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Averaged Evoked Responses to Light and Odorant Under Certain and Uncertain Conditions
Get PDF45 leaves.The Problem. To determine if the averaged evoked response to odorants was similar to the late positive component in the averaged evoked response to lights, both light and odorant were presented under two conditions to see if they would both occur under the same experimental condition and both be absent under the same condition. Procedure. A light and an odorant were presented to human subjects under two conditions, when the subject knew which of the two stimuli would be presented (certain condition) and when the subject did not know which of the two would be presented (uncertain condition). The averaged evoked responses to these two stimuli under the two conditions were compared. Findings. The late positive component in the response to light was significantly larger in the uncertain than certain condition as predicted. The response to odorants, however, was not found consistently or exclusively in the uncertain condition. Conclusions. The results are somewhat inconclusive as the response to odorant was not found consistently in at least one of the two conditions. However, the results do not support the hypothesis that the evoked response to odorant and the late positive component in the evoked response to light occur under the same conditions. Recommendations. A procedure under which the averaged evoked response to odorants can be reliably produced should be found before further attempts at determining its other properties are made. An exact replication of the study by Allison and Goff (1967) in which the evoked response to odorant was reported to be reliably produced is suggested
Portrait of a Popular American Badman : Jesse James
Get PDF133 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Norman HaneJesse James was an outlaw. He was the first and most notorious of that type of horseback desperado that has become identified with the Old West. Jesse James robbed banks, waylaid stagecoaches and shot people. Oddly enough, however, Jesse is not considered a blot on our history, but instead has become one of our legends. This is a remarkable contradiction, but it can be explained. Jesse James' popular public image and appeal was established as the result of the massive exposure his exploits were given in the various popular forms that arose in the last fourth of the nineteenth century--popular histories, dime novels, thick book novels, gazettes and tabloids. These forms declined and disappeared in the first twenty-five years of the twentieth century, but the image that they had created lived on and were translated and perpetuated in one of the most influential of our own popular forms: the movies. The image that was established in those early forms of popular literature has become a permanent American legend.
Although Jesse James was a real bandit, our image of him and his legend is, to a great extent, the product of popular fiction. The real Jesse James of history has become an indistinguishable blur in the shadow of a manufactured and comfortable legend. This study is concerned with showing the influence popular forms of literature had in shaping and establishing this legend. In order to accomplish this, several things have been included in this thesis. The Jesse of history is contrasted to the Jesse of folklore and fiction. The various types of nineteenth century popular literature and their individual types of treatments of Jesse, as well as the interrelationships of the various forms, are shown and explained. The influence these earlier forms have had on Jesse's portrayal in the movies is also demonstrated.
Primary sources were used extensively in this study. Dime novels, thick book novels, popular histories, gazettes, tabloids and films about Jesse James make up the bulk of the primary material used. In addition, letters, diaries and newspapers of Jesse's era were perused, and important sites in Jesse's life were visited. Secondary sources used include histories about Jesse's life and the era he lived in, sociological and psychological studies on the mistique of the West, and studies of Western folklore
Practices and Attitudes of Iowa High School Principals Regarding Teacher Evaluation Criteria
Get PDF264 leaves. Advisor: Richard LampshireThe purpose of the study was first to identify criteria for a teacher evaluation program. Criteria were identified as being important ingredients in a teacher evaluation program. The criteria were incorporated into a
questionnaire that was sent out to a representative simple [sic] of 228 high school principals in the State of Iowa. The next
major function of the study was to see if high school principals were following the criteria identified in the questionnaire. The last major function of the study was to determine the degree of importance the principals put on the criteria, regardless of their practice. The results of the study indicate that a majority of Iowa high school principals are practicing the criteria that were indicated on the questionnaire. Twenty out of 26 teacher evaluation criteria received a majority of principals indicating that they were following the practice. A majority of principals indicated that 22 of the 26 criteria
were either very important or moderately important. In addition, the study indicated that regardless of the size of the high school, there are similarities in the teacher evaluation programs of all schools. The study is recommended to be used by administrators
who are developing a teacher evaluation program, as it identifies evaluation criteria, as well as the importance of the criteria. The study also recommends that administrators
make teacher evaluation a top priority in their school district, and make the improvement of the instructional performance of the teacher the main goal of the teacher
evaluation program
The Relationship Between Sex Education Programs and Dropping Out of High School Due to Pregnancy
Get PDF62 leaves. Advisor: Dr. W. C. WilliamsThe problem. Does a relationship exist between
enrollment in sex education courses or programs and dropping out of school due to pregnancy?
