Man's prime interest is man. This interest has been and still is the prime mover in all that man does. For no matter what his method, he is ultimately seeking to solve the riddle of himself. It is imperative that he obtain this information so that he may be better able to direct himself in the fulfillment of his being. Thus, it is the connate objective of all men, in their own diverse ways, to seek the essence, the 'ding an sich, that which makes man man. In this search many efforts have been and are still being made. Each individual feels that his is the correct method, and so far as he does, he directs his devotion with more or leas fervour. So some men can be seen dismembering the bodies of the deceased down to the minutest cell, others testing and compounding chemicals and elements, while others seek the solution of the why and wherefore of the human machine in other actions of nature.

This study links research in hemispheric specialization which supports the concept of left and right hemispheric modes in problem solving with techniques for. teaching composition. Previous studies have not specifically examined who is helped by techniques which are labled as left or right hemispheric in style. The experimental group received composition instruction which emphasized right hemispheric exercises. The control group was given parallel assignments but instruction techniques emphasized left hemispheric techniques. All students were tested for hemispheric mode using the Hemispheric Mode Indicator. The Diederich Scale was used on sample essays to determine pre and posttest writing levels. Two major hypotheses were tested. Stated in the null, the first hypothesis is that there will be no significant difference in amount of writing improvement between writing classes taught emphasizing right hemispheric techniques and those taught emphasizing left hemispheric techniques. The experimental group taught using right hemispheric techniques moved from a pretest mean on the Diederich of 24.61 to a posttest mean of 27.67, a change which is significant at the .001 confidence level. The group taught using left hemispheric techniques moved from a pretest mean on the Diederich of 30.19 to 31. 7 4 which is not significant. The first null hypothesis was rejected. In order to look more closely within the groups to determine if one cognitive style or the other received greater treatment effect, a second hypothesis, stated in the null, is that there will be no significant differences within the two major groups as to the degree of writing improvement when comparing those classified as right hemispheric and those classified as left hemispheric. Only those classified as right hemispheric in the right hemispheric group showed a significant difference (at the .001 confidence level) in their pre and posttest scores, moving from a pretest mean of 24.30 to a posttest mean of 28. 26. The significance of change for the entire group was due to the appropriately paired subgroup. The second null was rejected. The conclusion to be made from this study is that those who are right hemispheric are significantly helped in th~ir writing when taught with techniques that match thier pref erred learning style.

ABSTRACT The literature implies a trend towards an increased use of interactive multimedia technologies for instruction. The increased availability of mcxierate cost, good quality, digital audio computer cards and computers with built-in audio capability have enabled trainers and educators to realize the potential of random access audio for computerbased training (CBT) and other multimedia applications. In this study, the researcher investigated the effectiveness of adding digital audio to CBT. The experiment was conducted at the University of Central Florida in the Spring of 1991 with students (N=60) enrolled in the Applications of Technology in Education undergraduate course. After randomly selecting 3 out of 10 intact course sections, students were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Each treatment group completed a CBT program with identical content and one of the following delivery mcxies: (1) text-only delivery, (2) full text and totally redundant audio delivery, or (3) partial text (bulleted) with full audio delivery. Students in all treatment mcxies were administered a 30-item criterion-based achievement pretest and posttest in multiple-choice format on the subject content of the CBT program. In addition, subjects were administered a modality strength test, and a post-experiment perception questionnaire was completed by all subjects to provide descriptive data. Additional tracked variables included time required to complete the CBT program, number of times a student reviewed (backed up), and number of times a student in an audio treatment selected the "repeat audio" option. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analyses of variance, chi-square, t-tests, multivariate analyses of variance, and the Least Significant Difference multiple comparison procedure. Major findings of this study were: 1 . There were no significant differences among the three treatment groups in achievement gain. 2. There was a significant cliff erence in the mean completion times across the three treatments, with the text-only version requiring the least time on task. 3. There was no significant relationship between student modality strengths and achievement levels. 4. Student perceptions indicated a high degree of program acceptance across all levels of treatment.

