1941 research outputs found
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A Follow-up Study of the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program at Drake University, 1980-1983
No full textvi, 75 leaves. Advisor: Jack Jones.The problem: The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze data received from recent graduates of the teacher education program at Drake University and to determine their perceptions of the preparation based upon program objectives. A secondary purpose was to provide information to the College of Education at Drake University.
Procedure. University records were used to locate the names and addresses of the 1980 through August 1983 graduates of Drake University's Teacher Education Program. The survey was designed to obtain demographic, educational, employment
data and the perceptions to the instructional objective statements. Two mailings produced a return of 64 percent of the surveys. The data presented the percentage of positive responses
and mean values of the program objectives. The data was divided into subgroups based upon program major and graduation years. Descriptive statistics, a t-test and a oneway analysis of variance procedures were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings. The graduates' perceptions of their program objectives paralleled the findings of previous studies. Significant differences were found in four objective items between mean values by major groups and in one objective mean value for the graduation year groups. Graduates were very or somewhat satisfied about teaching. The majority of graduates were elementary majors and female with one year of teaching experience.
Conclusion. Positive feedback and program improvements were indicated by the 1983 graduation year group. The student teaching experience was a major strength to the program, while the lack of supervision and advisement needed improvement.
Overall, the graduates indicated that Drake's teacher education program was very relevant and prepared them for the teaching profession.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended to continue follow-up studies of the teacher education program based upon curriculum, methods of instruction and faculty. These studies may need to examine the admission requirements for the education degree as well as the teaching profession "job market"
The Evaluaton of Training for Employed Staff in Vocation Rehabilitation Facilities
Get PDF114 leaves. Advisor: W. Scott Wood.The Problem. The evaluation of a multiple facility
training packaqe to teach behavior modification skills for staff in vocational rehabilitation settings. A time-efficient, cost-effective training package is important when training groups in wide geographical areas. A package consisting of instruction, written manual with knowledge testing, role playing with performance feedback, and checkout delivery system should increase trainer performance.
Procedure. A multiple baseline across experimental
groups design was used to evaluate trainer performance during videotaped sessions, using a checklist rating form.
The rating form identified training techniques addressed in an instructional package.
Findings. The training package was not effective
in increasing Trainer Preparation behaviors. Subjects that made gains across conditions failed to maintain those levels of responding. The training package was effective in teaching Gaining Attention and Cueing and Graduated Guidance behaviors for some subjects. Prompting behaviors were variable across the experimental groups.
Conclusion. The training package produced gains in
performance for some subjects and training behaviors. Personal data suggests that increases in trainer behaviors subsequent to training may be a function of education and/or experience in the
field.
Recommendations. Clarification of the effects of the training package by further defining tasks trained and selection of clients for training would allow further investigation into methods of increasing those training effects. These methods might involve multi-media approaches addressing
individuals with specific educational/experience
levels
A Learning Theory Approach to Stress and Stress Management
No full textv, 115 leaves. Advisor: George S. LairThe purpose. The purpose of this research was threefold:(l) to review and evaluate stress theory and literature, (2) to construct a learning theory approach to the fields of stress research and stress management, and (3) to design stress-management instructional materials based on
the reconceptualization.
Procedure. A review of stress theoretical and research literature was conducted. The results of that review indicated that a sound and consistent theoretical approach was lacking. In addition, there was little connection between any theoretical conceptualization and stress management strategies. The relevant areas of learning theory and research were then applied to the stress concepts and treatment techniques.
This allowed a repositioning of stress theory and associated human problems within a behavioral framework.
Conclusions. There is a congruency in certain of the theoretical positions. That congruency, although limited, does allow the necessary assurance that the two approaches are, in fact, addressing the same problems. The positioning of stress within theoretical behaviorism provides a comprehensive theory and principles to explain the stress response, its acquisition and maintenance. Behavioral technology offers effective procedures to reduce the occurrence of stress and its effects.
It is the position of this project that a more detailed analysis of the kinds of learning that
contribute to the development of the stress response and the maintenance of its associated problem behaviors may clarify the conditions
under which such learning takes place as well as suggesting more effective treatment procedures.
Recommendations. The first recommendation is that the initial materials designed in the instructional section of the dissertation be field tested. Only by employing the analysis steps in
actual attempts to assess stress problems and to construct intervention programs to solve them, can
their effectiveness be analyzed. The position taken here is that different learning processes underlie different stress problems and that therefore any treatment strategies selected should be theoretically consistent with the assessment analysis. If that is correct, it should be supported by research which would compare the effectiveness of such an individualized assessment/treatment strategy with one or more of the traditional approaches. Such research attempts is a further recommendation
From Military Express to Free Delivery: the Postal History of Des Moines, Iowa
Get PDFii, 359 leaves. Advisor: Walter R. HoufThe problem. The role of postal history on the urban frontier has not been adequately explored by urban historians. The inauguration of postal service in fledging Midwestern towns served to not only unite separated family and friends, to legitimize place names, and to introduce politics into communities, but through the mail towns were promoted, newspapers gathered the news, new businesses replenished their shelves, and politicians wooed the voters. A detailed examination of the first thirty years of postal service in Des Moines, Iowa, will help to determine how widespread the influence of the mail was on the urban frontier, and will reveal the continuous effort expended toward realizing
the goal of improved postal service.