Procedure. Public schools in Iowa were selected for the random sampling according to size as determined by average daily membership. A questionnaire devised by the investigator was sent to all schools in the sample. The
questionnaire was designed for the following purposes: (1) To determine if a sex education program was offered at each school; (2) To determine the total female membership ; (3) To determine the number of pregnant dropout students of each school during the 1973-1974 school year; and (4) To determine the percent of dropouts who had taken a sex education course at some time during the high school career. The information was analyzed to see if schools that offered sex
education had a lower dropout rate due to pregnancy.
Findings. It was found that the dropout rates for
females exposed to sex education was lower than those females who were not exposed to sex education.
Recommendations. It is recommended that all schools establish a sex education program to fit the needs of the specific students, school, and community
The Role of Herbert Hoover in the Formulation of the American Response to the Far Eastern Crisis of 1931-1932
No full text123 leaves. Advisor: Frederick AdamsThe problem. The problem concerns the extent to
which Herbert Hoover formulated the American response to the Far Eastern Crisis of 1931-1932, since most historians credit Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson for the major contributions and dismiss Hoover as too preoccupied with the domestic financial crisis to do more than agree to
Stimson's actions.
Procedure. The procedure has been to utilize primary sources available, such as the Stimson Diary, Foreign Relations of the United States, Documents on British Foreign Policy, materials at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and secondary accounts in determining Hoover's involvement, both in time spent and actions taken.
Findings. It has been found that although the greater part of Hoover's time was spent on domestic problems, he was fully knowledgeable of events, he set the parameters of the American response, and contributed several suggestions,
including the nonrecognition policy.
Conclusions. Hoover was the final authority on
policy. His main concerns were to retain order in the Orient for American business interests to prosper, to show moral outrage at Japanese aggression, and to avoid direct confrontation with Japan. Stimson executed these policies.
Although war was avoided in 1932, the policies formulated in this period failed to stop Japanese aggression
The Relationship of Openness in School Climate to Academic Pupil Achievement and Teacher Attitude in Six Selected Des Moines Elementary Schools
Get PDF112, [2] leaves. Advisor: Dean Alfred SchwartzThe problem. The problem was concerned with a need to determine the extent to which organizational climate influenced teacher attitude toward their children and the effect of
both variables on pupil achievement in six Des Moines Elementary Schools. In addition, schools having high, middle and low socio-economic status were compared. The climate subtests were examined with respect to their effect on achievement and
teacher attitude.
Procedures. In this study the results of an earlier study were used for the determination of school climate. The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) was used for this purpose. Two schools were chosen from each of
the high, middle and low socio-economic areas of the community for the study. Pupil achievement scores were taken from those administered in the school district by the Department of Guidance and Testing. The district Department of Evaluation
administered the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory to eighty-eight teachers. In all, 738 fourth and sixth graders scores were used in the study. It was felt that the sample of fourth and sixth grades in six schools would be sufficient for providing the desired information.
Findings. There was no significant relationship between openness of climate and academic pupil achievement. There was no relationship extant between pupil achievement and teacher attitude. Openness of climate and teacher attitude did not
demonstrate evidence of a relationship. Factors other than climate and attitude were felt to have stronger influence on achievement than did either of those two factors. Student achievement tended to be high in schools which had high socio-economic status and low where SES was low.
Conclusions. While openness of climate is considered to be a desirable goal for organizations including schools, there is no conclusive evidence that it will result in improved achievement by pupils. Moreover, teacher attitude may or may not be directly related to school climate. Teacher attitude, in this study, could not be said to directly influence pupil
achievement any more than other factors which may prevail such as SES of children
Des Moines Adopts the Commission Form of Municipal Government
Get PDF207 leaves. Advisor: Keach JohnsonTHE PROBLEM. The purpose of this work was to analyze the various factors that were involved in the adoption of the Commission Form of Government by the City of Des Moines, and to see if the Des Moines Plan was really a reform movement as its backers claimed or an attempt to establish a form of government more easily controlled by them.
