Graduation date: 1934

Oregon educational reform efforts are moving ahead with the support of legislation, business and industry, and education. There has been little apparent consideration given to the readiness of tenth graders to make career choices even though the research in the area of career maturity indicates that students at this period in their career development are not prepared to make mature career choices. This study examined the perceptions of selected eleventh graders, parents, and teachers of the factors that influenced the students' readiness to make their career choices. The perceived factors found by each participant included: experience and information, interest in the career area, and personal values. Students and parents identified the need for personal satisfaction. Students and teachers identified skills and abilities. Students, solely, identified the importance of parental support as a factor in their readiness. The factors were comparable to those found in current literature on career maturity and career choice. However, the emphasis placed on certain factors was in contrast to the literature. Participants emphasized the importance of work experience in the area of career choice. Students did not find value in career education classes. They wanted career experiences to provide individualized career information. Each student discussed television as a means of obtaining career-related information. Students stressed the essential nature of positive parental support. This study showed a strong connection between the self-described self-concept of the student, perception of parental support, and career choice readiness. The participants believed that the students were ready to make individual career choices. However, this readiness was presented within the boundaries that students be allowed the flexibility to change their minds at any point in the process, without penalty. Further research was indicated in relation to: the importance of television as a means of obtaining career-related information; the link between self-concept, perception of parental support, and career choice; and the need to examine current approaches to career development and guidance practices in light of educational reform mandates. / Graduation date: 1997

An investigation of the individual perceptions of selected students, teachers, and parents toward the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in a careers program was undertaken to provide information about the role CAI plays in the career education curriculum and other curricular areas utilizing CAI. A qualitative methodology was selected which utilized the informal conversational interview, allowing the researcher to be responsive to individual differences and situational changes to establish in-depth communication. Data analysis consisted of a constant comparative process approach, which allowed for analysis of data from different sources, within a data triangulation design across the three subject groups. The subjects were from a small rural school district and consisted of five high school students, six of their parents, and their teacher. As a result of the research, several significant factors about CAI, career programs, and computer usage were formed into the following hypothesis: 1) Students who have access to computers on a regular basis and are provided with training will be comfortable and enthusiastic about their use. 2) Computers are an essential information and communication tool whose access and use by students gives them an advantage in school and later in life. 3) Students feel the use of the computer for word processing and publishing is significant in that it enables them to be better and more creative writers. 4) The computer is an educational tool which should be utilized in all areas of the curriculum. 5) Careers curriculum is essential and enhanced by the use of CAI for accessing information and providing search and other functions. / Graduation date: 1995

Graduation date: 1943

This study examined factors related to the teaching effectiveness of adjunct faculty in higher education. Specifically, it explored the relationship between personality, as defined by the Five-Factor Model, occupation, and student ratings of teaching effectiveness. Results indicate that personality is correlated to an instructor's classroom behavior and education goals, which in turn are related to teaching effectiveness. In addition, instructors with occupations in social services and education had significantly higher mean teaching effectiveness scores than those from other occupations. Finally, there was an inverse relationship between age and teaching effectiveness in this study, and a positive relationship between teaching experience and teaching effectiveness. Although instructors may not be able to change their personality, they can modify their behavior and teaching practices to increase their effectiveness as educators.

Research on the education of Vietnamese-Americans is very limited, and mainstream media continue to project Vietnamese students either as high achievers or gang affiliated (Castro, 1983; Davis & McDaid, 1992). This kind of projection can mask the real issues that Vietnamese students are facing. Based on Cummins' (1979) Contextual Interaction Theory, this study examined the views of Vietnamese-American high school students in Oregon regarding their schooling under four major areas: Community Background Factors, Educational Input Factors, Instructional Treatment, and Student Input Factors. In particular, this study examined factors, within the above four areas, pertaining to the schooling of Vietnamese-American high school students such as parental concerns, peer relationships, language use in the classroom, ESL learning, subject areas, teacher support, first language usage, discipline issues, home/school communication, teacher knowledge about culture, extracurricular activity, drug/alcohol issues, gang affiliation, dropping out, student effort in learning, homework, career planning, and future concerns. A survey of 145 subjects was conducted in the Portland and surrounding high schools. The study was supplemented by two interviews of two unique students: a high-achiever and a high-risk case to illuminate the real life and school experiences they encountered in their schooling. The interviews added a holistic dimension to this study. The survey data were analyzed descriptively, statistically, and inferentially to provide answers for the research questions. The overall conclusion was Vietnamese-American high school students in this sample came from large families with strong family support and value for education. They brought with them a strong motivation for learning. They were committed to school work and put much effort in learning. They reported doing well in mathematics and science. They reported difficulties in English language comprehension, but only one third of them perceived ESL as a strong treatment. Very few were participating in extracurricular activities. Their relationships with American peers were poor. They perceived a good level of staff welcome and support but were not sure about the staffs understanding of their culture. These students showed a respect for school rules, but reported little school/home communication. Many worried about their future. Briefly, their perceptions regarding educational input factors and instructional programs were not as strong as community background factors and students' contributions.

