Degree Department

A Descriptive History of Wesley College (open access)

A Descriptive History of Wesley College

The American junior colleges of today are historical accidents, some having begun originally with elementary and secondary divisions or as adjuncts of local high schools. Wesley College in Greenville, Texas, began on a two acre campus as North Texas University Training School in Terrell, Texas, in 1905. Chartered by the North Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the school initially provided elementary and high school and two years of college. At this time the name was changed to Wesley College, but the school closed in the spring of 1911. It reopened on a twenty acre campus in the fall of 1912 in Greenville, Texas, and maintained a close relationship with that city until mounting financial problems forced closure in 1938. Many records of the school were transferred to Southern Methodist University at Dallas, and in 1939, Wesley College alumni were invited to become associate members of the S.M.U. Ex-Students Association. Many associated with Wesley College continue to meet annually in Greenville to keep alive their memories of the once prestigious college. This study employs primary and secondary documentary data, as well as interviews with fifty-six individuals, to provide a chronological descriptive history of the origin, growth, development, and …
Date: May 1987
Creator: McMullin, William C. (William Craig)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Leisure Interests and Leisure Participation of Executives from Randomly Selected Companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (open access)

Leisure Interests and Leisure Participation of Executives from Randomly Selected Companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

This study investigated leisure interests and leisure participation of executives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Leisure Activities Blank and a questionnaire designed to collect demographic information were administered to twenty-five randomly selected executives. Five hypotheses were tested. Four were retained; one was rejected. Gold was found to be the favorite leisure interest of the respondents. They are currently engaged in eighteen leisure interests, and indicated a desire to participate in thirty-six leisure activities at some future time. Leisure interests which the respondents participated in during their past, or are currently engaged in, appear to be those they hope to continue in the future.
Date: May 1979
Creator: Hersh, Edward D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Creativity and Education (open access)

A Study of Creativity and Education

This investigation is concerned with the identification of creative students in the classroom. One purpose of the study is a search of the literature to determine the emphasis given to creativity in education today. A second is to determine if a measure of creativity given to a group of students would reveal a discrimination between the students. The measure of creativity used in this study was the Christensen-Guilford Fluency Tests. The sample group for the study included fifty-two male and fifty-three female students in the ninth grade of the Richardson Independent School District in Dallas', Texas. This study concludes that measurements of mental abilities must include measurements of creativity as well as intelligence if the more gifted students are to be recognized.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Cook, Ellen L. Goldston
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Investigation of the Role of Industrial Arts in Developing Values in the Areas of Work and Leisure (open access)

An Investigation of the Role of Industrial Arts in Developing Values in the Areas of Work and Leisure

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of examining the work and leisure values in the industrial society and identifying objectives and methods which develop these two values in the student through industrial arts. Information was gathered from the written works of industrial arts, general education, sociology, and psychology. The study offers a survey of work and leisure values which have evolved in the twentieth century. Also, it presents a historical perspective of industrial arts objectives relating to work and leisure values as they are influenced by the vocational, social, and general education movements. Finally, the study presents specific strategies and tactics which develop work and leisure values through industrial arts.
Date: May 1976
Creator: Herrington, Glen D. (Glen Dale)
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Survey of the Twentieth Century American Trends in Secondary Mathematics Education (open access)

A Survey of the Twentieth Century American Trends in Secondary Mathematics Education

This investigation of twentieth century trends in mathematics education includes the survey of existing literature and questionnaires conducted with retired and active Texas teachers. Historical events, trends in curriculum, instruction, learning theories, and contradictions of twenty-year periods are delineated. Questionnaire responses are tabulated along the same periods and vignettes of typical classrooms are drawn from the data. Results of the survey show the impact of societal forces on mathematics curricula, a continued downward expansion of content into lower grades and expanding knowledge of learning processes. A unified mathematics curriculum, classroom-related learning theory research, and further development of team-teaching are postulated as future trends. Recommendations include further examination of trends through isolation of other variables such as region and ethnicity.
Date: May 1980
Creator: Maloney, Letty Lynn
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study Comparing the Effects of Organized and Nonorganized Play on the Self-Concepts of Five, Six and Seven Year-Old Children (open access)

A Study Comparing the Effects of Organized and Nonorganized Play on the Self-Concepts of Five, Six and Seven Year-Old Children