THE PROCEDURE. The first step, after achieving a fundamental understanding of the situation, was a careful study of all the newspapers published in Des Moines from January, 1905, to April, 1908. Next was a study of the personal papers of the prominent people involved, such as John MacVicar and Harvey Ingham. The third step of the project was the taking of a random sample of the names listed in the Des Moines City Directory in order to achieve a socio-economic breakdown of the city's voting precincts to help understand what type of people supported or opposed the plan. This was followed by a study of Journals of the House and Senate of the thirty-first and thirty-second General Assembly of Iowa to achieve an understanding of the legislature's motives in passing the Des Moines Plan. The last step was a study of the records of the Iowa Supreme Court involving the test case which questioned the constitutionality of the Des Moines Plan.
CONCLUSION. The Des Moines Plan appeared to be an attempt on the part of the lawyers, editors, and some merchants of the city to establish a government, controlled by them, that was more acceptable to their moral standards and their business needs. The main reason for this appeared to be that they were resentful if not fearful of the amount of influence held by the middle and lower classes of the city, who opposed the Des Moines Plan, in the decision making process which the reformers felt led to corrupt and inefficient government
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Jewish Education Between Students of Bar/Bat Mitzvah Age and High School Students in a Jewish Community
Get PDF33 leaves. Advisor: Stuart C. TiedemanThe problem. The purpose of this study was to obtain the following questions:
Will younger students emphasize the importance of
Bar/Bat Mitzvah more than older students?
Do older students recognize the importance of
Jewish education more than younger students?
Will more older students claim that they enjoyed
a great deal in both Jewish elementary and high
schools?
Do older students favor the Jewish high school
teachers more than the younger students?
Are older students more involved in social activities outside the Jewish high school?
Is peer group pressure stronger in the younger
group than in the older group?
Do older students have more plans for the future
in connection with their Jewish education than
younger students?
Procedure. The study was conducted in a Jewish school in a community of about twelve hundred families in a mid-western city. (Population of approximately 250,000.) The first step in answering the questions stated above was to
identify the students of Bar/Bat Mitzvah age and in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Opinionnaires which were constructed by the investigator were mailed to fifty-two students in the seventh and eighth grades and to forty-four students in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Thirty-eight responses were received from the seventh and eighth graders and thirty-six from students in eleventh and twelfth grades. Thirty samples from each group were selected randomly and analyzed.
Findings. The results indicated that students in the higher grades had the more positive attitudes toward various aspects of their Jewish school experience. The importance of Jewish education, as expressed by the high school students,
emphasized the need to keep as many students as possible in the Jewish high school, as the appreciation of such a school would increase more in the senior grades. Moreover, the connection
between Jewish education in the high school and the students' plans for the future lead to the conclusion that the longer the students receive a Jewish education in the post Bar/Bat Mitzvah age, the more they tend to use it in their future life
The Attitudes of Iowa Public School Board Members, Administrators and Students Toward Student Rights
Get PDF105 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Robert L. WhittSince the decade of the sixties, the constitutional rights of students have become a major concern of school board members, administrators and students. Because of the rulings of the court, existing school policies may not agree with the decisions the courts have made. In addition, many of the people serving as school board members and administrators were educated in schools that promoted an authoritarian-type atmosphere, with little regard for student rights. Therefore, this study was made to determine the present attitudes toward student rights held by school board members, superintendents, secondary school principals and secondary school students in the public schools of the state of Iowa.
The problem. The problems investigated in this study were: 1) Are the attitudes of school board members, superintendents, secondary school principals and secondary school students similar in regard to student rights? 2) Is there a relationship between school district size as determined by K-12 enrollment and attitudes of school board members, superintendents, secondary school principals and secondary school students in regard to student rights?
Procedure. A survey instrument containing thirty-two statements pertaining to student rights was sent to school board members, superintendents, secondary school principals and secondary school students in randomly selected Iowa public school districts. These statements were individually ranked according to a scale which measured a positive or negative attitude toward student rights. A two-factor analysis of variance was selected as the most appropriate statistical model for the data.
Findings. The findings included: 1} Students have a decidedly more positive attitude toward student rights than school board members, superintendents and secondary school principals.
