1941 research outputs found
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The Use of Coaching Techniques for Instructional Improvement by High School Principals in Iowa Schools
Get PDFvi, 129 leaves. Advisor: Edward E. HakansonThe problem: The purpose of this study was to analyze the reasons high school principals in Iowa identified as having an impact on the frequency of their axching activities. Coaching was defined as the ongoing use of observation and oral feedback by a principal for the purpose of improving instructional techniques in the classroom. The
atmosphere of the feedback conference should be collegial rather than evaluative.
Procedures. A stratified random sample of 137 Iowa high school principals and four teachers in their building were surveyed. Questionnaires were developed to measure coaching activities in the
building. A Discrepancy Score was determined for each building by subtracting the average of the teachers' coaching scores from the principal's coaching score to give a more accurate picture of the actual coaching activities taking place. Principals also rated the reasons which affected the frequency of coaching activities: time, feelings of inadequacy as a coach, individual professional philosophy on the importance of coaching, and perceived teacher attitudes toward improving instruction.
Findings. Using ANOVA and t-tests, it was determined that there was a discrepancy between what principals felt they were doing in relation to coaching and what the teachers perceived them to be doing. Principals rated their coaching activities higher than teachers rated them. Multiple was utilized to analyze the reasons principals gave which affected the frequency of coaching activities. The principal's attitude was found to be the only significant predictor
of Discrepancy Scores in a school. A Pearson correlation was used to determine there was no correlation between the size of the school and
the principal's attitude. Multiple regression was also utilized to determine that neither the reasons nor size of the school could predict
the teachers' coaching scores alone.
Conclusion. The principal's attitude (including feelings of inadequacy and professional philosophy) toward coaching needs to be
changed if coaching for instructional improvement is to occur.
Recommendations: Assisting principals in becoming more comfortable with coaching activities for instructional improvement is a key to bringing about effective transfer of training. As adult learners, principals need to learn this in a setting which includes coaching of their own new learning.
TABL
Comparison of the Actual and Ideal Administrative Priorities of Assistant Principals
No full text43 leavesThe problem. What do assistant principals see as their actual and ideal administrative priorities? What do the teachers see as the actual and ideal administrative priorities of the assistant principals? What relationship
is there among the assistant principals' and the teachers' actual and ideal administrative priorities of the assistant principals?
Procedure. Four secondary assistant principals and 50 classroom teachers at Fort Dodge Senior High, Fort Dodge, Iowa, were asked to respond to what degree the secondary assistant principals were actively involved in thirteen
administrative priorities and to what degree the assistant principals should be involved in the various duties and responsibilities.
Findings. Six areas were identified by the teachers as needing significant increase in emphasis: instructional development, curriculum development, general supervision,
teacher evaluation, community relations and student conduct. While the assistant principals agreed with the teachers in
the need to decrease emphasis on special programs and administration, they also wanted to decrease the emphasis on general supervision and student conduct. They did agree
with the teachers that the two priorities requiring the greatest increase in emphasis should be instructional development and curriculum development.
Conclusions. The principal must consider the needs and perceptions to best utilize the talents of the assistant principals to result in an effective school. The results of
each area of the study could be used as a basis for discussion to develop and implement plans that affect effective schools.
Recommendations. Additional studies in this school and others are necessary to replicate the results of the study. The results of the research in other schools, however, would
be contingent on the situation
Iowa Educators' Perceptions of the Functions and Purposes of the Iowa Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Get PDFvi, 92 leaves. Advisor: Raymond A. HockThe problem: This study measures Iowa educators' perceptions and understandings of the Iowa Professional Teaching Practices Commission's (IPTPC) code of ethical behavior, the teaching standards and practices established by the
IPTPC rules and hearing decisions, and the educators' concept of professional self-governance. A random sample of lowa educators was administered a survey instrument that included thirty questions designed to measure their knowledge and awareness of the IPTPC and its functions. The sample included 200 classroom teachers, 100 elementary principals, 100 secondary principals, 100 superintendents, 50 Department of Education personner, and the 28 deans of education at the 28 lowa teacher preparation institutions. The Chi-Square test was used to determine if significant differences existed among responses from the various groups.
Findings. Survey responses were analyzed by grouping items based upon their relationship to fundamental concepts associated with professional self-governance and basic knowledge and understanding of the IPTPC. A total of 473 responses was received and tabulated (81.8% of the sample). The six ID groups recorded 53 significant differences between groups on the 24 items.
School size and years of experience appear not to affect responses, whereas educational background and gender do.
Conclusions. 1. lowa educators lack awareness of the lowa Professional Teaching Practices Commission and its criteria.