Procedure. Daily newspapers and obscure Post Office Department reports constitute the basic sources for the small details that tell the story of postal service improvement. Therefore the main research of this study consisted of the reading of all available Des Moines newspapers published during the period, and searching out applicable
Iowa mail contract bid information in Post Office Department reports contained in the voluminous United States Congressional "serial set." Private papers of the postmasters and other politicians provided the political stories behind postmaster appointments.
Conclusions. The remarkable advance in postal service experienced by the city of Des Moines during the first thirty years of its existence
can be attributed to strategic location, energetic businessmen-postmasters, and a determined manipulation of the political process. In a narrower vein, the study shows that postal matters (delivery time, postal rates, postage stamps, stationery, and postcards) played a greater role in everyday life than urban historians have heretofore indicated. And surviving examples of early Des Moines covers (envelopes) and letters prove that postal efforts to unite the city with the greater American community succeeded.Author may be contacted for comments and/or questions at [email protected]
A Study to Determine the Effectiveness of a Stress Management Program at Calvin College
Get PDFv, 82 leaves. Advisor: Lawrence FanningThe problem. This research proposes to determine if the Broene Counseling Center" stress management program is effective in reducing the stress levels of the participants. It also proposes to determine if an increase in stress management skills results in a more positive self-concept.
Procedure. Participants in the Academic Support
Program (ASP) were chosen as participants in the stress management program. The existing ASP classes were divided into an experimental and a control group. A pre-test/post-test design was used with both groups. The tests used were The Manifest Anxiety Scale and The Tennessee Self-
Concept Scale. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Studies (SPSS) at the Calvin College Computer Center. The pre-test group means were compared to the post-test group means. A two-fold t-test was used
to determine if the changes in the group means were significant. The level of significance was determined to be .05.
Findings. The research failed to support the hypothesis that participation in this program would result in lowered stress levels. It also failed to support that an increase in stress management skills would result in a more positive self-concept.
Conclusion and recommendation. It is recommended that this research be repeated with groups consisting of volunteers and non-probationary students. Also, more emphasis should be placed on the experimental and skill components of the
program
Differential Application of Cognitive and Behavioral Treatments for Migraine
No full text135 leavesThe problem. While research has demonstrated the effectiveness of behavioral and, more recently, cognitive treatments for migraine,
exclusively-behavioral and cognitive treatments have not been compared.
Additionally, few variables have been identified as predictors of
differential treatment response.
Procedure. A 2 (locus of control) X 2 (treatments) stratified block desiqn was used to investigate the interaction of locus of control with treatments for migraine, in-order to help clarify the interaction of subject variables with treatment and to compare the effectiveness of procedurally similar interventions, differing primarily with respect
to treatment orientation. A total of 16 community residents, screened as suffering from migraine or combined muscle contraction-migraine headaches, were classified as either internals or externals and
randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: behavioral self-control plus relaxation or cognitive coping plus relaxation. Multiple measures were administered over time.
Findings. Results failed to support a differential treatment approach based on locus-of-control orientation or greater therapeutic
efficacy for either the cognitive or behavioral treatments for migraine.
Exploratory analyses did reveal that substantially more cognitive-group,
rather than behavioral-group, participants reported applying treatment-related coping strategies to control headache. Pain pattern was also found to be significantly correlated with treatment outcome.
Conclusions. Findings support continued investigation of the cognitive-behavioral treatment distinction in migraine research.
Recommendations. Additional comparisons between more effective behavioral and cognitive treatments for miqraine, more rigorous assessment of whether group participants acquired intended treatment techniques and further investigation of the interaction of treatments with locus of control are needed. Pain location, headache frequency, headache type, and some scales of Melzack's Pain Questionnaire and Lanyon's Psychological Screening Inventory also merit rigorous investigation to see if prediction of outcome can be improved
An Exploratory Study of the Use of Base Curriculum to Supplement the IEP Process in Programs for the Learning Disabled in Iowa
Get PDF152 leaves. Advisor: Paul JoslinThe problem. PL 94-142 mandated a process of
developing an Individual Educational Program (IEP) for each LD student and thus replaced the curriculum of the regular educational program. The developmental process of the IEP has several problematic areas. One possible method for
elimination of some of these problems is to supplement the IEP with an articulated base curriculum. To date, little information is available regarding the use of a base
curriculum in programs for LD students.
Purpose. This study was concerned with curriculum
development as a supplement to the IEP process in LD programs in Iowa. In addition to data regarding the existence of curricula, it sampled the philosophical stance of professionals regarding such curricula.
Procedure. A two-part questionnaire was sent to 316 randomly selected teachers of LD students and fifteen AEA supervisors of consultants to LD programs in Iowa. A response rate of 62 percent was achieved. Responses were reported as frequencies and percentages.