This study investigated the self-concepts of five, six, and seven year old children after participation in organized and nonorganized play programs. The subjects were sixty boys and girls participating in Little League Tee-Ball programs and sixty boys and girls participating in the City Playground Program in the Fort Worth, Texas, area during the 1979 spring and summer season. The instrument used to measure self-concept was the Purdue Self-Concept Scale, Results indicated that the type of organization has little effect upon the self-concept of the children in this study.
Date: May 1981
Creator: Perry, Kaye
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship Between Faculty-Led Small Groups and Character Development of Seminarians in an Evangelical Seminary (open access)

The Relationship Between Faculty-Led Small Groups and Character Development of Seminarians in an Evangelical Seminary

The problem for this study was the relationship between faculty-led small groups and the development in seminary students of the character traits biblically mandated of those who occupy spiritual leadership positions in the church (1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9). This experimental study developed and assessed a program which combined involvement in a small group of peers with a faculty mentor. The discipleship groups met weekly for two semesters for either thirty or seventy-five minutes. The research instrument used was the Biblical Leadership Qualities Inventory, a revision of the Spiritual Leadership Qualities Inventory. The longer treatment length groups were not found to differ significantly from the shorter treatment length groups for change in trait score (p = .281), although means were generally lower for the longer groups. A MANOVA showed that both treatment groups differed significantly from the control group for the traits observed (p < .001) with the general direction of change being to a lower trait score. Five post-hoc hypotheses were investigated. An education effect, as measured by number of traits studied in the group, was not found to be related to outcome. A fatigue or stress effect, as measured by academic load, work load, and marital status, …
Date: May 1987
Creator: Green, Michael Paul
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Aerobics Conditioning Exercises on Selected Personality Characteristics of Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Girls (open access)

The Effects of Aerobics Conditioning Exercises on Selected Personality Characteristics of Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Girls

This study is a description of selected personality characteristics of seventh- and eighth-grade girls and the changes that occur before and after a program of either aerobics (running) or anaerobics (calisthenics) conditioning exercises during the fall semester, 1973.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Mayo, Frances Moss
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of Higher Education in Iran and a Proposal for Its Improvement (open access)

An Analysis of Higher Education in Iran and a Proposal for Its Improvement

The problem with which this study is concerned is the development of a plan to reform the structure of the current system of Iranian higher education, both quantitatively and qualitatively. These goals have been set by the Charter of Educational Revolution and coincide with the Development Plans of the nation which have aimed to bring about a fundamental change in society. Educational history of Iran since ancient times is discussed, with special emphasis on higher education, and the religio-cultural influences in shaping the organization of educational institutions and curricula are overviewed. The nation developed one of the world's oldest scholastic centers of higher learning, Gondi-Shapur Academy, whose international faculty contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge. Iranian culture was exposed to Islam following the Arab invasion; and Islamic doctrine, which has been opposed to secular education, has dominated the educational philosophy of the country. Western education came to Iran through military institutions and religious institutions. Modern schools increased during the last decades of the nineteenth century; however, their progressive development can be traced only from the reign of Reza Shah, beginning in 1925. The first modern university of Iran was established forty years ago. The provincial universities and other institutions …
Date: May 1974
Creator: Naeli, Mohammed Ali
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effect of Feedback Discrepancy upon University Faculty (open access)

Effect of Feedback Discrepancy upon University Faculty

The problem this investigation considered was the effect of student evaluation feedback upon subsequent classroom behavior and attitudes of university faculty. The results of analysis of the data revealed that neither the amount of feedback, nor the time of semester the feedback was given produced any significant change in the teachers' self-evaluation. The discrepancies between students' evaluations and teacher's self-evaluation which were present also had no effect upon the teacher attitudes or classroom behaviors. Other variables that were without effect upon the teacher attitudes were number of years of teaching experience of the teacher, elective versus required course offerings, level of course, and academic department. These results refute much of the findings in current literature concerning the effects of various external consequences upon the attitudes of both teachers and students. However, the associated procedural difficulties require further explanation of the results. A possible explanation for the lack of significant results is detailed in the conclusion section. The reasons include procedural difficulties associated with external considerations which could not be controlled through experimentation; however, these processes have a large effect upon the final results.
Date: May 1979
Creator: Green, Michael J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Self-Perceived Leadership Styles of Female Administrators Compared to Those of Their Superordinates of Five Major Texas Junior/Community College Districts (open access)

