Adult Christian Education for Baby Boomers: a Descriptive Case Study of Three American Churches (open access)

Adult Christian Education for Baby Boomers: a Descriptive Case Study of Three American Churches

American churches seeking to assimilate baby boomers are struggling to meet the adult educational needs of this group. To determine what models of church-based adult education are used to meet the educational needs of this group, three large, growing American churches known for attracting boomers were identified as sites for research. A qualitative case study research design was used and results were compared using cross-case analysis. Initial data collection included a three-day visit at each church. Data were collected in three phases: Phase One consisted of personal interviews with staff and lay leaders; Phase Two focused on observation of adult education events which took place during the visitation period; Phase Three involved gathering materials that described adult education programs. To optimize the reliability and accuracy of the findings data were subjected to examination by peers, collection methods were applied consistently in each research phase, follow-up contacts were made with each church to verify observations and findings, and case records were created for each site. Eleven categories were selected and the data were presented by category. Within each category, data were delineated and organized into three areas: trends among the churches, noteworthy comments about individual programs, and comparison to the literature …
Date: August 1994
Creator: Donahue, William P. (William Paul)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Current Conservative Religious Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Counseling (open access)

Current Conservative Religious Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Counseling

This study was designed to investigate the function of an individual's level of Christian conservatism and one's current attitude toward seeking professional psychotherapeutic help.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Roberts, Charles T. (Charles Thomas), 1941-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Historical Development of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas (open access)

The Historical Development of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university that serves over 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students as a branch of the University of Texas system located in Odessa, Ector County, Texas. The UTPB was established as an upper-division and graduate school on February 4, 1969, and first opened its doors to students in September, 1973. This historical study focuses on the development and progress of the UTPB from its inception until it was elevated from an upper-level institution to a four-year university twenty-two years later. The formation, mission, and curriculum are examined as well as are faculty and student characteristics and support. This study addresses the background history of higher education in the region, the role of community and college leaders in the UTPB's creation and struggle for four-year status, and the UTPB's unique features. The study was conducted by collecting data from available primary and secondary sources. The written data were then subjected to both external and internal criticism to determine the authorship and meaning of the documents. To explain events and put the written documents in context, oral histories, given by participants, were used. The educational opportunities offered by the UTPB have enriched …
Date: August 1994
Creator: Kern, Stephanie P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Cultural Values and Perception of the Anglo-Dominant Curriculum on the Achievement of Mexican-American and Anglo-American Junior and Senior High School Students (open access)

The Impact of Cultural Values and Perception of the Anglo-Dominant Curriculum on the Achievement of Mexican-American and Anglo-American Junior and Senior High School Students

This study is concerned with the problem of determining whether there is a relationship between achievement and specific ethnic and profile characteristics of Anglo-American and Mexican-American junior and senior high school students who are enrolled in a large metropolitan public school district. The purposes include (a) delineation of demographic data on these students in terms of specific group membership, gender, age, and educational concerns; (b) identification of the attitudes and values of these students; (c) evaluation of the relationships between the demographic data and the degree to which ethnic membership and interpersonal concerns impact participation in the classroom.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Rorex, P. Dale (Paul Dale)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Issues for the Nineties: An Analysis of 14 State Master Plans for Higher Education (open access)

Issues for the Nineties: An Analysis of 14 State Master Plans for Higher Education

The purposes of this study are (1) to identify the major policy issues being addressed by state agencies responsible for coordinating and regulating higher education; (2) to develop a classification system through inductive "clustering" that will aid in the analysis and synthesis of the major policy issues facing state coordinating boards for higher education; (3) to classify these policy issues; (4) to compare the goals and strategies of the various states; (5) to propose a list of significant policy issues that institutions and state agencies of higher education may face through the 1990s and into the 21st century.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Thompson, John Paul, 1947-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Malcolm Shepherd Knowles, the Father of American Andragogy : A Biographical Study (open access)

Malcolm Shepherd Knowles, the Father of American Andragogy : A Biographical Study

