The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an instructional program designed to modify the impulsive learner to become more reflective. The instructional program consisted of instructional materials designed to foster reflective problem solving skills and teacher modeling designed to model reflective classroom behavior. / The subjects selected for this study were fifth grade students in the Escambia County (Pensacola) School District, Escambia County, Florida. Seven classrooms representing three elementary schools were used. / All subjects were pretested with the Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT) developed by Kagan (1965). Subjects were identified as impulsive, reflective, slow-inaccurate, or fast-accurate based on their average response time and error rate on the MFFT. Sixty-six subjects were identified as impulsive, fifty-one as reflective, thirty-nine as slow-inaccurate, and thirty-five as fast accurate. / All subjects were also pretested with selected subtests from the Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate Level II (vocabulary, word study, mathematics concepts, and mathematics applications). The subtests measured the problem solving skills taught in the instructional materials. / The treatment consisted of exposure to specially constructed instructional materials over a nine week period. The instructional materials were four self-contained, self-instructional modules designed to foster reflectivity. The modules contained elements of the following problem solving skills: (a) visual discrimination, (b) word study, (c) mathematics computations, and (d) inductive problem solving. The teacher modeling treatment included teacher training to model reflective classroom behavior in (a) verbal pacing, (b) physical pacing, and (c) direction giving. / A control group consisted of 66 fifth grade students in the same school district in similar classrooms. The control group was given the same pretests and posttests as the experimental group. / At the conclusion of the nine weeks treatment, the impulsive subjects in both the experimental and control groups were given the MFFT as a posttest. The mean gain scores on the MFFT of the groups were compared for significant differences. The impulsives in the experimental group showed significant gains on the MFFT posttest over the impulsives in the control group. The subjects were also given the problem solving skills subtest as a posttest. The mean gain scores on the problem solving skills subtest for the impulsives in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. / It was concluded that an instructional program consisting of instructional materials designed to foster reflectivity and teacher modeling of reflective behavior can significantly effect impulsives to behave more reflectively on the MFFT test and to perform better on a test of problem solving skills. It was recommended that a long range study on the effects of such an instructional program be used as a follow-up of this study to determine the residual effects of such treatment. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-05, Section: A, page: 1872. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the electromylographic biofeedback technique (EMG) would aid hyperactive children to recognize and control their undesirable behaviors and to improve their academic achievements. The ultimate result would be using this process as a possible alternative to drug treatment. / All subjects for both the experimental EMG assisted group (N = 15) and the control group (N = 15) used for comparison of pre- and post-training test performances, were students identified as hyperactive and placed in a learning disabilities class, according to criteria developed by the State of Florida Bureau of Exceptional Child Education. The results of the study were: (1) a significant difference in reduction of undesirable behavior between the experimental group, which received biofeedback treatment, and the control group, which had no treatment except for a rest period once a week; (2) the use of biofeedback had benefits other than the control of undesirable behavior. The teachers and parents reported that the students showed improvements in peer relationships, better understanding of themselves, which led to a better image; (3) after the experimental subjects were taught to relax, they began to inhibit their negative behavioral patterns and to manage stressful situations in their everyday environment in acceptable ways; (4) the relaxation training did permit an increase in the students' performance of the Wide Range Achievement Test. The increases were based on an 8 week period of time. The gains of the experimental group were 5 months for mathematics, 6 months for reading, and 3 months for spelling, while the gains for the control group for the same amount of time were very minimal and, in some cases, non-existent. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-09, Section: A, page: 3812. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

