The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze how Homecourt, a nondirective support group at a public high school in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, operates and how it affects students.

This study used a posttest only design to determine the effects of a strategic thinking program on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT, Form 4) scores of seventh graders who received direct instruction in Strategic Thinking Skills (STS) with the scores of seventh graders who did not receive direct instruction in STS. The study was conducted in a large suburban middle school in north Texas.

When selecting a method for testing variance equality, a researcher should select a method which is robust to distribution non-normality and dissimilarity. The method should also possess sufficient power to ascertain departures from the equal variance hypothesis. This Monte Carlo study examined the robustness and power of five tests of variance equality under specific conditions. The tests examined included one procedure proposed by O'Brien (1978), two by O'Brien (1979), and two by Conover, Johnson, and Johnson (1981). Specific conditions included assorted combinations of the following factors: k=2 and k=3 groups, normal and non-normal distributional forms, similar and dissimilar distributional forms, and equal and unequal sample sizes. Under the k=2 group condition, a total of 180 combinations were examined. A total of 54 combinations were examined under the k=3 group condition. The Type I error rates and statistical power estimates were based upon 1000 replications in each combination examined. Results of this study suggest that when sample sizes are relatively large, all five procedures are robust to distribution non-normality and dissimilarity, as well as being sufficiently powerful.

This is a study conducted in Zimbabwe which compared a group of 50 zvirvere zvechivanhu patients and a group of 50 non-patients in age, sex, marital status, level of education and claims of spirit possession. Claims of spirit possessions and types of spirits, as pointed out by Bennel (1982), were used as symptoms of zvirwere zvechivanhu. The two groups were also compared in symptom dimensions of the SCL-90-R used in the study. The SCL-90-R, developed by Derogatis (1975), is a 90-item symptom check list used to screen people for psychological problems reflected in the nine symptom dimensions of somatization, obsessive/ compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism and in the three global scores of Global Severity Index, Positive Symptom Distress Index and Positive Symptom Total. The subjects were chosen from two different sites, using a systematic sampling method. Three statistical methods were used to analyze the data. The Chi-square was used to analyze data on descriptive variables. The T-test and 2 x 2 analysis of variance were used to analyze the data on symptom dimensions and global scores. The study had one main hypothesis and nine subhypotheses. The main hypothesis was that zvirwere zvechivanhu patients were …

The problem of this study was the conflict perceived by Texas Public High School Principals involving two roles which have been described as contradictory in nature; namely as an instructional leader and as a building manager. This study was also concerned with the level of job satisfaction of the Texas Public High School Principal. 1,205 Texas Public High School Principals identified by the Texas Education Agency and University Interscholastic League were mailed a three part questionnaire survey. 700 principals (or 58.09% of the entire population) returned the completed surveys. The questionnaire "Demographic Survey for Texas Public High School Principals" consisted of eight questions. The thirty-four statement "Questionnaire for Texas High School Principals" allowed principals to provide their perceptions of the roles and responsibilities for their present position as well as an ideal position. The final questionnaire, the four question "Survey of Job Satisfaction", assessed the level of job satisfaction for each principal. Hypothesis one was analyzed with a one-way ANOVA to determine if principals differed in their perceptions of their job roles and job positions. These positions included both the present job position and a more desired or ideal job position. The differences in these positions resulted in conflict. Hypothesis …

This study examined the academic achievement of national social fraternity pledges compared to non-fraternity students at the University of Texas at Arlington. It was done to determine whether significant differences existed between the grade point averages of pledges of social fraternities and those of students who did not pledge a social fraternity, and to determine whether significant differences existed among fraternities when compared with each other with respect to academic achievement. This study was meant to provide a research design that could be used by other colleges and universities with fraternities to conduct the same comparison of academic performance. In the fall semester of 1989, 164 pledges were selected as the population for the study to be matched with non-fraternity students based on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, age, sex, classification, academic major, and number of hours attempted. A T-test of like groups was performed on the entire population with no significant difference found at the .05 level between all the fraternity pledges and all the matched pairs. A T-test of like groups was performed on the pledges from each separate organization and there was a significant difference among three of the fraternities. Two of the fraternities had significantly higher …

