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Inferential Set Adoption by Nursing Students
This study examines nursing students' adoption of inferential sets in a clinical situation. The investigation determines (1) the particular inferential set(s) nursing students adopt toward a patient in a clinical situation; (2) the particular inferential set(s) adopted by sophomore and senior nursing students in a clinical situation; and (3) whether or not inferential sets adopted by the sophomore and senior nursing students differ. Sophomore and senior nursing students at a woman's university in Texas were asked to complete a research tool designed to determine inferential set adoption.
The Effects of a Short-Term Videotape Training Program for Guides Conducting Older Adults on Tours in Public Spaces
The problem of this study was a test of a specific videotape designed to influence the actions of tour guides for older adult groups. The purposes of the study were to observe guide performances and older adult responses before and after training in techniques for sharing information with older adults in public spaces. The hypotheses were tested. 1) Guides after training would exhibit significant differences in behaviors of pointing, repeating, pausing, questioning, conversing, facing art when talking, talking inaudibly, pacing rapidly. 2) Older adult drop-outs would decrease on tours with especially trained guides.
The Effects of Participation in a Buddy System on the Self-Concept, Academic Achievement, Attrition Rate, and Congruence Level of Community College Developmental Studies Students
This dissertation sought to determine the effects of a buddy system on a student's self-concept, academic achievement, attrition rate, and congruence levels. The buddy system treatment randomly paired two students for the purposes of sharing ideas, working on assignments, getting to know each other, and supporting one another. The study included three randomly selected sections of pre-college level, developmental writing classes from the Brookhaven College of the Dallas County Community College District. Three other classes served as the control group, and one instructor taught all six sections of the course. Three instruments were used as measures of change: the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS), designed by William H. Fitts, measured self-concept levels; the Personality and Educational Environment Scale (PEES), created by Roger Boshier, measured congruence levels; and a written paragraph measured achievement levels in English. Attrition percentages were based on the number of students enrolled during the second week of class who were not present during the sixteenth week of class. To test for significance, an analysis of covariance procedure was used on the TSCS, PEES, and written paragraph results, and a test for the difference between proportions for independent groups was used on the attrition percentages. The class sections were nested under either the experimental or the control group to identify significant differences between class sections. On the TSCS, a significance of .96 among sections and .48 between groups indicated no significant change had occurred in self-concept levels. For the PEES, a significance of .30 among sections and .75 between groups indicated no change had occurred in congruence levels. Finally, on the paragraph assessment, a significance of .87 among sections and .31 between groups showed no change had occurred in achievement levels. However, the test for significance of the difference between attrition percentages revealed that the buddy system treatment was …
An Investigation of Factors Deterring Participation in Continuing Professional Education
This study was conceived as an attempt to determine .and analyze factors deterring participation in continuing professional education among social workers in environments where continuing education for relicensure is mandatory and voluntary. The specific research design implemented to complete this study was the ex-post facto descriptive design. The sample included 106 social workers randomly selected in the state of Texas where continuing education is mandatory and 94 social workers in the state of Louisiana where continuing education is voluntary. The instrument used was the Deterrent to Participation Scale developed by Scanlan (1983) and a demographic inventory. Scanlan (1983) earlier identified six factors deterring participation in continuing professional education: Disengagement, Lack of Quality, Family Constraints, Cost, Lack of Benefit, and Work Constraints. The study concluded that social workers in both states considered work constraint as a major factor deterring participation in continuing professional education. Also the factors of cost and lack of quality were also considered as crucial barriers in their efforts to participate in continuing professional education. The Wilks' multivariate test of significance of the means and univariate F tests at alpha level p < .05 revealed differences in the combined mean scores of social workers in both states when the variables of age, marital status, and position held were tested. In comparing the ranking of the six factors deterring participation in continuing professional education, a Spearman rank correlation coefficient revealed respondents in both states rank the six factors in the same order. The findings were congruent with earlier studies of barriers to participation in continuing education among professionals. The researcher recommended a study which would include a larger number of social workers and a longitudinal study to measure changes in barriers to participation in continuing professional education.
