This study was designed to determine the effects of child-centered play therapy as a play therapy training model for beginning play therapy students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of child-centered play therapy training on play therapy trainees in (a) improving positive attitudes and beliefs toward children; (b) improving knowledge of child-centered play therapy; (c) improving confidence in applying child-centered play therapy skills; (d) reducing dominance tendencies in trainees' personality as measured by the California Psychological Inventory; and (e) increasing tolerance levels in trainees' personality as measured by the CPI. The experimental group, consisting of 37 counseling graduate students with a specialty in child counseling, received 45 clock hours of introduction to play therapy graduate course training at the University of North Texas, Denton. The control group, consisting of 29 counseling graduate students with a specialty in child counseling, received other counseling graduate courses training but no play therapy training at the time of their participation in this study at the University of North Texas. Both experimental and control group students completed the pretest and the posttest on the Play Therapy Attitude Knowledge Skills Survey and the California Psychological Inventory at the beginning and the end of the semester terms of Fall 1995, Spring 1996, and Summer 1996. Analyses of covariance revealed that students in the experimental group demonstrated (a) a significant improvement in their positive attitudes and beliefs toward children; (b) a significant improvement in their child-centered play therapy knowledge; (c) a significant improvement in their confidence in applying child-centered play therapy skills; and (d) a significant reduction in their dominance tendency. An insignificant result was found in their tolerance level. This study suggests that child-centered play therapy training is a viable training model for prospective and beginning play therapists.

"The purpose of the study was to collect selected information about the individuals enrolled in two on-going Florida State University Home Economics Education Off-Campus Graduate Programs and to solicit suggestions for program improvement. In relation to this problem, the following questions were explored: 1. Why did the participants decide to enroll in the off-campus program? 2. What do they hope to gain from the off-campus program? 3. What suggestions for improvement can the participants offer? 4. What factors have caused the greatest difficulty to the participants in pursuing an advanced degree? 5. What are the characteristics of the 'typical' participant in the off-campus program?"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1975." / "Submitted to the Department of Home Economics Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: Bonnie B. Greenwood, Professor directing paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48).

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The rise in globalization coupled with the exponential growth in technology has placed greater emphasis on a skills-based economy. This in turn has increased the demand for a labor force with advanced post-baccalaureate education. In order to better devise strategies and/or enact laws to promote, support and enhance post-baccalaureate education, it is imperative to understand the forces that drive or hinder individuals’ post-baccalaureate aspirations. Using PowerStats, an on-line analytical tool made available from the National Center for Education Statistics, I use data from the 2008/12 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study to develop a linear probability model of graduate enrollment incorporating variables informed by the research on human, social, and cultural capital as well as habitus. The results indicate that GPA, type of undergraduate institution attended, and expectation of post-baccalaureate credentials are statistically significant and positively associated with Master’s degree enrollment three years after earning a Bachelor’s degree. Older students and those with higher incomes, meanwhile, were found to have statistically significantly lower probability of graduate enrollment. Many of the variables previously used by researchers as proxies for social and cultural capital did not have a statistically significant effect in this model specification. This finding suggests that these measures may have been confounded by acting through other variables (interdependencies) in the model. This underscores the difficulty in assigning appropriate, direct and independent measures that capture the intended underlying effects proposed in Bourdieu’s theories. Additional research is needed in this area to better understand the influences that different groups experience in their pursuit of post-baccalaureate education. This dissertation also examines the impact of business cycle fluctuations on graduate enrollment over a thirty-year period, encompassing three major economic downturns, using a fixed effects approach. Using IPEDS enrollment data and national unemployment rates as a proxy for the business cycle between 1988 and 2017, I find graduate enrollment to be counter cyclical. Additionally, the expansion of Grad PLUS loans eased the credit constraint on graduate borrowing and seems to have had a significant and positive effect on graduate enrollment, regardless of the business cycle. While the expansion of Grad PLUS loans had a positive effect overall, there are racial differences that could suggest other barriers or constraints to graduate enrollment for minority groups during economic downturns.

The purpose of the current study was to learn how gender and learning method affect motivation and learning strategies in psychology, counseling, and social work graduate students. The variables of gender, learning method, motivation, and learning strategies are used by the self-regulation model to learning and the theory of independent learning to measure a student's academic success. Increasing the knowledge of these variables will be of interest to academic institutions and to the field of educational psychology because little is known about their interaction. The study's design was factorial quasi-experimental; it used a cross sectional survey consisting of a 2 x 2 factorial design. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to evaluate the variables. Gender and method of instruction (distance/traditional) served as the independent variables; the dependent variables were comprised of 6 motivation variables and 9 learning variables, as measured by the Motivated Strategies of Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Age/ethnicity served as covariates. A sample of 86 psychology, counseling, and social work learners who were in a master's or doctoral program was used. The results showed significant differences in learning strategies and motivation of graduate learner's between gender. Men were significantly higher than women in control belief (p = .02) and extrinsic goal orientation (p = .01); they were also higher in rehearsal (p = .03), peer learning (p < .01), and help seeking (p = .03). These findings suggest that learning strategies and motivation were not influenced by learning method, but learning strategies and motivation were influenced by gender. These findings could be used to enhance retention and graduation rates as well stimulate future research on the topic.