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on selected Upward Bound students' vocabulary retention rate and attitude toward computers when using color in a computer assisted instructional (CAI) program. Past research on the use of color in the educational process does not answer questions about possible effects it may have when used in CAI programs. Specific areas addressed by this study include: (1) differences in color computer assisted instructional software and achromatic versions of the lesson, (2) differences in the short-term vocabulary retention rate for color versus achromatic versions, (3) differences in the long-term vocabulary retention rate for color versus achromatic versions, (4) differences on the affective attitude scale for color versus achromatic versions, (5) differences in short-term memory based on gender and computer experience, (6) differences in long-term memory based on gender and computer experience and (7) differences on the affective attitude scale based on gender and computer experience. Subjects in the experiment were high school students participating in Upward Bound programs at Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas. A pretestposttest design was used and data were obtained from seventy-one students. A CAI program presented students with twenty words and definitions via a …

The problem of this study was to describe and compare the relationship of learning style and leadership style upon the selection of instructional strategies by nursing educators in associate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs. Data were collected using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, Hersey and Blanchard's Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description, a researcher-developed Instructional Strategies Inventory, and the Personal Data Form. It was found that leadership style was highly correlated between the associate degree and baccalaureate degree faculty groups. More of the associate degree faculty members had basic leadership styles of Low Relationship/Low Task and High Task/Low Relationship. Most of the baccalaureate faculty members had Low Relationship/Low Task leadership styles. The following conclusions were developed: (a) Nursing faculty in associate and baccalaureate degree programs have similar learning and leadership styles; (b) nursing faculty tend to use the traditional instructional strategies such as lecture, discussion, and case studies at the same frequency of use? and (c) the selection of instructional strategies in nursing education may be affected by variables other than the instructor's learning and leadership styles. In view of the findings of this study, the following recommendations for further study appear to be warranted, (a) Further research should be conducted to …

The juvenile justice system is society's response to juvenile misconduct. In spite of numerous federal, state, and local programs, the problem of juvenile delinquency persists. An increasing number of juveniles are being taken into custody and placed in institutional settings. Although juvenile delinquents share a number of common general characteristics (e.g., sex, minority, lower socioeconomic status, a history of school failure), they are not a homogeneous group. Effective educational interventions with delinquent juveniles can meet their unique academic, vocational, and social skills deficits. Handicapped juveniles are disproportionately represented among juvenile correctional facility populations. The identification of handicapped juveniles among delinquent populations is compounded as they share many of the same general characteristics. Federal statutes require individualized educational programs for all handicapped juveniles. This research investigated academic, behavioral, and social competencies of non-handicapped and handicapped adjudicated youth. Specifically, this investigation assessed measures of academic performance, classroom behavior, self-esteem, and social behavior. ANOVA indicated statistically significant differences between non-handicapped, learning disabled, and emotionally/behaviorally disordered adjudicated juveniles in reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and teacher generated measures of classroom behavior.

The purpose of this study was to construct portrayals of teachers7 work conceptions in various career stages from the stories they told and the metaphors they used to describe the ways in which teachers learned about their work. Specifically, the study included preservice teachers, first-year teachers, third-year teachers, and teachers with more than four years of teaching experience at the elementary and secondary school levels. Thirty-five elementary and secondary school teachers from the North-Central area of Texas participated in this study (nineteen inservice and sixteen preservice teachers). Qualitative techniques were employed to collect data. The preservice teachers filled out a questionnaire and wrote short stories about their preconceptions of their first year of teaching. Inservice teachers were interviewed using a short questionnaire and a long interview schedule. Nine inservice teachers participated in a storytelling workshop/focus group session. Group stories based on predetermined scenarios were constructed, tape-recorded and transcribed. The focus group session was videotaped and transcribed. Fifteen categories emerged from the analysis of the data: cyclical, ritualized, hierarchical, reciprocal, developmental, experiential, reflective, cumulative, body of knowledge, folkloric, individualized/personalized, order/control/manage, disciplinarian, facilitative, and replicative. These categories represent a summary of the constructs, images, contextual maps and metaphors held by these teachers …

