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Measurement error in construct indicators is known to bias structural model regression coefficients, and differences in regression coefficients when two groups are measured with differential error. The validity and reliability of six aptitude tests administered to high school seniors in the High School and Beyond (HSB) national longitudinal study were investigated for white, black and Mexican-American males and females. The tests were found to be valid measures of the same constructs across groups, but test reliability coefficients were found to differ between males and females, between whites and blacks, and between whites and Mexican-Americans. For unspeeded tests, reliability coefficients were consistently lower for females than males, and lower for blacks and Mexican-Americans than for whites. The effect of different test reliabilities on structural model regression coefficients, and differences in coefficients when two groups are compared, was assessed. The coefficient of determination (R) was attenuated to a greater extent and regression coefficients were more biased for blacks and Mexican-Americans than for whites. Coefficient differences were modestly biased when two groups with different test reliabilities were compared. Maximum likelihood covariance structure analysis procedures were used to estimate, fit and compare measurement and structural models. The computer program used was LISREL IV. Ordinary least squares regression coefficients were compared to LISREL regression coefficients in assessing the extent of bias in regression coefficients. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On the basis of a literature review regarding effective leadership, coping with change and the assessment of effective leadership and coping, this study investigated the use of The Wheel, a free-format, projective technique, which lends itself to a qualitative and quantitative analysis. A group of (N=75) managers, within a large South African engineering organisation, were assessed during organisational change. Human Resource practitioners and supervisors evaluated participants' leadership effectiveness by using a six-point Lickert scale. Overall performance scores were calculated based on a gap analysis between perceived performance and required performance. High, Medium and Low performance groups were identified and compared in terms of The Wheel results. On a quantitative level significant differences were obtained with regards to Overall performance scores and the Number of Segments completed by participants. Furthermore, some of The Wheel constructs correlated with individual performance rating items and also appears to reflect the impact of organisational change on participants' Attitudes, Discrimination and Sense of Control towards key words "My Work". On a qualitative level, the contents of The Wheel profiles indicated themes that may be an indication of different approaches and lor problems experienced respectively by High and Low performance groups during organisational change. The Wheel may thus have predictive validity for assessing leadership effectiveness during organisational change, but due to limitations of this explorative study, further research is recommended. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Op grond van 'n literatuurstudie van effektiewe leierskap, hantering van verandering en die meting van effektiewe leierskap en probleemhantering, word die gebruik van The Wheel, 'n projeksietegniek wat kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe interpretasie behels, ondersoek. Vervolgens is 'n groep (N=75) bestuurders, vanuit 'n groot Suid-Afrikaanse ingenieurs organisasie, tydens organisatoriese verandering en herstrukturering geëvalueer. Prestasie beoordelings vir elk van die deelnemers is deur menslike hulpbronpraktisyns en supervisors gedoen op grond van 'n ses-punt Lickert skaal. Algehele prestasietellings is vir elke deelnemer bereken op grond van 'n gapingsanalise tussen waargenome prestasie en vereiste prestasie. Hoë, Medium en Lae prestasiegroepe is geïdentifiseer en vergelyk in terme van die The Wheel resultate. Op 'n kwantitatiewe vlak was daar betekenisvolle verskille tussen verskillende prestasiegroepe en die Getal Segmente ingevul deur deelnemers. Sommige van die The Wheel konstrukte het ook betekenisvolle korrelasies getoon met van die prestasiebeoordelingsitems. Die The Wheel resultate het ook die situasionele impak van organisatoriese verandering en herstrukturerinq gereflekteer in terme van deelnemers se Houdings-, Diskriminasie- en Kontroletellings behaal vir sleutelwoorde "My Werk". Op 'n kwalitatiewe vlak dui die inhoud van die The Wheel profiele daarop dat Hoë en Lae prestasiegroepe onderskeidelik verskillende temas meld tydens die vrye assosiasie oefening. Die The Wheel mag belofte inhou vir die met1ng van effektiewe leierskap, maar as gevolg van beperkings in hierdie eksploratiewe-studie. word verdere navorsing aanbeveel.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Abstract not available.

This study was designed first to describe the writing processes and products of students in grades 7, 8, and 9 and second to explore patterns of differences related to cognitive development. From the 117 students enrolled at a midwestern university laboratory school who voluntarily completed the Arlin Test of Formal Reasoning, 12 subjects were chosen on the basis of sex, grade, and test score.Each subject individually wrote four letters. A talk-aloud procedure was employed during three sessions and stimulated recall was used during the last session. Finally, all subjects were interviewed.Audio tapes of interviews and videotapes of writing sessions were transcribed. Final copies of texts were typed. Interview responses were examined and summarized. The letters were rated holistically and scored for audience awareness. Counts of words, T-units, and clauses were conducted. Verbalizations in protocols were coded. Further, all data produced during stimulated recall were examined for information about time use, fluency, and pausing, as well as revising and editing.The data revealed that writers considered themselves capable, but the papers received mediocre ratings and scores. The analysis of products showed that subjects wrote more in response to an expressive/informative task, but syntax was more mature on information and persuasion.Overall, formal thinkers wrote more syntactically mature discourse and usually received higher ratings. The analysis of processes data failed to reveal consistent differences, but there were many similarities. The subjects prewrote mentally and focused on producing text quickly. They reread text and edited often, but they rarely revised. Descriptions of processes and rhetorical principles were vague. Although the writers employed many strategies, had some intuitive sense of purpose and audience, and made decisions on the basis of many factors, they lacked control over their composing activities and were unable to transfer strategies from one task to the next.The study concluded with a series of recommendations for composition instruction and further research, particularly a call for teaching the processes of composing at the middle school level and for measuring the effects of this instruction against the baseline of data provided in this study. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

Scale titled the Metacognitive Reading Measure (MRM) based on Index of Reading Awareness (IRA) by Jacobs and Paris (1987) with adaptations made by the researcher was developed and evaluated for this study to measure metacognitive reading awareness in developmental college students. Procedure for scale development outlined by DeVellis (1991) was followed. The readability, reliability, and validity of the instrument were investigated.MRM scores from 287 undergraduate, developmental college student subjects enrolled in college reading or study skills courses at a medium sized Midwestern university were used. Student reactions from pilot testing, evaluations from reading specialists, and readability estimates were used to assess suitability and content validity.Reliability investigations showed the scale has internal reliability (( = .79) and test-retest correlations demonstrated reliability over time (r = .75).MRM could be read independently by developmental college students because the Homan-Hewitt, Fry, and Raygor methods of estimating readability yielded results within the sixth to eighth grade reading levels.MRM had content validity based on opinions of five reading specialists and links to current literature. MRM had limited concurrent validity with self awareness of study skills of information processing (r = +.38, p =.000) and selecting main ideas (r = +.40, p = .000). MRM had weak concurrent validity with general verbal skills as measured by SAT Verbal test (r = +.26, p= .000), and no concurrent validity with reading comprehension achievement from the Nelson Denny Reading Test (r =+.04, p = .76).Results of exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution with subscales for beneficial reading behaviors, negative reading behaviors, and text factors effecting reading comprehension, not four categories of metacognition from the Flavell (1978) and Jacobs and Paris (1987) definitions which were used for this study. The arrangement of items into the three factors suggests an alternative direction for the definition of metacognition in simpler terms, understandable to the developmental populations to which metacognitive strategy instruction is aimed.The MRM would be suitable for classroom use and further research into metacognitive reading awareness. / Department of Elementary Education

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