonstrate to a great degree the role factors of celebrating success, leading the way, inspiring others, envisioning the future, and taking risks. The deans used a collaborative approach to decision-making and regularly involved faculty in decisions they make. The deans demonstrated many of the skills futurists and writers of organizational theory profess to be the skills of future middle managers. The skills for which deans felt they could benefit from professional development were: experimenting with unique approaches to problems, motivating people, and staying current on internal/external changes that may affect the departments they supervise.
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