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which rural nursing content is included in the curricula of baccalaureate and associate degree nursing programs in Texas. Additional purposes include determining the association between the emphasis on rural nursing content perceived by curricular chairpersons as ideal and current content emphasis, examining the difference in rural nursing emphasis between the two program levels, determining variables predictive of rural nursing emphasis and determining efforts to recruit students from rural areas. Data were collected by means of a mailed questionnaire developed by the investigator. Statistical analyses of these data were then conducted. Major findings include the determination of current and perceived ideal emphasis of rural nursing content, the difference in rural nursing emphasis between baccalaureate and associate degree nursing schools in Texas, the association between perceived ideal and actual content emphasis, those variables which are predictive of rural nursing emphasis in undergraduate curricula in Texas and the recruitment efforts from rural areas made by each level of program.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between the learning style of a kindergarten child and the level of achievement in language arts. The study was done at the request of the school district of a small community in north Texas, and it incorporated the total public school kindergarten population, 110 subjects. Instruments were the Learning Style Inventory: Primary by Perrin, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, and an achievement test developed by the regional education service center. The LSI:P was administered to all students by one person while the two achievement tests were administered by individual teachers to their own classes. The children were divided into groups according to their rating on the LSI:P, using the Prescription Circle by Dunn and Dunn as modifier. ANOVA and chi square analysis were utilized to compute frequencies and percentages at the .05 level to determine relationships between learning styles' group membership and attainment in language. A definite relationship was found between a child's learning style and achievement on the language arts objectives. Indications were that the elements of motivation, persistence and responsibility, and perceptual mode preferred by the learner had strong relationship to success in achievement. …

The primary purpose of the study was to develop an expert system that could C D perform medical diagnoses In selected problem areas, and C2) provide diagnostic Insights to assist medical students In their training. An expert system Is a computer-based set of procedures and algorithms that can solve problems In a given domain. Two research questions were proposed. The first was "Given a problem space defined by a matrix of diseases and symptoms, can a computer-based model be derived that will consistently perform accurate and efficient diagnoses of cases within that problem area?" The second question was "If the techniques derived from the model are taught to a medical student, is there a subsequent improvement of diagnostic skill?" An expert system was developed which met the objectives of the study. It was able to diagnose cases in the two problem areas studied with an accuracy of 94-95%. Furthermore, it was able to perform those diagnoses in a very efficient manner, often using no more than the theoretical minimum number of steps. The expert system employed three phases: rapid search by discrimination, confirmation by pattern matching against prototypes, and elimination of some candidates (impossible states) by making use of negative …

Although strategic planning has been used successfully in most major business institutions, higher education has been slow to adopt this management technique. Involvement in planning is a critical issue for allied health educational programs, such as physical therapy, which are relatively new to the academic environment. These programs face a continual need to update their curricula and clinical education based on rapid changes in the health care delivery system and the profession. The problem of this study was to determine the extent to which the strategic planning process is currently applied in institutions in the United States which offer accredited physical therapy educational programs. The population of this study was made up of the chief executive officers of the 115 public and independent institutions that offer physical therapy educational programs. Selected experts on strategic planning and chief executive officers were surveyed in two phases using a mailed questionnaire designed to measure the organization, characteristics, and impact of strategic planning in institutions that offer accredited physical therapy educational programs. Seventy-three percent of the chief executive officers responded, and 50.9 percent indicated their involvement with strategic planning by completing the questionnaire. The findings indicate that, although there is general agreement between the …