2. lowa educators place emphasis on the concept of sewice rendered rather than economic gain.
3. Thirty percent of the educators responded they know and understand the IPTPC's code of ethical conduct.
4. lowa educators believe they are professionals and they should have the authority to govern their profession.
5. Many educators have not received undergraduate instruction on the code of ethics or the IPTPC's written standards.
Recommendations. The IPTPC should: 1. be sufficiently funded to allow the commission to fulfill its role as the self-governing arm of the educational profession. 2. hire a professional educator to serve as its Executive Director.
3. develop and promote a comprehensive information system to adequately instruct educators on the established code of ethics and teaching standards.
4. become the organization which represents the entire profession's perspective on ethics, standards and practices, and other issues which impact on the profession as a whole
An Historical Analysis of the Organized Labor Movement's Influence on Corporate Public Relations Theory and Practice
No full text75 leaves. Advisor: Michael R. CheneyThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of organized labor on corporate public relations theory and practice. Many other forces have influenced corporate public relations, but this paper focuses on some of the general and specific effects caused by organized labor. The central contention of this paper is that 20th century corporate public relations has, in part, evolved in response to the activities of organized labor, and it will continue to do so in
the future. In this paper this evolution is traced through three phases: The roots of American unionism and public relations from 1850-1918, the influence of the legislation of organized labor from 1918-1953, and the effects of union decline
from 1953-1980s. The method adopted to support this contention is the juxtaposition of an historical reconstruction of the development of both organized labor and corporate public relations from the mid 19th century to the
present
Agenda-Setting and the Local Television Manager
No full textvi, 164 leaves. Advisor: Michael Cheney.The problem. The purpose of this study is to
determine whether the professional agendas of local television managers are influenced by a medium; in this case, "Broadcasting" magazine.
Procedure. First, the agenda of "Broadcasting" was
determined by a content analysis of fifty-two issues (one year's run) of the magazine. Then, the agenda of the television managers was determined by sending a survey based on the content of "Broadcasting" to managers across the country and comparing their responses to the content analysis of the magazine.
Findings. It was determined that the managers of
commercial stations had an agenda very similar to that of "Broadcasting", while the managers of noncommercial stations did not.
Conclusions. Since it is unlikely that the commercial managers all arrived at a similar agenda by accident, the indications are that the commercial managers' agenda is set to some degree by the magazine. This does not hold true for the managers of noncommercial stations.
Recommendations. Since this study was unique in that it utilized the concept of agenda-setting outside of the political arena, there is a need for more research to verify these conclusions
A Study of Iowa School Board Members' Attitudes Toward Reorganization of Iowa Public School Districts
Get PDFviii, 154 leaves. Advisor: Paul H. JoslinThe purpose. The purpose of this study was to
determine Iowa school board members' attitudes about suggested methods to accomplish school district reorganization in Iowa, what factors should influence such reorganization, and what agency should perform the act of reorganization,
Procedure. A questionnaire was developed and
one Department of Education consultant and the Executive Director of the Iowa Association of School Boards assisted in establishing its face validity. With the assistance of area education agency directors and local school district superintendents, the final questionnaire was distributed to all local school board members.
Findings and conclusions. Board members are told
often by their local school district patrons that most important reasons for opposition to school district reorganization are: (1) children would live too far from their attendance center, (2) the town would die if the school district were to reorganize, and (3) transportation would be too complicated. Results of this study show that, according to board members, the two most important factors to consider in reorganizing school districts are the ability to meet state minimum
standards and the breadth of the instructional offerings of the district. Further, the study shows that board members prefer the petition method over the dissolution method of reorganization. The study also shows that board members prefer the local education agency as the
unit to determine school district reorganization, and board members prefer the natural progression method of reorganization over all others.
Recommendations. Local districts should have the
first opportunity to meet the needs of their resident pupils. Local boards should consider both methods of reorganization currently allowed by Iowa law. Local districts should have the power to determine whether they will or will not reorganize with other districts. Local districts should be required to meet state minimum standards or reorganize with other districts that do, or will, after the merger
A Study of Loss and Grief as Produced by Mandated Educational Change
No full textii, 33, [3] leaves. Advisor: Barry SteimThe Problem. This research explored the proposition that subjective feelings of loss and a subsequent behavioral complex of grief are produced in response to mandated educational change. Two primary questions related to the
change-loss-grief construct were posed: (1) Do
organizational members report professional loss in response to mandated educational change? (2) Are selected behaviors, associated with symptoms of grief, reported by organizational members in response to the mandated educational change?