This is a qualitative, single-subject, historical, and biographical study. Malcolm Shepherd Knowles is the subject of this research. The problem of the study is to explore the uniqueness of Malcolm S. Knowles in light of his contributions to adult education and to the andragogical model of adult learning.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Cooke, James C. (James Clinton)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationships of Text Structure and Signaling in the Foreign Language Reading of Female Junior College Students in Japan (open access)

The Relationships of Text Structure and Signaling in the Foreign Language Reading of Female Junior College Students in Japan

The effects of top-level text structure and signaling on the reading recall of Japanese female junior college students studying English as a foreign language were investigated in this study. One hundred thirty-two subjects were selected from a private female junior college in Tokyo. The students were divided into three groups—high, average, and low reading comprehension levels—based on the results of the Test of Reading Comprehension. The instrument used to measure students' recall ability was developed from expository passages taken from a biology textbook. The passages were rearranged to show identifiable top-level structure, collection of description, causation, problem/solution, or comparison. Each passage was divided into two versions: a with-signaling version, in which top-level structure was explicitly stated by signaling words or phrases, and a without-signaling version, where signaling words or phrases were omitted. After the students were stratified on reading comprehension, they were assigned to eight different versions of text—two of each of the four top-level text structures, one with- and one without-signaling. In the recall test, students were instructed to read the text and to remember as much as they could.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Kano, Noriko
System: The UNT Digital Library
Self-Perceived Administrative Leadership Styles of Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Deans in Public Community and Junior Colleges inTexas (open access)

Self-Perceived Administrative Leadership Styles of Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Deans in Public Community and Junior Colleges inTexas

The major purpose for this study was to determine the self-perceived leadership styles of the presidents, vice-presidents, and deans of public community and junior colleges in Texas in 1994. Administrators' choices of leadership style were also compared with personal characteristics of leaders, such as age, gender, title, number of years in current position, number of years in current institution, number of years in administration, degree earned, number of years in teaching, and number of full-time subordinates. The backgrounds of the administrators, particularly their previous experience, control over their respective budgets, size of their budgets (state, local, other, percentage of workers' compensation), and the ethnicity of leaders, were also examined. The Styles of Leadership Survey and a Demographic Information Form were used to collect the data.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Ali, Hamad Abdulkareem
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Status of the Implementation of International Education in Texas Four-Year Colleges and Universities: a Comprehensive Study (open access)

The Status of the Implementation of International Education in Texas Four-Year Colleges and Universities: a Comprehensive Study

This study examined international education programs in Texas 4-year colleges and universities to determine how they compare to models found in the literature. A second purpose of the study was to compare Texas 4-year colleges and universities with out-of state benchmark institutions with a history of international education programs for over a decade. Areas examined in the study were: (a) administration of international education; (b) instructional activities of international education; (c) international student support services; and (d) outreach both in the community and abroad.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Barker, Thomas S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of the Use of Gift Annuity Agreements at Selected United States Colleges and Universities for the Period 1988-93 (open access)

An Analysis of the Use of Gift Annuity Agreements at Selected United States Colleges and Universities for the Period 1988-93

The objective of this research was to describe the extent to which Gift Annuity Agreements were used by United States higher education institutions in raising private philanthropic support during the period 1988-93.
Date: August 1995
Creator: McIntosh, Clifford Joe
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of College Athletes and Nonathletes in the areas of Career Decision-Making. Salience, and Values (open access)

A Comparison of College Athletes and Nonathletes in the areas of Career Decision-Making. Salience, and Values

This study paralleled Smallman's (1993) analysis of college athletes at an NCAA Division I school, which found significant differences between athletes and nonathletes in readiness to make career decisions. The present study measured career decision-making skills using The Career Development Inventory. In addition, the present study examined the salience of roles (i.e., student, worker, citizen, family member, and leasurite) as measured by The Salience Inventory.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Patterson, Howard Y. (Howard Yates)
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Computer Adaptive Testing and Computer Administered Testing (open access)

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Computer Adaptive Testing and Computer Administered Testing