2) Secondary school principals have a more positive attitude toward student rights than school board members or superintendents.
3) Board members and superintendents are similar in their attitudes toward student rights. 4) In Iowa, respondents in the large school districts (1,500 or more students) have a more positive attitude toward student rights than those in the small (less than 750 students) or medium-sized (750-1,499 students) public school districts. 5) In Iowa, respondents in small and medium-sized school districts were similar in their attitudes toward student rights.
Conclusions. The following conclusions were made as a result of the study: 1) There is a significant difference in attitudes toward student rights among students, administrators, and board members. However, the differences in attitudes toward student rights between school board members and superintendents is non-significant. 2) Although respondents in small and medium-sized school districts were similar in their attitudes toward student rights, there is a significant difference between respondents in those districts and the large public school districts.
Recommendations. The following recommendations were suggested. 1) For school board members and administrators, there should be held periodically a required in-service day concerning school law and discussion of court decisions relevant to public schools. 2) Pertinent courses of study encompassing the constitutional rights of students should be required for all student teachers and potential administrators. 3) A survey instrument by which each school could test for weak or dissonant areas concerning student rights should be developed. 4) School staff-parent-student representative councils for the review of school policies and the establishment of long-range goals should be formed. 5) The development of a uniform student rights code legally acceptable to all concerned parties is recommended. 6) There should be a longitudinal study to see how, if at all, group attitudes change over time and whether such changes result in larger or smaller differences between
groups. 7) An identification and study of other groups, such as parents, should be compared with groups like those included in this study.
8) There should be studies designed to determine why the differences exist between groups as were found in this study and to explore the effectiveness of procedures structured to reduce such differences
A Follow-up Study of Drake University College of Education Graduates (December 1971-August 1973)
No full textThe problem. Institutions of higher education have not escaped the call for accountability. Those who wish to hold colleges and universities accountable are demanding that
the institutions identify and measure the results of their efforts. The purpose of assessing educational outcomes is to produce information upon which decisions can be based.
Absence of knowledge about the graduates' evaluation of an institution's programs, or the extent to which graduates are perceived to be performing the activities necessary to
effectively display mastery of the stated objectives of the particular education program from which they had received instruction, seriously inhibits the various components of an
institutional community in their respective decision making functions. This study resulted from the need to devise and implement a process to evaluate the Drake University College of Education programs and graduates.
Procedure. University records were utilized to locate the names and addresses of the December, 1971 through August, 1973 graduates of Drake University's College of Education and
the graduates enrolled in colleges other than the College of Education but who had completed teacher education programs in the College of Education. Survey instruments requesting demographic data and containing educational goal and instructional objective statements reflecting the philosophy of the College of Education programs were adopted and mailed to 689 graduates, and their supervisors who had been identified and assigned to one of seven appropriate program sample groups. Survey instruments were returned by 205 graduates, and 142 of their supervisors. A Delphi Technique was employed to determine a consensus of opinion of the Drake University College of Education professional staff regarding a value standard for existing educational program objectives that would reflect a satisfactory level of program evaluation by graduates, and would reflect a satisfactory standard against which graduates were perceived by their superiors to be performing the activities necessary to effectively display mastery of the stated objectives of the particular educational program from which they had received instruction. The data collected indicated the percentage of positive response by objective considered appropriate or desirable by the faculty. Two sets of data were available for comparison: first, the percentage of positive response by objective considered appropriate or desirable by the faculty, and second, the actual response by objective on the questionnaires expressed as percent of positive response. Using the two percentage figures for each objective, it was possible to test the hypothesis that no difference existed between desired percent of positive response and actual percent of positive response. Findings and conclusions. As a consequence of this study data was analyzed that suggests that Drake University College of Education graduates are generally finding employment in the education profession, but not consistently in their area of specialized training. The graduates' perception of the relative adequacy of various aspects of the program roughly parallel the faculty's perception of program emphasis, but supervisors generally rate the graduates' performance of the objectives of Drake's program in a more positive manner than the graduates rate the same program objectives. There is a relative weakness or lack of emphasis as perceived by both faculty and graduates in the program objectives associated with community education, participation in professional groups, directing extra curricular activities, budget preparation and office management. The basic evaluation design used in this study can be integrated into continuing curriculum development and staff development processes by the Drake University College of Education