Procedures: A study-specific survey was developed and distributed to seventy-five schools. Data were gathered from 208 participants consisting of superintendents, secondary principals, elementary principals, secondary teachers, and elementary teachers. Respondents were grouped by those reporting loss or no loss and by the number of
adjectives indicated per grief stage.
Findings: Of the 208 participants, 44 (21 percent)
indicated no feeling of professional loss and 164 (79 percent) indicated a feeling of professional loss. The findings further indicated statistically significant relationships between loss and the grief stages of anger, bargaining and depression.
Conclusion. A feeling of loss was reported by
organizational members in response to the mandated
educational change and symptoms of grief, especially anger, bargaining and depression, were evident in response to the mandated change.
Recommendations. This exploratory study provided some insight into the phenomena of loss and grief in response to organizational change. Further studies must be conducted, however, in order to determine if the loss and subsequent grieving process, normally associated with life's more
traumatic events, can be applied to school organizational members' responses to educational change
The Implications of Increased Female Representation on Iowa School Boards for Educational Policy Making
No full text218 leavesThe Problem. The purpose of the study was to compare the backgrounds, motivation for candidacy, governance styles and priorities of male and female school board members, and
from this comparison determine the implications of increased female membership for educational policy making.
Procedures. A questionnaire was designed to secure information on the backgrounds, motivation for candidacy, governance styles and priorities of randomly selected Iowa school board members. Comparisons of data were reported by percentages and chi-square analysis was applied by gender on each sub-variable studied.
Findings. There were significant differences in the backgrounds, motivation for candidacy, governance styles and priorities of male and female school board members. Background differences were in the areas of employment
status, occupation, parental status, marital status and district size. Females were motivated by more specific education-related concerns, while males were motivated by general community concerns. Their candidacies were supported by very different kinds of groups. Females took a more active approach to policy making and brought strength to the areas of curriculum, communications with
constituents, student concerns and policy development. Males took a more passive approach to policy making and brought strength to the areas of finance, plant management,
transportation and management skills. Conclusion. Male and female school board members bring unique strengths and weaknesses to school boards which complement one another. School boards are more apt to carry out the their policy-making responsibilities more effectively and more comprehensively when both females and males are represented.
Recommendations. School districts should more actively seek out and encourage female school board candidates. In districts where the board is primarily male or female, superintendents should take safe guards to insure that boards
give adequate attention to all areas of policy making from finance to curriculum. Efforts should be made to provide human relations training for superintendents and board
members to help them better understand gender similarities and differences and promote cross-gender understanding and cooperation. There is a need for greater emphasis in the preparation of superintendents related to policy writing and management, instructional and curriculum leadership, public relations, administrator-board relations and school board
meeting management. These are areas where female board members demand greater accountability
A Cross-Cultural Study of Attitudes Toward Death and Dying Between Chinese and American College Students
No full text102 leavesThe problem. The objective of this research was to examine the attitudes toward death and dying of
Chinese college students in Mainland China, PRC, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, ROC and to
compare their attitudes with those of their American counterparts. Four major questions were
addressed in the research. With respect to attitudes toward one's death and dying, toward death
and dying of a loved one, and toward hospice care, are there significant differences between
colleges students from: (1) Mainland China, PRC, Hong Kong,
Singapore, as well as Taiwan, ROC and the United States? (2) Mainland China, PRC and the United
States? (3) Taiwan, ROC and the United States? and (4) Mainland China, PRC, and Taiwan, ROC?
Procedure. This study used a survey research design, involving a non random purposive sample of
college students drawn from Mainland China, PRC, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, ROC. Four
hundred and eighty Chinese and 311 Americans responded to the mailed questionnaire. One-way
analysis of variance and Tukey's Test were used to test the twelve research hypotheses.
Findings. The null hypothesis was rejected in ten of the twelve cases. The results indicated that
(1) with respect to attitudes toward one's death and dying, there were significant differences in
all the four comparisons; (2) regarding attitudes toward the death and dying of a loved one among
Chinese and American students differences were found; and (3) concerning attitudes toward hospice
care differences were identified among Taiwan, ROC Chinese students and American students.
Conclusions. American college students were less fearful of their own death and dying as well
as the death and dying of their loved one as compared to their Chinese counterparts, but Chinese
college students as a group and particularly those from Taiwan, ROC were more receptive to
hospice care in comparison with American students. It was concluded that there were significant
cultural differences concerning attitudes toward death and dying. With the exception of attitudes
toward death and dying of a loved one, college students from Taiwan, ROC were significantly less
fearful of one's death and dying and more receptive to hospice care in comparison with those from
Mainland China, PRC. It was recommended that death education be introduced in Chinese society so as
to dispel the public's fear about death and dying and that hospice care be established so as to
help terminal patients and their families face this final stage in life