The problem with which this study is concerned is determining the effectiveness of a computer adaptive test as compared to the effectiveness of using the entire test. The study has a twofold purpose. The first is to determine whether the two test versions generate equivalent scores, despite being of different lengths. The second is to determine whether the difference in time needed to take the computer adaptive test is significantly shorter than the computer administered full test.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Fielder, Patrick J. (Patrick Joseph)
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Content Analysis of Case Studies in Childhood Selective Mutism (open access)

A Content Analysis of Case Studies in Childhood Selective Mutism

The problem of this study was to provide a more comprehensive and accurate profile of various aspects of selective mutism—family atmosphere/dynamics, aetiology and manifestations of mutism, usages and outcomes of therapeutic approaches, and a profile of the affected child—and to provide a more comprehensive and consistent basis to guide effective treatment strategies and facilitate additional research. A content analysis of case studies of selective mute children completed from 1929-1994 was used to educe this data.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Van der Smissen, Gayle L. (Gayle Lynn)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Factors Associated with Students' Decisions to Attend Selected Private Postsecondary Christian Institutions (open access)

Factors Associated with Students' Decisions to Attend Selected Private Postsecondary Christian Institutions

This study was designed to compare the college choice decisions of first-year students in the fall of 1993 attending selected private Christian institutions of higher learning with a national sample of colleges. The data for the study were collected using the Entering Student Survey (ESS), published by the American College Testing program (ACT).
Date: August 1995
Creator: Turcotte, James C. (James Carlton)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Filial Therapy with Incarcerated Mothers (open access)

Filial Therapy with Incarcerated Mothers

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of filial therapy with incarcerated mothers as a method of increasing empathic behaviors with their children, increasing attitudes of acceptance toward their children, and reducing stress related to parenting. Filial therapy, a method of training parents to respond and interact therapeutically with their children, focuses on enhancing the parent-child relationship. The sample population of 22 volunteer subjects was drawn from a pool of incarcerated mothers in the Denton County Jail who had children between three and ten years of age. The experimental group parents, consisting of 12 incarcerated mothers, received 2-hour filial therapy training sessions biweekly for five weeks and participated in biweekly 30-minute play sessions with one of their children. The control group parents, consisting of 10 incarcerated mothers, received no treatment during the five weeks. The three written self-report instruments completed for pretesting and posttesting purposes by both groups were The Porter Parental Acceptance Scale, The Parenting Stress Index, and The Filial Problem Checklist. The parents were also videotaped in play sessions with their child before and after training as a means of measuring change in empathic behavior. Analysis of Covariance revealed that incarcerated mothers in the experimental group had …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Harris, Zella Lois
System: The UNT Digital Library
Generational and Transgenerational Issues of the Japanese American Internment : A Phenomenological Study (open access)

Generational and Transgenerational Issues of the Japanese American Internment : A Phenomenological Study

This study utilized a qualitative/phenomenological research methodology to examine the generational and transgenerational issues of five identified Japanese American families. To be included in this study, families were identified to contain at least one member who was interned during World War II or who had parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents who were interned. Semistructured interviews, including Adlerian lifestyle assessments, were conducted with the 28 research informants who represented the second, third, and fourth generations of their families.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Mayeda, Karen A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Historical Study of the Contributions of Bill J. Priest to the Community College Movement (open access)

An Historical Study of the Contributions of Bill J. Priest to the Community College Movement

This study chronicles the contributions of Bill J. Priest under the headings of Board of Trustees governance model, multi-college district, quality first: facilities and staff, curriculum, counseling, public relations, telecourses and the Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development. Data were gathered from personal interviews, primary sources and secondary sources. The study includes an overview of the emergence and evolution of the junior college with specific focus on the conceptual beginnings of the Dallas County Community College District and the selection of its founding president, Bill Priest. Professional and personal profiles of Priest are documented as background for the study. Conclusions are that Bill Priest established the Dallas County Community College District as a national model of a multi-college district, was instrumental in affecting the change from junior college to comprehensive community college as the standard for two-year higher education institutions, played a significant role in setting the national agenda for the community college movement through his long-term participation in a leadership capacity in the American Association of Junior and Community Colleges and through the establishment and selection of leadership of the League for Innovation, was instrumental in the creation of the Associate Degree of Nursing, was a national leader …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Whitson, Kathleen Krebbs, 1947-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Identifying Perceived Indicators of Institutional Quality in Bible Colleges Accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (open access)