The Development and Contributions of the Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, to Adult Education in Nigeria: 1945- 1980
This study examined the historical development of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and its contributions to adult education both in Nigeria and in other African nations. This was aimed at providing up-to-date insight into the department's contributions to the development of adult education in Nigeria and in other African nations. Specifically, this study examined the department's founders and their goals, the department's management structure, its relationship with other adult education agencies in Nigeria and in Africa, its programs and services, and the participants in these. This study reveals that the department's founders were both British and Nigerian politicians, educators, and humanitarians. They were concerned with eradicating illiteracy, preparing adults for democratic roles, and improving the economic well-being of these adults. The department does not have a consistent pattern of management. The selection of its leadership is usually based on seniority and academic merits. The department initially relied on donations and on the revenues from the local, state, and federal governments of Nigeria to operate. It now relies on those from the profit from its services to the public and on those from Nigeria's state and federal governments. The department interacts with other departments of the university and with other adult education agencies in Nigeria to formulate, develop, direct, and provide adult education programs and services to all segments of the Nigerian population. Its contributions to other African nations are limited to the conferences and seminars it hosts, and in many cases, directs on their behalf.
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Personality and the Use of Learning During the Life Transitions of Adults
In a three stage investigation the relationship between personality type and the use of learning as a coping device during the life transitions of adults was studied. Based on the assumption that a paper and pencil device could be constructed to achieve the same or nearly the same results that have been achieved through interviews with adult learners, the first two stages of this investigation involved the construction and validation of an instrument, the Adult Development Learning Inventory (ADLI), to measure the use of learning during life transitions of adults. The inventory has five subsections: a demographic profile, Life Events, Coping Strategies, Learning Activities, and Adulthood Tasks. Content validity of the ADLI was established through both the theory based in adult learning and developmental psychology and the panel of experts. Construct validation tools included principal component factor analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA with age as the variable of discrimination. The instrument was capable of differentiating among age groups' perception of the tasks in the adult life cycle. For internal consistency, reliability estimates ranged from .83 to .94 for the subsections of the ADLI. Stage III of the investigation explored the relationship between the ADLI and personality as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) which was based on the typology suggested by Carl Jung. The findings suggested only limited relationships between personality and the extent of learning activities. Specifically adults with the dominant function of Intuition can be categorized as high activity learners. The results of limited relationships between learning and personality type can perhaps be attributed to the fact that overwhelmingly (98%) these adult samples were involved in some type of learning not in spite of their life circumstances but because of them.
Bonaro Wilkinson Overstreet: Her Significance in Adult Education
The purpose of this study was to determine Bonaro Wilkinson Overstreet's significance and development as a leader in adult education. This study provided information on her life, her individual and collaborative contributions with Harry Overstreet in adult education, and her interest in poetry. Data were collected using online database searching; review of published, unpublished, and informal documents of Bonaro Overstreet; and correspondence and interviews with professional colleagues, employers, and personal acquaintances. Interviews were conducted with current authorities in the field of adult education for informational purposes. Bonaro Overstreet did not influence or alter the course of adult education as a field of study. Her strength was in her role of practitioner and contributor to research, theory, and professional development of the adult education field. She broadened the depth of adult education as an advocate of knowing oneself and acting responsibly in the context of democratic responsibility.
The Verification of the Test of Affixes in Syntactic Structures: A Study of Derivational Morphology as a Language Correlate for College-Level Reading Proficiency
A lack of research in adult literacy for both native speakers and speakers of English as a second language led to the development of the Test of Affixes in Syntactic Structures (TASS) for use in a pilot study (Dogger, January 1978) in which knowledge of derivational morphology was tested to determine its possible relationship with reading for English as a second language students. Test construction was followed by a thorough verification procedure which is the purpose of this study. In September 1978 the following measures of test strength were established: construct validity, content validity, item difficulty, item discrimination, internal consistency, rational equivalence, and concurrent validity. The degree of relationship between reading proficiency, as demonstrated by subject performance on the Iowa Silent Reading Test, Level III (ISRT,III), and knowledge of derivational affixes, as demonstrated by subject performance on TASS, was also established. Results show that successful performance on the ISRT, III includes reading strategies beyond those required for successful performance on TASS. In other words, mastery of language structures as represented by English orthography is necessary but not sufficient for college-level reading proficiency.