A Study of Self-Perceived Leadership Styles of Female Administrators Compared to Those of Their Superordinates of Five Major Texas Junior/Community College Districts

The problem of this study was a comparison of female administrators' self-perceived leadership styles to those of their superordinates' perceptions in five major junior/community college districts in Texas. The population included 59 female administrators submitting biographical information with 53 of the 59 submitting information on their leadership styles. The leadership data were paired with 53 superordinates for comparison of the perceptions of each group. In conclusion both groups agreed on the leadership style exhibited most often by female administrators as being high relationship-low task. Even though the female administrators exhibited this dominant style, the majority of the women and their superiors agreed they could span the other styles in an effective manner.
Date: May 1979
Creator: Branch, Elizabeth
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Competency-Measurement Instrument for Evaluating School Counselors (open access)

A Competency-Measurement Instrument for Evaluating School Counselors

This study develops the first measurement instrument designed to accompany the concept of competency basing in counselor training. In so doing, the study screens and validates a list of skills most essential to an effective counselor. The problem of this study is to develop and validate an instrument for the measurement of competencies of school counselors. The instrument developed and validated by this study is especially designed to delineate the specific skills which best represent the competencies necessary for a well-qualified counselor.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Percival, Robert R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Relationship Between Romantic Love and Marital Adjustment in Middle-Class Couples (open access)

A Study of the Relationship Between Romantic Love and Marital Adjustment in Middle-Class Couples

This study investigates the relationship between romantic love and marital adjustment in a sample of middle class couples. Romantic love is defined as a general disposition an individual has toward love, marriage, the family, and relationships involving male-female interaction in which the affective component is regarded as primary and all other considerations are excluded from conscious reflection. Marital adjustment is defined as the positive accomodation of husband and wife interacting within the framework of a legally established marital relationship. Middle socioeconomic class is operationally defined as a specific quantitative range on the Warner Index of Social Characteristics. This study examines the nature of any quantifiable relationship between romantic love and marital adjustment, current or future. Three views of this relationship are investigated. The first view contends that romanticism is functional, contributing to positive marital adjustment. The second is characterized by the belief that romantic love has a negative impact upon marital adjustment and is dysfunctional. A third view of the relationship between romantic love and marital adjustment suggests that the critical element determining dysfunctionality is the isparity between partners, rather than the individual level of romanticism. No author has heretofore considered this alternative.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Gill, John D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship of Self-Actualization and Jury Bias (open access)

The Relationship of Self-Actualization and Jury Bias

An increasing number of empirical investigations have demonstrated that a wide variety of extra-legal factors are influential in the jury deliberation process and in the verdicts rendered. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if mock jurors possessing high levels of self-actualization would be more resistant to the biasing effects of the courtroom. One hundred eighty subjects were selected on the basis of their scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). Subjects were divided into two groups, those scoring within the high self-actualized range, and those scoring within the low self-actualized range. From this subject pool, thirty six-person juries were selected; ten high self-actualized simulated juries (HSA), ten mixed self-actualized simulated juries (MSA), composed of fifty percent high and fifty percent low self-actualized subjects, and ten low self-actualized simulated juries (LSA). Statistical analyses of the five hypotheses produced the following results. Hypothesis 1, HSA juries make more pertinent legal evidence remarks than LSA juries, was not supported. Hypothesis 2, HSA juries make more accurate legal evidence statements than LSA juries, was not supported. Hypothesis 3, HSA juries would render more relevant punishment than the LSA juries, was not supported. Hypothesis 4, HSA juries would require less deliberation time than …
Date: May 1979
Creator: Crawford, Ronald F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Orders of Presentation and Anchors on the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (open access)

The Effects of Orders of Presentation and Anchors on the Ratings of Perceived Exertion

The problem investigated was to compare the effects of orders of presentation and anchors on the ratings of perceived exertion obtained during bicycle ergometry. Based on the statistical analysis of the data, the following findings were apparent: 1. It was found that there were no significant differences in mean scores of perceived exertion obtained among the orders of presentation, ascending, descending, and random. 2. It was found that the light anchor mean score was significantly greater than those of the heavy or identical anchor. 3. It was found that there were significant differences among the ratings of perceived exertion that may be attributed to changes in work loads. 4. It was found that there were significant differences among the mean scores of ratings of perceived exertion that may be attributed to the interaction of the main effects. As a result of the findings, the following conclusions were deemed appropriate within the limitations of the study: 1. Ratings of perceived exertion in ascending and random order increased proportionately in value as the work load increases. 2. Contrast effects are present in ratings of perceived exertion obtained during bicycle ergometry. 3. The majority of previous findings agree with the present research with …
Date: May 1976
Creator: Peters, Albert L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Operant Conditioning of Counselor Verbal Responses Through Radio Communication (open access)