This study determined actual and ideal program perceptions of administrators and developmental and remedial laboratory teachers in public two-year technical institutions in South Carolina concerning: (1) objectives; (2) organizational structures; and (3) instructional practices of developmental and remedial programs. The following conclusions were reached for the improvement of existing programs not experiencing success and that do not already practice the suggestions below: (1) consider allowing high-risk students to carry a lighter load than traditional students; (2) consider utilizing a variety of assessment methods other than pencil and paper; (3) consider making developmental/remedial classes smaller than regular classes; (4) consider utilizing student evaluations in the revision of instructional activities; (5) consider organizing conferences and inservice workshops for teachers and administrators to resolve differences of opinions in institutions' responses to high-risk students; and (6) consider providing for the establishment of an academic division or department of developmental studies which plans, coordinates and allocates funds for instruction, counseling, and support services. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 0921. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The Problem. The problem of this study was to determine what, if any, gains have been made by teachers in the curriculum decision-making process through collective bargaining under Section 447, Florida Statutes, since 1975. The sources of the data are the 1975 and 1979-80 contracts of the eleven Group 1 Florida School Districts: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, Leon, Palm Beach, Orange, Pinellas, and Sarasota. / Purpose. The intent of this descriptive study is to call attention to the curriculum area of bargaining which should concern teachers, administrators, students, parents, and the general public and to suggest possibilities for future bargaining sessions. / Methodology. Using a list of seventy-four curriculum-instruction items determined from previous studies, the 1975 and 1979-80 contracts were studied for inclusion of the items. Items were also categorized by language as In-Mandatory, In-Permissive, or Vague and by subject matter as belonging to the domains of Goals, Technology, Formal Structure, and Environment. / Findings. In all of the contracts, there was only a net gain of five curriculum-instruction items. Eighteen items appeared in none of the contracts while seven were in every contract. More items were in the Structure domain, followed by Technology and then Environment; no items were related to Goals. There was very little permissive language and almost no vague language. / Conclusions. Although the contracts indicate only a net gain of five curriculum-instruction items in five years, there still appears to be movement toward more teacher participation in curriculum decision-making as evidenced through the appearance of curriculum committees and other provisions for teacher decision-making. / Recommendations. There is definite need for further study as contracts are renegotiated and refined so that true trends might be identified. A consensus management approach through bargaining is recommended with avenues for parent, student, and citizen participation as well as that of teachers and administrators. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: A, page: 2418. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Institutions of higher education during the last two decades have experienced a period of unprecedented growth, restricted financial support, public calls for accountability, and an increase in the complexity of the educational system. In an effort to obtain better management and more control of these institutions, educators have applied to educational institutions the theories of organizational structure, systems approach, simulation models, planning models, and many other techniques and tools used in organizations of business and industry. Inherent in all such theories, approaches, models and techniques, is the need to compile a wealth of appropriate, relevant, and necessary information to assist the management in planning decisions. A method of identifying such information in a given planning situation has not been operationally developed. It was the purpose of this study to develop a planning information model, with categorized variables which generate the information that is required to carry out rational planning process in specific institutions of higher education. / The study was initiated with a review of the related literature in planning and planning tools and techniques. From the literature, sixty-one environmental variables were identified. These variables were extracted because of their potential impact upon planning decisions in institutions of higher education. The variables were subjected to a formative evaluation process using expert judges from nine state universities in the State of Florida. The judges independently rated each variable as to its necessity in making planning decisions. The Delphi Technique was utilized to enhance the intuitive judgments of the experts. Three non-parametric statistical analyses were performed to test the sufficiency of the number of rounds of the Delphi, to measure the effect on planning of differences in the missions of the participating institutions, and to test the significant level of association among the judges. The variables which satisfied an established criteria were selected for inclusion in the planning information model. / The selected variables were grouped into previously defined information categories and placed into matrix form to examine the potential interactive effects that may exist among categories. The matrix was then extended to include an acknowledged planning process model. This third dimension allows the user of the model to examine the information needs and potential interactive effects of each step in the planning process. Finally, the conclusions and implications for further study were formulated. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 0888. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

All the major professsions--particularly medicine and law--have suffered under the malpractice experience. Educators are the last such group to be affected. Thus far, courts have shown a reluctance to recognize educational malpractice as a cause of action within the judicial framework for policy reasons. Courts have averred, however, that certain educational practices may constitute malfeasance and result in harm to students. / Doctors, lawyers, and engineers, whose professions have been severely distorted by the malpractice crisis, have reacted by assessing where liability exists and developing mechanisms, such as professional guidelines, to improve practices thereby avoiding suit. Educators can benefit from the experience of other professionals by acting now--while educational malpractice is a problem, not a crisis. The guidelines developed for implementation by Florida School districts represent such an action. Based upon court decisions, laws of Florida, and recommendations of professionals of ways to improve professional practices, the guidelines look at current educational practices to determine liability. Suggestions are made for improving current professional practices in order to reduce the potential for liability while, at the same time, providing a more effective educational opportunity for students. / The guidelines offer practical suggestions for improvement of educational practices by answering the questions: (1) What are good professional practices? (2) What are our actual practices? (3) What are the legal restrictions that interfere with good educational practices? (4) What are the alternatives to going to court when educational malpractice occurs? / Although the guidelines have been developed for use by school board attorneys and superintendents in Florida, they can easily be adapted for use by lawmakers, school boards, principals, and teachers in Florida and in other states. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-07, Section: A, page: 2867. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

This study was conducted to provide a formative evaluation of alternative education in Florida with respect to disciplinary actions, dropouts, and funding since enactment of the Alternative Education Act of 1978. Two major goals of this Act were; a reduction in the incidence of disruptive behavior in Florida's public schools and a decrease in the number of students who drop out of school because they are unable to function in the traditional classroom setting. Although it was acknowledged that attainment of these goals could not be directly measured or attributed to specific factors, the study provided an analysis of trends in selected indicators of goal achievement. The rates of suspensions and expulsions were selected as indicators of disruptive behavior in schools. Dropout rates were also examined to determine trends since enactment of the Alternative Education Act. / Findings of this study provide an analysis of trends in dropouts, suspensions, and expulsions among all school districts in Florida from 1973-74 through 1979-80. Types of programs implemented, students served by these programs, instructional strategies used, and funding patterns prevailing in 1978-79 and 1979-80 were described. / Although it was concluded that alternative programs made no substantial differences in statewide trends in dropouts, suspensions, and expulsions, changes among districts appeared to be more favorable over the 2 years, 1978-79 and 1979-80, for districts with alternative programs compared to those without programs. No causal effects could be established because of the numerous variables which could have impacted on such changes. Amounts of funds expended showed no relationship to changes in disciplinary actions and dropouts. Total state funds generated for alternative programs were not sufficient to cover costs of these programs on a statewide basis, falling short by 21% in 1978-79 and 7% in 1979-80. / Recommendations include: modification of programs; changes in funding method; development of guidelines to provide for more accountability; and, comprehensive evaluation of Florida programs after 2 or 3 additional years of development. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: A, page: 4238. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-10, Section: A, page: 5268. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