The Participation of Nigerian Licensed Engineers in Professional Development Activities Related to Management
Many engineers perform managerial roles; however, their professional education in engineering usually does not include management education. Thus, this study examined the participation of the Nigerian licensed engineers in professional development activities in management. The study proposed (1) to determine if, in fact, Nigerian licensed engineers participate in management education and training; (2) to determine the management programs in which the engineers participated and whether participation was voluntary or required, or within Nigeria or overseas; (3) to test hypotheses dealing with these variables: age, management level, academic level, years of experience in a managerial role, and sector of employment; and (4) to identify the mean number of hours of participation. Also, the engineers were asked to judge the value of non-credit versus credit programs.
Ideas About Adult Learning in Fifth and Fourth Century B.C. Athens
The problem of this study was to determine to what extent contemporary adult education theory has similarities to and origins in ancient Athenian ideas about education. The methodology used in the study combined hermeneutics and the critical theory of Jurgen Habermas. Primary sources incuded Aristotle, Plato, Aristophanes, and Diogenes Laertius; secondary sources included Jaeger, Marrou, Dover, and Kennedy. In the analysis of Athenian adult education, three groups of adult educators were identified—the poets the sophists, and the philosophers. The poets were the traditional educators of the Greek people; their shared interest or way of perceiving the world emphasized the importance of community cohesion and health. In Athens in the mid-fifth century B.C., a new group of educators, the sophists, arose to fill a demand of adults for higher and adult education in the skills necessary to participate in the assembly and courts. The sophists emphasized a pragmatic human interest and taught the skill of rhetoric. Socrates and Plato created a new school of educators, the philosophers, who became vigorous ideological opponents of both the poets and the sophists. The philosophers exhibited a transcendental interest or approach to knowledge; the purpose of life was to improve the soul, and the preferred way of life was contemplative rather than active. The philosophers taught the skill of dialectic. Paideia was a Greek word that originally referred to childhood education but which came to mean education throughout the lifespan and the civic culture that supported education. Athenian citizens perceived their paideia to be among their greatest virtues, an attainment which could not be lost to the fortunes of time as could wealth or position. Modern adult education lacks the concern for the communal and transcendental human interests that were important to many ancient Greeks. Modern cultures tend to promote strong individuation of personality and …
The Relationship of Technology to Rate of Change in a Human Service Organization: A Contingency Approach to Change Management
This research is a study of the relationship of the organizational characteristic of technology to rate of change in a human services organization. The first operation, directed to the technology construct, collected data and analyzed statistical differences on each of the separate indices of task difficulty and task variability and on the combined indices of the two dimensions. A second operation, directed to the rate of change construct, collected data and ranked the five social services programs. This research indicates that multiple technologies do exist among programs within the corporate structure of a single human services organization, and that programs differ in the rate at which rule changes occur. This research, however, indicates that technology is not related to change. The definition of change used in this study considered only one form of organizational adaptation: rate of change in program policies and procedures. Technology, however, may be related to other measures of change such as new programs, reorganizations, and staff increases.
A Study of the Perceptions of Students, Teachers, and Administrators of Actual and Ideal Educational Goals in Level Four Adult- Continuing Education Programs in Bangkok, Thailand
This investigation sought to examine the congruence or the lack of congruence of educational goals in Level Four Adult-Continuing Education Programs in Bangkok, Thailand. The purposes of the study were to identify the actual and ideal goals of Level Four Adult-Continuing Education Programs and to determine whether any significant differences existed in the perceptions of educational goals of the programs among students, teachers, and administrators.