Factors in the Admissions Process Influencing Persistence in a Master’s of Science Program in Marine Science. Melissa L. Dore, 2017: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: academic persistence, admission counseling, graduate students, marine science education, examinations This applied dissertation was conducted to provide the graduate program in marine sciences a valid predictor for success in the admissions scoring systems that include the general Graduate Record Exam. The dependent variable was persistence: successfully graduating from the marine sciences master’s programs. This dissertation evaluated other values including the applicant’s age, gender, undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, and acceptance level (Accepted with Academic Requirement (probation) or Full Acceptance). The writer statistically showed that two values proved most significant in defining a student’s persistence: undergraduate major GPA and age when entering the program. An analysis of the data allowed the marine science master’s programs to develop an index to assist students to succeed in the program as well as reduce the time to completion.

A Study of Cultural Differences on the Supervisory Process in a Graduate School Program. Nancy Marie Gauvin, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. ERIC Descriptors: Speech-Language Pathology Databases, Speech-language Pathology, Supervisors, Supervision, Supervisory Training. This applied dissertation was designed to provide new knowledge that will add to the field of speech-language pathology in both practice and theory. Investigating the need for cultural competency training for Speech-language pathology (SLP) supervisors can offer future supervisors improved relationships with graduate students. Currently, no formal training exists to address cultural diversity sensitivity at the supervisory level. The data were gathered by utilizing an online survey to receive responses from SLP supervisors to ascertain their cultural diversity and sensitivity. The study results were determined by using a t-test and exploratory factor analysis to examine if a need for cultural diversity training existed in the SLP field for speech-language pathologists in the United States. The researcher used a survey targeting SLP supervisors regarding their experiences with working with culturally diverse graduate students. The survey utilized a 5-point Likert scale to ascertain the supervisory experiences of SLPs. The intent of the survey was to ascertain the thoughts and beliefs of SLP supervisors who have had experience with graduate students with diverse backgrounds. Results of the study revealed that SLP supervisors have limited experiences with cultural diversity training as it specifically pertains to supervision of culturally diverse graduate students.

This study was designed to determine (1) the trend of anxiety level of social work students, term by term, over the academic year; (2) the cyclical trend of anxiety level of social work students within each term and (3) the effects of age and sex on level of anxiety among social work students. Anxiety was measured with the IPAT – 8 Parallel Form Anxiety Battery. This test was administered to twenty randomly selected first year students in the School of Social Work during the 1969-1970 academic year at Portland State University. Data was collected from six test administrations which took place at the beginning and the end of each term. Analysis of variance in a 2x2x2x3 factorial design simultaneously investigated all four variables. Some variation among these variables and their interactions was found, but only the “time of quarter” main effect reached statistical significance. A cyclical pattern of anxiety following a high-in-the-beginning, low-at-the-end of each term trend was observed. Anxiety, however, remained quite level over the three terms of the academic year. Nor was anxiety level related to differences in age or sex. These findings have led the authors to speculate that the uncertainty of a new situation at the beginning of each new term created more anxiety than did the final field evaluations, classroom examinations, papers or other outside influences such as the Kent State incidents etc., and that increased structuring at the beginning of each term might help to allay that anxiety. Perhaps it could be said that each individual’s role as a “social work graduate student” had a greater effect on his anxiety level than did sex, age, or important events not directly related to school expectations.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Population estimations for the year 2000 indicate an increase in poor and minorities in the United States (Loden & Rosener, 1991). In view of this growth trend, Berger (1989) suggests a need for social workers with sensitivity to such populations. The presence of minority perspectives provides a valuable contribution to service delivery (Mullen et al., 1993). Efforts to enhance student persistence in graduate schools of social work will contribute to the pool of social workers available in the next century. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that contribute to African American student persistence in graduate schools of social work. This study applies aspects of Astin's, Tinto's and Green's theories of persistence. Astin's theory of involvement (1975) considers student investment of time in educational pursuits. Tinto's (1975) theory of departure includes background, social and academic aspects in persistence decisions. Green's (1997) theory focuses on the ability of the student to cope with racial issues (racial resilience) and the racial climate of the school (racial responsiveness). One hundred and thirty-five students from two predominantly white and two historically black universities participated in surveys administered to determine the effect of involvement, background, academic, social, resilience factors, and college type upon student persistence outcomes. Interviews held with administrative personnel at each institution provided contextual data. Correlations were used to examine the relationships among all of the variables in the study. T-Tests were conducted to compare outcomes due to university type. Multiple regressions were used to explore the relationships between significant independent variables and persistence. The findings of this study indicate that persistence outcomes of African American graduate social work students are influenced by: (a) academic performance, faculty-student relationships, (c) health, (d) the ability to deal with stress, and (e) ethnic pride (impressions of ethnic group). These findings suggest that social work programs that incorporate aggressive grade monitoring practices, provide diverse opportunities for student-faculty interaction, offer opportunities for health care, stress alternatives, and a culturally relevant curriculum, may positively influence African American student persistence.

What started as a discussion of the efficacy of explicit grammar instruction has over time led to a debate about the need for and effectiveness of written corrective feedback (WCF) within the field of English language teaching (ELT). Dynamic written corrective feedback (DWCF) is a relatively new strategy developed by Dr. Norman Evans to provide WCF to English as a second language (ESL) students through systematic, coded feedback. While previous studies on DWCF have looked at its effects among other groups, few studies have examined DWCF in the context of ESL students studying at the graduate level. This study analyzes the linguistic accuracy and lexical and syntactic complexity of these students before and after a fourteen-week DWCF intervention.