The extent of the application of the strategic planning process on dental education institutions was the problem in this descriptive study. The specific purpose was to describe the status of strategic planning based on the perceptions of the respondents. The organization, the characteristics and the impact of the strategic planning process would be investigated and described by this research. The total population of the doctoral and post-doctoral dental education institutions were included in the study. A specifically developed research instrument was used to elicit the perceptions of the respondents, both experts and chief executive officers (deans). All the experts (100 percent) completed and validated the research instrument and 65 percent of the dental education institutions completed the research instrument. The research instrument evaluated three areas of strategic planning: organization, characteristics, and the impact of strategic planning on their institutions. It was concluded that all dental education institutions participate in the strategic planning process and that the organization in the strategic planning process and that the organization and characteristics are generally similar to those in higher education institutions. The application of the strategic planning process has been proven beneficial in higher education institutions and there are perceived benefits in dental education. …

This study utilized an ethnographic methodology to examine and describe the various aspects and processes occurring in a children's group as the members created their own puppets and accompanying puppet plays. Individual and interactive behavior patterns were isolated and analyzed as a means of gaining an in depth understanding of the puppetry process. The puppetry process, in turn, was viewed in terms of information it provided regarding the individual members and the group process. The facilitative and non-facilitative aspects of the procedure were delineated. The adult leader met with a group of six boys, in grades four and five, for 12 one-hour sessions in which they made puppets and then created puppet plays around issues that they had articulated as problems. The group sessions were videotaped and transcribed. The transcriptions were coded in an effort to extensively analyze the puppetry process and the group process, and the ways in which the two processes interacted. An independent observer/rater was utilized in order to provide some validity for the researcher's reported results. The puppet-making task appeared to offer an opportunity for individuals to begin to come together in a common, but individual task. Characteristic styles and individual personality dynamics were evidenced. General …

This study utilized a qualitative research methodology to examine the perspectives of six subjects, three married couples, choosing abortion to terminate unwanted pregnancies. The subjects were interviewed a few days after the abortion and six weeks after the abortion for a total of 12 hours. The researcher transcribed the interviews and observer's comments written throughout the interview process. The data were qualitatively analyzed to gain an understanding of (a) the factors which contributed to the unwanted pregnancies; (b) the process by which the couples Chose abortion to terminate the unwanted pregancies, (c) factors which contributed to the decision; (d) factors surrounding the abortion procedure; and (e) factors which predisposed the couples to different kinds of post-abortion reactions. This analysis indicated that inconsistent birth control usage was but one factor in the unwanted pregnancy. decision to abort the unwanted pregnancy created relationship conflicts because each subject had different ideas and needs in regard to managing the unwanted pregnancy. Although all of the subjects expressed relief after the abortion procedure was completed, they also expressed feelings such as guilt, sadness, and a sense of loss. All of the couples in the study experienced relationship stress, and discussed relationship issues in the interviews. …

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between self-concept and study habits among different subgroups of 9th grade at-risk students. The study included the administration of two independent measures: The Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes. Other data were self-reported by the students. The five subgroups selected in this study were: (1) male and female, (2) white and non-white, (3) socioeconomic groups determined by eligibi1ity in the Free/Reduced Lunch Program, (4) retained and non-retained students, and (5) participants and non-participants in school activities. Raw scores from the self-concept scale and study habits survey were converted into percentile scores. A correlation coefficient was calculated for each subgroup. The significance of the two correlation coefficients was tested using Fisher's Zr transformation. Of the five hypotheses tested at the .05 level, all were rejected. Major findings of the study verify other research regarding characteristics of at-risk students. Also, more than half of the subjects had deficient study habits but only a small percentage (19,5V#) had signif icant ly low self-concept scores. In addition, at-risk students who participate in school activities had higher self-concept scores and study habits scores than non-participating at-risk students. It was concluded …