Operant Conditioning of Counselor Verbal Responses Through Radio Communication

The problem of this study was to determine whether using radio communication can facilitate learning in counseling practicums. This study had four purposes: 1. To determine whether the use of radio communication would be effective in providing positive reinforcement to the counselor during counseling sessions. 2. To determine whether the use of radio communication would be effective in enhancing the learning of facilitative responses by counselors in practicum situations. 3. To determine the effect of positive reinforcement on the student counselors' performance. 4. To provide information that might be beneficial with regard to future research involving the use of radio communication in counselor training.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Tentoni, Stuart Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
State Funding for Community Education Projects (open access)

State Funding for Community Education Projects

The problem of this study was an analysis of the funding procedures in states which provide funding for local community education projects. The purpose of the study was to identify states which appropriate funds for community education and to provide an analysis of the guidelines for operation and use of state funds for community education at the local level. Twenty-five states were initially identified as having some type of state funding for community education, Eleven of the twenty-one states responding do provide funding for use at the local level. The guidelines and applications for obtaining these funds were compared in the areas of purpose of state legislation, minimum elements required of community education projects, eligibility requirements, use of state funds, grant periods, and annual reporting requirements.
Date: May 1986
Creator: Westbrook, Jane (Juanita Jane)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Administrator Perceptions of the Individually Guided Education Staff Development Process (open access)

Administrator Perceptions of the Individually Guided Education Staff Development Process

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of analyzing elementary school principals' perceptions of the Individually Guided Education process of staff development. A survey is made of 100 randomly selected principals from 18 states of the United States with regard to the problems of implementing the process in their schools.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Reid, George W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Priorities for the Governance of Texas Student Teaching Programs (open access)

Priorities for the Governance of Texas Student Teaching Programs

The problem of this study is differences in perceptions of priorities in selected areas of student teaching existing within the governance set, i.e., university directors of student teaching, public school administrators charged with implementing Senate Bill Eight, and presidents of local units of the Texas State Teachers Association. Six areas were chosen as the focal point of the study: selection of student teachers, selection of cooperating teachers, selection of college coordinators, placement of student teachers, evaluation of student teachers, and expenditure of Senate Bill Eight funds designated for the support of student teaching programs. The study concluded that the governance set is in overall agreement concerning the ordering of priorities. However, some significant differences were manifested concerning the implementation of specific priorities. Disagreements were noted in the following areas: selection body for student teachers, selection body for cooperating teachers, selection body for college coordinators, minimum grade point averages in education courses, and minimum grade point averages in major area courses.
Date: May 1978
Creator: Hurd, Joe Clayton
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Application of Principles of Generative Phonology to the Teaching of Reading to Students of English as a Second Language (open access)

The Application of Principles of Generative Phonology to the Teaching of Reading to Students of English as a Second Language

This dissertation reports research into the problem of how to teach mastery of the English writing system (MEWS) to students of English as a second language (ESL). The problem involves the relatedness of English orthography and phonology. The research had two purposes. First was development of classroom instructional materials for improving reading proficiency in ESL students by application of generative phonological principles. Second was use of the instructional materials in a pilot study of fifty-three ESL college freshmen. A major finding was that subjects' reading proficiency was far below that of native speakers at the college level. Another was that the subjects had more difficulty with English vowels than with consonants. The subjects' scores on nonsense-word tests correlated significantly with five other criteria, including measures of ability to use ESL. A uniform disparity between ESL-student and native-speaker scores on tests of nonsense words was identified. Native-speakers generally had perfect scores, and ESL students had low scores. A chief implication is the importance of understanding orthography in reading English. Recommendations are that ESL proficiency be determined by nonsense-word tests and that the MEWS program be used by students of English as a second dialect.
Date: May 1978
Creator: Sims, Diana Mae
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Empirical Investigation of Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference Test with Variance Heterogeneity and Unequal Sample Sizes, Utilizing Kramer's Procedure and the Harmonic Mean (open access)