In this study, one AP Biology curriculum unit and one general Biology curriculum unit that included tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) technology provided by Project NANO, a grant-funded, collaborative initiative designed to integrate cutting-edge nanotechnology into high school classrooms were implemented at a public high school in rural Oregon. Nine students participated in the AP unit and 52 students participated in the general Biology unit. Each student completed an opinion-based pre and post survey to determine if using the SEM as a part of the curriculum unit had an impact on his or her interest in science or in nanoscience. Interviews were conducted to add to the data. The results indicate that using the SEM can increase a student's interest in science. Recommendations for improving student experience were identified.

This study examined the effect of a staff-mentoring program with students identified as at-risk of becoming early leavers. This mentoring program, Caring About Kids Effectively (CAKE), was implemented at a suburban secondary school in Oregon serving grades 9 through 12. The study of the CAKE program had four research components: (a) indicators of school success (GPA, attendance, and attitudes toward school) were compared between at-risk students and those not at-risk; (b) indicators of school success were analyzed over the time at-risk students were mentored to find any significant change; (c) indicators of school success and enrollment status at graduation was compared between students at-risk, with and without mentors; and (d) participants' perceptions of the mentoring program, using a researcher-constructed questionnaire given to mentees and mentors to determine activities that were successful and those which needed reevaluation. Using analysis of covariance, the findings showed: (a) a significant difference (p < .05) in attitudes, GPA, and attendance at the beginning of the study between two groups of students identified as at-risk and not at-risk; (b) a significant difference (p< .05) in attitude toward school at the end of Year 1 between those students at-risk with mentors scoring higher than at-risk without mentors and not at-risk students; (c) GPA and attendance declined for at-risk students, with or without mentors, although at-risk students with a mentor seemed to lessen the decline; and (d) no significant differences (E< .05) in GPA and attendance between at-risk with or without mentors, although more at-risk students with mentors continued in school or received GEDs after four years. Finally, students and staff agreed (75%) that they were “satisfied” that the mentor program helped at-risk students develop positive attitudes toward school; however, only half were satisfied concerning their participation, and felt that administrative support and time available to meet with students were crucial to the success of a mentor program. Based upon these findings, it was concluded that the CAKE staff-mentoring program had a positive influence on attitude toward school and retention of at-risk students.

Soviet Evangelical high school students have experienced a slow and difficult transition to the American classroom. The students were often negatively characterized by their ESL teachers and other school personnel as "difficult" due to their classroom behaviors. Many times, these behaviors did not meet the ESL teacher's expectations, resulting in a culture clash between the teacher and the Soviet Evangelical students. The study found that Soviet Evangelical high school students came to the United States with high expectations of a new life, but little knowledge of the U.S. or the American classroom. Feelings of loneliness, homesickness and frustration quickly set in upon encountering the new language, new school routines and rules and regulations, some of which made no sense to the students. The educational and cultural values that form the Soviet Evangelical students' orientation toward learning and the classroom were found to play a strong role in the transition process and also helped to account for the behaviors ESL educators found so difficult to deal with. These factors. combined with the students' strong in-group identity as Soviet Evangelicals. all contributed to their slow and difficult transition to the American classroom. The study concludes with recommendations for ESL educators and other school personnel focusing on easing the transition for Soviet Evangelical students. Teaching new students the skills and background knowledge necessary for interacting in an American classroom is stressed, along with using the students' church as a resource in order to foster a trusting relationship with both students and their parents.