A Needs Assessment for the Continuing Education of Department of Human Resources Social Caseworkers
This study assesses the continuing education needs of social caseworkers employed by the Community Care for the Aged, Blind and Disabled Program Division of the Texas State Department of Human Resources. A model by which needs assessments and discrepancy evaluation can be conducted was identified. The study was designed to answer three major questions. These were (1) What are the behavioral competencies critical to the effective practice of C.C.A.B.D. social casework within the Texas State Department of Human Resources? (2) What are the current continuing education needs of C.C.A.B.D. caseworkers with respect to these competencies? (3) What significant discrepancies exist as to the perception of these needs among caseworkers, supervisors, and administrators that hold implications for continuing education program planning. The needs assessment model developed in this study is designed to overcome many of the limitations of traditional approaches to needs assessment by defining critical job requirements from the perspective of current practice as well as administrative policy, establishing a profile of the successful worker as a model for staff development, and integrating the perceptions of administrators, supervisors, and workers in identifying continuing education needs.
The Impact of a Short-Term Training Program on Learned Helplessness Among Staff and Residents of Nursing Homes
The impact of a short-term training program upon learned helplessness among nursing home staff and residents was studied. Learned helplessness among staff was defined in terms of depression, self-monitoring, short-term memory, absenteeism, and turnover. Among residents, urinary incontinence was the selected measure of helplessness.
The Impact of a Part 48 Training Program on the Health and Safety Knowledge Level of Newly Employed Inexperienced Miners
The impact of a mandatory Part 48 training program on the health and safety knowledge level of newly employed inexperienced miners in Texas was studied. Part 48 training was defined by compliance with Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) mandatory health and safety training requirements. A two-group pretest, posttest research design was utilized. Group one individuals were newly employed inexperienced persons who received mandatory Part 48 training in accordance with MSHA guidelines. Group two subjects were newly employed inexperienced persons who worked for companies that were exempt from conducting a Part 48 training program. MSHA's health and safety knowledge inventory was utilized. A significant difference was found in the health and safety training program when compared with individuals who did not receive the training . A significant difference was also found in the posttest scores for eight of the ten subject areas of the MSHA health and safety knowledge inventory for persons who completed a Part 48 training program when compared to persons who did not receive the training . Analysis of gain scores resulted in significant differences in the same subject areas indicated by posttest scores. It was concluded that MSHA Part 48 did have a significant impact on the health and safety knowledge level of newly employed inexperienced miners. Additional implications noted relate to the impact of a Part 48 training program on accidents, productivity, absenteeism, turnover, job satisfaction and management styles; role of MSHA in miner training; development of new training materials; methods of training; and the evaluation of health and safety training programs.
The Relationship of Continuing Professional Education and Pastoral Tenure Among Southern Baptist Pastors
This study examined the relationship between the continuing professional education practices of Southern Baptist pastors and their tenure in their pastoral positions. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data about the pastors' continuing education and pastoral tenure. A stratified sample of 500 pastors was selected from the 36,235 Southern Baptist churches according to church membership. A total of 217 (43 percent) of the questionnaires was returned and used in the data analysis. Thirty percent of the pastors reported spending no days in continuing education during the past year. Sixty-two percent spent five days or more in continuing professional education. Tenure was not significantly linked to continuing education among the pastors. A personal perception of ministerial competency was positively related to continuing education. The majority of pastors felt accountable to God and themselves in terms of their competency. They strongly resisted any move toward certification or accreditation. The majority of the pastors did not view mobility as an alternative to becoming involved in continuing education. However, the reasons reported for mobility could be interpreted as needs assessment addressed by professional growth. A majority of the pastors strongly agreed that a basic seminary education did not alone prepare a minister for the pastorate. In addition, they were personally committed to being lifelong learners. However, only a small minority had developed a personal strategy for continuing education for the coming year. Neither part-time nor full-time work status nor past formal education influenced the amount of days spent in continuing education. The level of formal education did increase the pastors' commitment to being "lifelong learners." However, there seemed to be missing links between the following: 1) formal ministerial preparation and continuing professional development, 2) mobility and needs assessment, 3) competency and accountability, and 4) a commitment to lifelong learning and a practical strategy …
The Impact of Staff Development Programs on Public Community College Teachers in Texas
The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of faculty development programs by two groups of full-time community college faculty members—arts and sciences instructors and vocational-technical instructors. To guide the development of this study, the following research questions were formulated. 1. Do organized faculty development programs have the same impression on the arts and sciences faculty members as on the vocational-technical members? 2. What specific effects do these faculty members believe that faculty development programs have had on instructional strategies, related faculty activities and professional attitudes? 3. To what extent do these faculty members perceive that the faculty development program is related to the reward system? 4. To what degree do faculty members perceive that institutional or departmental innovations have resulted from faculty development programs. What types of innovations have occurred, and what types should occur?