Identifying Perceived Indicators of Institutional Quality in Bible Colleges Accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges

The purpose of this study was to identify a selected set of perceived indicators of institutional quality for Bible colleges accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC). From the literature, 67 indicators of institutional quality in higher education and Bible colleges were identified and collected in a questionnaire, the Inventory of Determinants of Quality for Bible Colleges (IDQBC). The IDQBC was mailed to Bible college presidents, faculty members, alumni, and alumnae representing all 73 Bible colleges in the United States accredited by the AABC. Of the 448 surveys mailed, 309 were returned for a response rate of 69%. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure was executed for each of the 67 IDQBC indicators to determine if the group means of the four study groups were significantly different. Of the 67 indicators evaluated, 12 were found to have significant differences among the study groups at the .01 level. Therefore, the study groups were in agreement as to the relative weight they assigned to 55 of the 67 indicators. Of these 55 indicators, 46 were rated as important or very important when considering the quality of a Bible college, while 9 were rated as less important when considering the quality …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Wilks, Wayne D. (Wayne Dean)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intensive Play Therapy with Child Witnesses of Domestic Violence (open access)

Intensive Play Therapy with Child Witnesses of Domestic Violence

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of intensive play therapy as a method of intervention for child witnesses of domestic violence. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of intensive play therapy in: (a) improving the self-concept of child witnesses of domestic violence; (b) reducing internalizing behavior problems, such as withdrawal, somatic complaints, anxiety, and depression, of child witnesses of domestic violence; (c) reducing externalizing behavior problems, such as aggression and delinquency, of child witnesses of domestic violence; (d) reducing overall behavior problems, including internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and social problems, thought problems, and attention problems, of child witnesses of domestic violence; and (e) improving play behaviors in the areas of affection, contact, physical proximity, self-direction, aggression, mood, play themes, and food nurturing themes.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Kot, Sarina (Sarina Ying-Lai)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Marital and Social Changes in the Lives of Women who Complete the Ph.D. Degree at Midlife (open access)

Marital and Social Changes in the Lives of Women who Complete the Ph.D. Degree at Midlife

The percentage of women who receive doctorates has increased by over 300 percent during the past three decades. The consequences of pursuing the Ph.D. degree have always been far reaching and profound, serving as an impetus and springboard for the reconfiguration of one's beliefs, values, and professional life. The purposes of this national study were to ascertain and describe marital and social changes that occurred in the lives of women who were awarded the Ph.D. degree at midlife. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of three-hundred women who hold the Ph.D. degree and were employed in institutions of higher education in the United States. The study sought to identify the effects of the Ph.D. experience upon the marital relationships, friendships, and social activities of women who completed the degree between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five. Demographic data were collected which were related to their marital status before, during, and after the Ph.D. experience. Both closed and open-ended questions were posed which solicited information pertaining to their post Ph.D. experience. This research reports both quantitative and qualitative findings. The majority of women who complete the Ph.D. experience at midlife undergo and initiate changes in their lives which impact their …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Sikes, Debra
System: The UNT Digital Library
Moral Judgment Development in Higher Education Administration (open access)

Moral Judgment Development in Higher Education Administration

Patterns of moral judgment exhibited by institutional candidates and fellows in the American Council on Education Fellows Program in Leadership for Higher Education 1988/1989 and 1989/1990 were explored in this study. The fellowship program selection process produced a group of institutional candidates with the high level of moral judgment development necessary for successful leadership in higher education administration. The goals of the program may be best served by minor improvements which will enhance a sound process. The results indicate that moral judgment development was not a significant factor in the selection of fellows. Salary and years of administrative experience, however, were related to selection. Candidates with higher salaries were more likely to be selected as fellows and tended to have lower levels of moral judgment development. The study revealed that there are variables affecting the selection and further investigation is necessary to determine which variables affect the selection and if they contribute to the goals of the fellowship program. Participation in the fellowship program did not significantly affect the fellows' level of moral judgment development as a group. The fellowship program did, however, have a positive impact on the upper third subgroup of fellows and a negative impact on the …
Date: August 1995
Creator: McQueen, Gregory P. (Gregory Paul)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Teaching the Short Story in Spanish: Literary Analysis and Commentary (open access)