Findings. Responses from LD teachers indicated that thirty five percent were using or developing a base curriculum to supplement the IEP process. These curricula were most frequently based on regular program objectives with modification in teaching strategies and materials suited to the LD students needs. Curricula were most frequently developed by adapting and combining existing
materials. Those most frequently involved were learning disability teachers with support of AEA support personnel and regular program teachers.
Conclusions. 1. There is a need to supplement the IEP process to assure the longitudinal continuity of program objectives. 2. A separate, exclusive set of objectives is not appropriate or necessary for LD students. 3. Regular program objectives are appropriate for LD students if teaching strategies and materials are modified. 4. Professionals utilize materials already in existence as a
basis for curriculum development for LD programs. 5. The range of curriculum for LD programs is quite narrow, with most available for the resource program model.
Recommendations. A central collecting procedure for curricular information for the LD programs should be developed at the state level with some provision for reciprocity at the national level. Additionally, there is a need for teacher education programs to address the areas
that are problematic in IEP development with concomitant skill development for future teaching personnel
Assessment of Chemiluminescent Detection System for Forensic DNA Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis
Get PDF64 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Dean HogansonThe purpose of this project was to determine whether a chemiluminescent detection system can give the sensitivity of 32P isotopic detection for human DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and have the speed, safety, and reduced cost of colorimetric detection. The assessment was made on the basis of: cost, sensitivity, time of operation, ease of operation, and ease of multiple probings. Human DNA was extracted from whole blood and processed for RFLP analysis according to the December 1990 FBI Protocol: "Procedures for the Detection of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms in Human
DNA." Both the "Boehringer Mannheim Genius" system which uses digoxigenin labeled probes detected with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-digoxigenin antibody, and the "Promega Gene Print Light" system which uses alkaline phosphatase bound directly to the probe, were examined. Probes pH30, YNH24, and TBQ7 were used. Visualization was with "Lumi-Phos" 530 and Kodak XAR X-ray film. Results show that chemiluminescent detection is better than colorimetric or 32P detection in all aspects but sensitivity
The Effect of Spermidine on the Rate of Sex-Linked Recessive Lethals Caused by X-Ray in Drosophila Melanogaster
Get PDF31 leaves. Advisor: Michael E. MyszewskiThe problem. Spermidine is a polyamine naturally
occurring in many organisms including "Drosophila melanogaster". It has been shown to decrease the heat denaturation of DNA by binding to the DNA double helix. The agent has also decreased the development of resistance of bacteria to a
particular antibiotic. The major objective of this study was to determine if treatment to
"Drosophila" with a given concentration of spermidine prior to X-ray exposure would change the expected number of sex-linked recessive lethal mutations.
Procedure. Adult male wild-type "Drosophila" were treated in four ways. The four treatments, administered via feeding in a medium with dimethyl sulfoxide, were Control, X-ray, spermidine, or spermidine and X-ray. Treated adult males were mated in groups of twenty with twenty virgin "Basc" females. The "Basc" technique for detection of X-Linked recessive lethal mutations was followed. Mutation frequencies were calculated
and data was submitted to the Kastenbaum-Boman test.
Findings. The control group exhibited a mutation
frequency of 0.68% which showed no significant difference compared with the 0.59% mutation frequency with spermidine. The mutation frequency for the X-ray only treatment was 2.62% and the mutation frequency for the spermidine and X-ray treatment was 2.86%.
Conclusions. The data obtained from this study showed that pretreatment with spermidine had no
significant effect on decreasing the expected number of sex-linked recessive lethal mutations caused by X-irradiation exposure. Spermidine
alone was shown to have no mutagenic effect, but in combination with irradiation a slight, statistically insignificant, increase was found
Differences in Student Achievement in Comprehension as a Result of the Use of a Probing Technique
Get PDF53 leaves. Advisor: Dr. Charles D. RowleyThe problem. The problem was to determine whether a specially designed probing technique had an influence on student achievement scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
Procedures. Data were gathered on the types of questions teachers asked students. From these data teachers were selected to participate in an inservice on probing techniques and the use of these techniques in their teaching strategies. The purpose of this data was to ascertain whether there was significant mean growth in student achievement scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills with students who received instruction from teachers utilizing the probing technique. The data gathered from this comparison was used to test the hypothesis. Additional analyses were completed
by using t tests to test for differences between means and a two-way Analysis of Variance. The analyses were to determine if the means of the control and treatment groups were significantly different.
Findings. There were significant differences between the mean scores in the control and treatment groups. Teachers who participated in the probing technique posed higher level questions to students than those teachers in the treatment
group. Descriptive statistics further indicated that the mean post-test score was higher for the students who received instruction from the teachers in the treatment group. t Tests indicated that students' post-test scores in the treatment group were significantly higher. Finally, two-way
Analysis of Variance revealed that there were no significant interactions between the variables.
Conclusions. It was concluded that the probing technique had a significant impact on student achievement scores from pre- to post-test in the treatment group.
Recommendations. It was recommended that: (1) additional investigation be conducted using a larger and random sample, (2) further investigation be made of probing techniques as a viable instructional tool in improving
comprehension