The Association Between Selected Health Characteristics and Participation in Learning Projects by Retired Educators
This study identified the number of learning projects undertaken by thirty-eight retired educators and examined the extent to which these experiences were associated with the body weight and the exercise patterns of the subjects. A list of 1091 names of retired educators was obtained and 400 names were randomly selected to receive a brief survey seeking responses to demographic, personal and miscellaneous questions relating to their efforts to continue to pursue learning. Interviews were arranged with thirty-eight subjects who met established criteria. The 19 8 3 Metropolitan Height and Weight Tables were used to estimate weight characteristics and a probe sheet was designed to identify the number of hours spent exercising in activities vigorous enough to increase heart beat. In-depth interviews were conducted by the investigator using the questions from Tough's Interview Schedule for Studying Some Basic Characteristics of Learning Projects, and the probe sheet designed by the investigator. The interviews focused on the efforts to continue learning during the past twelve months and on the participation in vigorous exercise during the past twelve months. Findings were analyzed by computing t-tests for independent means and the Pearson product moment method of correlation. Comparisons of the results from this study were made with the results from two previous studies, "The Older Adult and Learning," by Roger Hiemstra, ancj "A Comparative Study of Professionally Related Learning Projects of Secondary School Teachers," by N. E. Kelly. The results of this study indicate that much learning is continued past retirement and that all learning is not focused on self; some relate to the needs of the community and of churches. The data supports Hiemstra's premise that health related obstacles diminish learning activity. The Theory that older adults pursue less learning than young adults was not supported by this study.
An Educational Design for Consciousness-Raising in Social Justice Education for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word: Paulo Freire's Philosophy and Methodology Applied to the Congregational Ministry for/with the Economically Poor
The purpose of the investigation was two-fold: (1) to develop an educational design for consciousness-raising in social justice education using Paulo Freire's literacy method, and (2) to investigate its effect on the Incarnate Word sisters' attitude toward the economically poor, Workshop sessions examined social justice concepts of the economically poor as stated in the Acts of the Congregation's General Chapter and applied Freire's method of consciousness-raising outlined in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed and his Education for Critical Consciousness.
A Comparison of the Needs of the Elderly and Delivery of Services as Perceived by Directors of and Participants in Senior Centers and Nutrition Sites
This study was a comparison of the perceptions of directors of and participants in senior centers with regard to needs of the elderly and delivery of services to them. The sample consisted of a random selection of 200 of the 741 centers in the state of Texas. Responses were received from 111 center directors and 609 elderly participants. An instrument that used a Likert-type scale to measure the importance of needs and frequency of delivery of services was devised to survey needs in the areas of health, nutrition, recreation, education, and transportation. No statistically significant differences were found between perceptions of directors and participants with regard to needs, delivery of services, or the differences between needs and actual delivery of services at the centers. When participants were grouped on the basis of gender, age, and ethnicity, males and minority groups rated both needs and delivery higher than did females and the majority ethnic group. The sixty to seventy age group rated education needs significantly higher than did the older age groups.