An Empirical Investigation of Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference Test with Variance Heterogeneity and Unequal Sample Sizes, Utilizing Kramer's Procedure and the Harmonic Mean

This study sought to determine the effect upon Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) statistic of concurrently violating the assumptions of homogeneity of variance and equal sample sizes. Two forms for the unequal sample size problem were investigated. Kramer's form and the harmonic mean approach were the two unequal sample size procedures studied. The study employed a Monte Carlo simulation procedure which varied sample sizes with a heterogeneity of variance condition. Four thousand experiments were generated. Findings of this study were based upon the empirically obtained significance levels. Five conclusions were reached in this study. The first conclusion was that for the conditions of this study the Kramer form of the HSD statistic is not robust at the .05 or .01 nominal level of significance. A second conclusion was that the harmonic mean form of the HSD statistic is not robust at the .05 and .01 nominal level of significance. A general conclusion reached from all the findings formed the third conclusion. It was that the Kramer form of the HSD test is the preferred procedure under combined assumption violations of variance heterogeneity and unequal sample sizes. Two additional conclusions are based on related findings. The fourth conclusion was that for …
Date: May 1976
Creator: McKinney, William Lane
System: The UNT Digital Library
Corporal Punishment in American Education from a Historical, Legal, and Theoretical Perspective (open access)

Corporal Punishment in American Education from a Historical, Legal, and Theoretical Perspective

This paper discusses corporal punishment as a disciplinary method in American public schools. The effectiveness of corporal punishment is investigated. Chapter I introduces corporal punishment as a pertinent educational issue. Chapter II discusses the historical development of corporal punishment. Chapter III discusses the legal ramifications of corporal punishment. Chapter IV looks at surveys and studies that have been conducted in regard to the issue. Chapter V discusses a survey of teachers in Lewisville, Texas. Teachers responded to 42 statements pertaining to corporal punishment. Chapter VI concludes that research indicates that corporal punishment will not be effective unless it is administered harshly and consistently. The paper concludes that corporal punishment will not be necessary if higher educational institutions train teachers in alternative methods.
Date: May 1985
Creator: Carnes, Susan Carle
System: The UNT Digital Library
Developmental-Play Group Counseling with Early Primary Grade Students Exhibiting Behavioral Problems (open access)

Developmental-Play Group Counseling with Early Primary Grade Students Exhibiting Behavioral Problems

This research study was developed to investigate whether a structured discussion group on feelings)in combination with play group counseling can be effective as an intervention approach in working with disadvantaged primary grade children who are exhibiting disruptive classroom behavior. The general nature of the research hypotheses was that developmental play group counseling would not only reduce disruptive behavior of disadvantaged second grade students, but would also help to enhance these students' self concepts and attitudes toward school. None of the six hypotheses were confirmed. Developmental play group counseling did not significantly reduce "classroom disturbance" behavior, improve perceived self image, or improve attitude toward school over periods of time. The data indicated that play group counseling did significantly reduce "classroom disturbance" behavior after seven weeks of treatment, and maintained that general level of improvement eight weeks after the end of the study. The above finding suggested that play group counseling be utilized with disadvantaged early primary grade children who present behavior problems in school.
Date: May 1975
Creator: Gaulden, Gary Lloyd
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Emerging Role and Status of the Director of Human Relations in the Desegregation of Selected Public Schools in Texas (open access)

The Emerging Role and Status of the Director of Human Relations in the Desegregation of Selected Public Schools in Texas

The problem of this study was to ascertain the role and status of the specialist in human relations in the desegregation of selected public schools in Texas. Its purpose was to review human relations literature in order to compile a list of representative criteria for human relations programs in industry and to describe the human relations programs and roles of the directors in selected schools. An analysis of available information indicated that industrial organizations have given more attention to human relations programs than have the educational institutions of this country, although their problems have been similar. It was in the workshops of the factories, rather than in the classrooms of America, that social scientists developed human relations skills and techniques. The social issue of desegregation of the races has been a battle often fought on public school campuses. These racial confrontations, coupled with conflicts spawned by the rigidity of traditional schools, have signaled the urgent call for human relations programs to alleviate human problems. The background study included a review of relevant literature, interviews with public school officials, and discussions with state and regional educational administrators. The survey technique was used to collect data for the study. Personal interviews were …
Date: May 1974
Creator: Newman, Bill G.
System: The UNT Digital Library