Research into job preference and job satisfaction addresses the agreement between individual and institutional values leading to job choice and job satisfaction. This research assessed ten job preference and ten job satisfaction factors at the University of Guam. Ninety-one faculty members and 32 administrators completed a two-page paired-comparison questionnaire. Demographic data were also collected. Factors' hierarchy and valence positions were reported and subjected to "PCSTATS" program to determine significance among pairs. Significant differences existed in three of the four hypotheses measuring the job preferential factors: advancement, benefits, company, co-workers, hours, pay, security, supervisor, type of work, and working conditions; and job satisfaction factors: good wages, job security, interesting work, tactful disciplining, in on things, working conditions, management loyalty, appreciation, promotion, and sympathetic understanding. Additional findings were made using post hoc analysis. Results indicated that administrators perceived others' preferences to be (a) pay, (b) advancement, and (c) type of work while faculty chose (a) type of work, (b) pay, and (c) advancement. In job satisfaction administrators selected (a) promotion, (b) good wages, and (c) job security, while the faculty chose (a) interesting work, (b) good wages, and (c) promotion. Self job preference factors chosen by males and females were (a) type …

This study examined the effects of Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) on affection, communication, and relationship between elderly parents and their assisting adult children. Twenty-eight pairs of parents and children were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. Subjects took Quinn's Family Life Questionnaire as pre-, post-, and follow-up tests. Parents and children in the treatment groups attended a four-session STEP workshop. No significant differences were found on the 2 x 2 analysis of variance for repeated measures for the parents or adult children. Quinn's affection and relationship variables approached significance for the parents over time. His variable affection approached significance for the children over time, irrespective of group. Agreement approached significance for children in the treatment group. The results for the parents regarding affection suggest that the study may have emphasized their feelings of trust. Although the data for relationship approached significance, it was negative, indicating that parents in the treatment group may have reduced their interaction with their assisting children perhaps because they were learning new communication skills. The data for the children regarding affection approached significance, but it was negative, suggesting they felt free to question their feelings about themselves and their parents. The results for …

A study was conducted to identify demographic and academic characteristics of students transferring from North Texas area senior colleges to Tarrant County Junior College (Texas) in the Fall 1984 semester. Academic characteristics were measured at the point of transfer and during subsequent junior college enrollment(s) through Spring 1989. Transcripts of 608 reverse transfer students were examined. Non-Completers, students who transferred prior to completing a baccalaureate degree, were identified as 77% of the population; students who transferred after earning a degree were 22%. Of the Non Completer students, 35% transferred as Poor Students (transfer GPA of 0.00-1.99), 23% as Fair Students (2.00-2.79) and 19% as Good Students (2.80-4.00). The reverse transfer students were 52% male. Most (87%) were white, with 6% black, 4% Hispanic, and 3% other ethnic. They varied in age from 18 to 81: 24% were younger than 21, 31% were 21-25, 45% older than 25. Poor Students earned a cumulative junior college GPA 1.29 higher than transfer GPA; Fair Student GPA was .63 higher; Good Student GPA decreased by .01. The change was significant at the .01 level for Poor and for Fair students. Poor arid Fair students who stopped out "for at least two years prior to …

The focus of this study is a comparison of the perceptions and expectations of the leadership role and function of the department chairpersons in the faculty of education by the respective department chairpersons, deans, and all faculty members from each of the six public teacher colleges in Bangkok, Thailand. In conclusion, role conflict between the department chairpersons can be reduced if the department chairpersons concentrate on the expectations of faculty members. The department chairpersons need to reevaluate their leader behavior in relation to both deans and faculty members in order to fulfill the organizational goals and personal needs.

Utilizing ethnographic methodology, this study examined and described the filial therapy process to provide an in-depth understanding of the process, the relations in progress, and effects on the parent, child, and parent/child relationship. This study supports filial therapy as a viable option for educating parents in effective parenting and training as agents of change. The results appear to be generalizable to other parents engaged in learning filial therapy since previous research reported similar findings.

The purpose of this study was to trace the development of education, including higher education, in the United Arab Emirates. In order to complete this study, a computer search of available literature in the English and Arabic languages was constructed. The findings of this study revealed that although education at all levels has been expanded and improved, enrollment in vocational education and science remains low at the secondary level. Students also seem to avoid science and education at the college level. Based on the results of this study, further research should be conducted to determine the perceptions of alumni educational experience, community involvement in education, the role of national and multi-national cooperations in education, and women's education in relation to their participation in the labor force.