The major purpose of this study was to develop and implement a transition program designed to facilitate smooth physical movement and social adjustment through the organization break between elementary and middle schools in Escambia County, Florida. This study has identified specific transitional elements and synthesized unique characteristics of early adolescents that should be included in a transition program designed to facilitate the move from elementary to middle school. The systematic model developed in this study incorporates the following procedures: (1) Assess the transitional concerns and needs of the target students and parents. (2) Solicit recommendations from professional educators directly or indirectly involved with the transition process. (3) Synthesize established transitional concerns and input from the needs assessment. (4) Design and implement a comprehensive program structured to satisfy established and assessed concerns of both students and parents. (5) Evaluate the program. / Design and Procedures. This research study was developmental in nature. Elements that should be included in a transition program and unique characteristics of early adolescents that should be considered in the design of a transition program were identified from the review of the literature. Additional information was obtained through the administration of questionnaires to students experiencing the move from elementary to middle school, the parents of those students, and the professional educators involved in the transition process. The design of the transition program was based on data collected from the questionnaires and on recommendations found in the review of the literature. Students were divided into two comparison groups. Students and parents in one comparison group (C1) were exposed to the developed program during a six week period of time. Students and parents in the second comparison group (C2) were not exposed to the program. The program was evaluated at the end of the first six weeks of school. The evaluation employed both subjective and objective measures. The subjective evaluation was composed of the administration of questionnaires to students and parents of both C1 and C2. A chi-square test of significance was used to compare the responses of the two groups. The objective evaluation of the transition program consisted of the comparison between students in C1 and C2 using the data collected in the following six areas: (1) grade point average; (2) attendance; (3) number of disciplinary referrals; (4) number of visits to clinic; (5) number of visits to guidance for social adjustment problems; and (6) number of students involved in extracurricular activities. / Conclusions and Implications. The findings based on both the subjective and objective evaluation of the transition program suggest the following conclusions and implications: (1) Twenty-three items on the student input questionnaire are appropriate considerations in the planning, development, and implementation of a transition program between elementary school and middle school. (2) The subjective evaluation of the student portion of the transition program indicated improved physical and social adjustment on the part of C1 students. However, the resulting chi-square of 3.51 indicates this improvement is not significant at the .05 level. (3) All nineteen of the items on the parent input questionnaire are high interest areas to parents of students experiencing the transition process. (4) In the subjective evaluation, C1 parents reported significantly greater satisfaction than did C2 parents. This indicates that more and better communication between school and parent is desirable. (5) In five of the six objective evaluation areas, C1 students displayed more positive adjustment than did C2 students. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-01, Section: A, page: 0049. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

This study was designed to determine the qualifications and role status of English department chairpersons in the secondary schools of the state of Florida; it was further designed to distinguish between the role status as it actually exists and an ideal role that the three reference groups deemed desirable for the most efficient department. The investigation involved English teachers, English department chairpersons, and principals randomly selected from school districts in the state of Florida. The Florida Education Directory, 1978-79 was used to obtain a stratified random sample of "clusters" or districts in order to assure representation of large, medium and small schools. A table of random numbers was used to select the sampling unit in schools from which the three reference groups were drawn. Respondents from the three groups returned 280 usable questionnaires which had been designed by this researcher. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the questionnaire consisted of four parts: a cover sheet asking for demographic, qualifications, and role status information; a "REAL" component asking for responses which indicated duties presently being performed by English chairpersons; an "IDEAL" component asking reference groups to respond to the same questions but in a manner they deemed most desirable for their school; and a fourth component which solicited information about the English chairperson's roles as affected by contemporary issues in education. The results of the study presented the present role status of English chairpersons and their functions in the areas of qualifications, staffing, curriculum, evaluation and materials. The study showed that the present role status or functions in any of these areas are not the same in actual practice as respondents feel they should be to best serve the school. The study indicated two major reasons for / the difference: lack of release time to perform the functions and lack of power or authority to carry out the functions. Respondents indicated that appointment is generally the method used to select the chairperson and that a well-qualified person is usually selected. The reference groups also indicated that contemporary issues will and should affect the role of the chairperson. Through the use of percentages and frequencies, histograms, means and standard deviations, medians, Pearson correlation coefficients, and an analysis of variance the investigator obtained the above results to achieve the purpose of this investigation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-07, Section: A, page: 2861. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.