Teaching the Short Story in Spanish: Literary Analysis and Commentary

The problem of this study was to develop a simplified Spanish teaching guide for analytical commentaries about contemporary short stories in Spanish. To realize this study, major approaches in analytical commentary of short story instruction in classes of Spanish in American colleges and universities were identified through intensive research and have been incorporated into the guide. Consequently, general principles for the analysis and explication of the contemporary short story in Spanish are identified. The objectives in these major principles found in the literature are concepts which meet the needs of the present-day student in an ever-changing society. The analytical commentary on the short stories focuses on specific and essential elements of the short story. It is based on four selected representative authors from the Hispanic world—Juan Rulfo, Ana Maria Matute, Sabine R. Ulibarri, and Horacio Quiroga—and four short stories of their respective authors from anthologies used in Spanish classes in the United States of America. The linguistic analysis and commentary on the short story are basically limited to the linguistically cultural aspect. Those educators of the Spanish language and Hispanic literatures having a personal interest on the subject may find useful the reference list constructed. It was compiled from resources …
Date: August 1995
Creator: Cortez, Emiliano Carlos
System: The UNT Digital Library
Adult Discouragement: Parents of Children with Craniofacial Anomaly (open access)

Adult Discouragement: Parents of Children with Craniofacial Anomaly

The Discouragement Scale for Adults (DSA) was developed to assess for the Adlerian construct of discouragement in adults age 18 years and over. Data were collected from three samples: norm (n=586), presumed discouraged (n=47), and parents of children with craniofacial anomaly (n=105). Five subscales corresponding to life tasks identified in Adlerian literature as work, love, society, self-significance, and spirituality underlie the 60 item DSA. Item selection was based on ratings by five notable Adlerians and item correlations with scale scores. Gender, age, and ethnicity norms were established for the norm, presumed discouraged, and craniofacial samples. Across three samples, no significant ethnic differences were found. Normative findings indicated females are less discouraged than males on the Total DSA, the society and spirituality subscales. Age findings indicated the 18-34 year old sample is more discouraged than other ages on the Total DSA, the work, society, and spirituality subscales. Presumed discouraged findings indicated females are less discouraged than males on the society subscale. Craniofacial findings indicated females are less discouraged on the society subscale, but more discouraged on the self-significance subscale than males. Age findings indicated the 18-34 year old sample is more discouraged than other ages on the self subscale. Research on …
Date: August 1996
Creator: Jones, Melissa Taylor Watson
System: The UNT Digital Library
Career Paths of Board-Certified Clinical Specialists in Geriatric Physical Therapy with Implications for Higher Education (open access)

Career Paths of Board-Certified Clinical Specialists in Geriatric Physical Therapy with Implications for Higher Education

Geriatric board-certified specialists (GCSs) address health care needs of the growing geriatric population. The study's purposes were to: examine career paths of GCSs, identify influencing factors, and explore implications for higher education. Twelve of 14 original 1992 GCSs participated. Data included document collection and interviews. Using a qualitative methodology, commonalities were sought among individuals and HyperRESEARCH software was used for data management. The participants were adventurous, valued education, and were enthusiastic about physical therapy (PT), geriatrics, and specialization. Their career path began with choosing PT as a career, professional education, and their first job. One GCS moved directly into geriatrics. Others went to different settings before geriatrics. As participants recognized they "fit" in geriatrics, they pursued postprofessional education to increase knowledge before choosing board certification. In choosing PT, volunteer experience and personal research were common influences. In choosing to work with elders, influences throughout life gradually built a social context supporting the decision. GCSs chose specialist certification to assist in professionalization of geriatric PT, because they were highly skilled, for career advancement, and for self professionalization. Specialist certification had few financial consequences. Participants gained friends and professional networks. They experienced improved patient care, increased educational opportunities, and/or increased professional service. …
Date: August 1996
Creator: Thompson, Mary E., 1958-
System: The UNT Digital Library