Noting that little is known about the effect of early experience on the process of becoming an elementary teacher, this researcher explored the perceptions of 17 preservice teachers. Data produced from structured, open-ended interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Common descriptions of what is (images), what ought to be (constructs), and preservice teachers' means (context maps) of explaining why phenomena exist emerged from the data. The images were (1) Teachers guide, (2) Teachers are there for the children, (3) Teaching is hard work, (4) Teaching is controlled, (5) Students learn by doing, (6) Students are individuals, (7) Students choose to learn, (8) Student teaching is an apprenticeship, (9) Student teachers develop chameleon like qualities, (10) Student teaching is a tug of war, and (11) The curriculum is not balanced. An overall image (metaphor) of the preservice teachers was that they were awkward teenagers. The constructs were (1) The curriculum should be interesting, (2) The curriculum should be better balanced, and (3) The curriculum should be integrated using themes. Context maps were incomplete; it appeared that the preservice teachers' frames of reference were still being formed. Findings suggested that, although the preservice teachers' identities as teachers was solidified, there was a hidden curriculum that the preservice teachers felt but could not explain. Implications were that preservice teachers needed a supportive social environment and time to discuss, analyze, and interpret information received from observations of classroom practice, knowledge presented in pedagogy classes, and their own experiences as students.

The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of review sessions on student achievement and retention in a computer applications course taught by televised distance learning and traditional instruction. Identified within the study were method of instruction, review, and grades in televised and traditional computer applications courses. A quasi-experimental design was used to measure the effects of review sessions on student achievement and retention in computer applications classes. Intact classes were used to form the 4 groups used in this study. Randomization was limited to choices students made in registering for the classes. The control groups for this study consisted of those students enrolled in traditional and telecourse computer applications during the Fall 1995 and Spring 1996 semesters for a total of 137 students. These students received no review sessions as part of their instruction. The experimental groups were formed by those students enrolled in the traditional and telecourse computer applications during the Fall 1996 semester for a total of 102 students. These students received review sessions as part of their instruction. Findings indicated that method of instruction does not provide significant differences in terms of grades and retention between the telecourse and traditional classes. Results indicated that there were significant differences in terms of review on grades with telecourse and traditional classes. Student responses indicated that review sessions were helpful. Recommendations were made for improved efforts to enhance strategies in traditional and distance learning and for continued research in traditional and distance learning.

The purpose of this study was to discover and interpret reasons Florida parents enrolled their children in Islamic schools. A selection of 30 parents from 3 different schools in Florida were interviewed by the researcher using a semistructured interview guide which used both oral and written responses. The sample was matched according to the gender of parents interviewed - 15 mothers and 15 fathers were interviewed. the sample was matched according to the gender of the referent child. Out of 30 referent children, 15 were female and 15 were male. The researcher included children of all grade levels. Fifteen were from primary grades (1-5) and 15 were from secondary grades (6-12). The researcher served as the primary instrument for data collection. Data were summarized and reported in a descriptive format addressing each research question. Results indicated that the first reason for choosing Islamic schools was religious; the second reason was sociocultural and the last reason was academic. Many parents who enrolled their children in Islamic schools strongly envisioned the need to create schools where children could pursue the Islamic knowledge, preserve Islamic identity and develop the Islamic personality. Parents wanted the guard and shield their progeny from the negative influence (violence, drugs, promiscuity, prejudice, etc.) of the public schools. The academic concern was not a major reason for the majority of responding parents. A significant finding affirmed that Islamic education does not separate between religious and social factors. Findings indicated that parents were more attracted to Islamic schools than dissatisfied with public schools. Muslim parents were concerned with retaining their children's identity and religious commitment. At the same time, they wanted them to learn in a safe environment which galvanized them against negative effects of the dominant culture, and be able to survive the tide of assimilation, secular pressure and moral deterioration.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to define Philosophical Counselling (PC) or, more specifically, PC as practised in South Africa. This was done through allowing South African philosophical counsellors to tell their stories about PC. The epistemological framework was that of social constructionism. The study involved a series of in-depth interviews with three South African philosophical counsellors. The major themes that emerged from the participants’ stories seemed to centre around: the existential need for the other; the conceptual need for the other; engaging with the other methodically; and caring for the other. While their stories largely resonate with current and overwhelmingly European and North American conceptions of PC, they also seem to provide a uniquely South African impetus to revise these conceptions. Moreover, the findings of this study may facilitate a dialogue between philosophical counsellors and their colleagues in related professions, especially psychotherapists. / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

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