The Status of Preretirement Planning Programs in Dallas Corporations
This investigation concerns the extent and nature of corporate preretirement planning programs in Dallas to ascertain employee access to retirement information and planning at the place of employment. Seven variables and their relationship to the existence of these programs are also studied. This study indicates that Dallas employees have limited access to retirement information through their employer. Existing programs often come too late for financial planning. Forty-nine of the 85 corporations have fewer than 1,000 employees, usually considered too few for a program. This study found that corporations with 5,000 or more employees may not have a program due to the nature of their business which necessitates dispersal of employees or requires younger employees with training in new technologies. The cost of a program was a deterrent for one corporation. Twelve respondents believe such programs are not the responsibility of business.
A Study of the Perceptions of Currently Practicing Nurses of Their Competency to Deal with Mentally Retarded Clients
One of the outgrowths of legislation enacted during the 1960's has been the deinstitutionalization of mentally retarded persons and the retention of others within the community. This study addressed the problem of nurses' perception of their competency to deal with this population wherever they might be encountered within community health care settings. The first hypothesis looked for differences in perceived competency based on the level of basic nursing education. Since sample sizes were not equal, the Kruskal Wallis test was utilized and a significant difference at the .001 alpha level was found. Hypothesis two looked for a relationship between perceived competency and degree of clinical contact with a mentally retarded population provided by the basic nursing preparation. Hypotheses three through six looked for relationships between perceived competency and adequacy of samples of content related to mental retardation provided by the basic nursing education: (1) risk factors; (2) etiology; (3) skills and techniques; (4) support systems. Hypothesis seven looked at the relationship between perception of competency and the adequacy of continuing education offerings to which nurses have been exposed. Hypothesis eight looked for a relationship between perceived competency and sustained personal contact with a mentally retarded person. A Pearson product moment correlation was run on each of these hypotheses and each revealed a positive significant relationship.
The Relationship Between Teaching and Attainment of Knowledge and Skill Performance by Nurse Aides in a Rural Area
The problem of the study was to determine the relationship between teaching methods and attainment of knowledge and skill performance of nurse aides in rural area nursing homes. The purpose of this study was to determine the improvement in skills performance and knowledge gain in the population cited above. The skill to be learned was operation of an electronic thermometer. The analysis of variance used on the pretest for written performance showed a significant difference at the .01 level; however, the analysis of covariance done on the posttest results showed no significant difference, indicating that the initial difference was of no consequence to the results obtained on the posttests. The paired comparison t test of the group means obtained from written tests showed that the programmed instruction group was superior to either the control or teacher-taught groups at the .001 level. Overall the programmed instruction tool was more effective in teaching skill and learning of cognitive knowledge. This report concluded that the evidence seems to support the use of programmed instruction as a means of economically and effectively teaching nurse aides who work in a rural area nursing home.
Factors Influencing Registered Nurses to Participate in Educational Programs Leading to a Baccalaureate or Higher Degree
This study proposed to determine the reasons given by registered nurses for participation or nonparticipation in programs leading to a baccalaureate or higher degree. The purpose of this study was the following: identify the factors influencing registered nurses to return or not return to school for an advanced degree and to compare the needs (met or unmet) of the participants with the anticipated needs (met and unmet) of the nonparticipants.
Preretirement Planning Programs For Teachers In Texas Public Schools
This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of teacher retirement preparation programs in Texas public schools and determined how school personnel directors perceived selected aspects of such programs. A survey questionnaire was used to gather data about personnel directors' opinions of several aspects of retirement preparation programs, and about existing school district programs.
Relationship of Specified Characteristics of Registered Nurses in Texas to Their Support of the Professional Nursing Practice Act and Selected Clauses
This study purposed to determine Registered Nurses' levels of knowledge and support of the Professional Nursing Practice Act considered by the Sixty-fifth Texas Legislature. According to the findings previously described, it may be concluded that many Registered Nurses participate infrequently in continuing nursing education programs. If the proposed Act had been passed during this session of the Texas Legislature, most Registered Nurses licensed in Texas would have been required to change their levels of participation when regulations regarding continuing education were implemented, no later than January 1, 1982. It may be further concluded that Registered Nurses lacked sufficient knowledge about the Act that was proposed in 1977. Both comments made by respondents and answers to specific questions in the questionnaire pointed to this conclusion.
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