M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The research problem of this study was to determine the pretest and posttest cluster scores of high school students in a theater class as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale.

Using the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire this study attempted to determine what differences exist between 58 male adolescents in foster care and their peers in the normal population and to establish if there are specific characteristics of the adolescent's background or foster care experience that are related to specific domains of self-image. Characteristics from foster care history included number of placements and length of time at the current placement. The individual background characteristics included were race, educational achievement and age. Foster care youth had lower family self-image and emotional health and higher social self-image when compared to the normative popUlation. When compared separately to the normative population, white youth had higher than normal moral self-image and sexual attitudes and lower scores on family relations and emotional health. Black youth had higher social self-image scores. Lower scores on several domains of self-image were associated with being younger, being white, having lower academic achievement, having more placements, and staying at the current placement for a longer period of time. The implications of these findings for foster care placement decisions are discussed. / Ph. D.

Adolescence is a critical time for changes in self-concept and body-image awareness. Self-esteem, the evaluative component of self concept, has been found to be influenced by acceptance by peers. Appearance has been found to influence peer acceptance, and clothing is one tool which may modify appearance. Increasing competitiveness among adolescents with regard to clothing has been cited as one reason for encouraging uniforms or strict dress codes in schools. If an adolescent cannot afford the desired quality and quantity of clothing or is dissatisfied with clothing when compared to that of friends and classmates, high perceptions of clothing deprivation occurs. If an adolescent has high perceptions of clothing deprivation, she may experience low self-esteem. The purpose of the present study was to examine relationships between perceptions of clothing deprivation, perceptions of school climate, and self-esteem for a selected group of middle school females. / Master of Science

by Wai-Kei Yeung. / Questionnarie in Chinese. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-124). / Acknowledgments / Abstract / List of Tables / List of Figures / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION / Background of Study --- p.1 / Purpose of Study --- p.8 / Chapter II --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.10 / Physical Self-Concept --- p.11 / Models and Measurement of Physical Self-Concept --- p.14 / Physical Self-Concept and its Relation to External Criteria --- p.20 / Goal Orientations in Sport and Physical Education --- p.26 / Achievement Goals --- p.27 / Achievement Goals and Outcomes --- p.29 / Motivational Climate in Physical Education --- p.34 / Motivational Orientations in sport participation --- p.39 / Summary --- p.44 / Chapter III --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.46 / Definition of Variables and Instrumentation --- p.47 / Physical Self-Concept --- p.47 / Achievement Goal and Classroom Climate --- p.49 / Sport Participating Motivation in Secondary Physical Education Class --- p.51 / Conceptual Framework --- p.53 / Research Hypotheses --- p.60 / Subjects --- p.62 / Procedure --- p.63 / Statistical Analyses --- p.64 / Chapter IV --- RESULTS --- p.68 / Chapter V --- DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION --- p.100 / Limitations and Suggestions --- p.112 / Conclusion --- p.113 / REFERENCES --- p.117 / APPENDICES / Chapter A. --- Physical Self Description Questionnaire --- p.125 / Chapter B. --- Goal Orientations Inventory --- p.128 / Chapter C. --- Sport Participating Motivation Inventory --- p.129

The aim of this investigation is to determine the influence of pupils' perception on their academic achievement. The literature review indicated that sensation and perception are separate but unitary processes. It was also discovered that academic achievement is influenced by the perception of several factors pertaining both to the pupil himself as well as those responsible for his academic growth. There was conclusive evidence from both the literature and empirical investigation that perception influences academic achievement. Results from the empirical study confirm that pupils with negative perceptions achieve poor academic results and those with positive perceptions achieve good academic results. It has also been found that there is no difference in the overall perceptions of pupils in standards 6,7,8,9 and 10. There was a significant difference in the perceptions of boys and girls, with girls having more positive perceptions than boys. An attempt to change the negative perceptions of pupils to positive perceptions will inevitably result in an improvement in academic achievement. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This investigation identifies deterrents to the educational, social, and cultural success of Latina adolescent females. Across the nation, and especially in states such as Texas and California, the Hispanic population is fast becoming the largest minority in society. Because the adolescent Hispanic population within the United States today will comprise much of America's future economic and social base, identifying and addressing educational, cultural, and social deterrents to their success becomes important not only for personal well-being, but for the well-being of future society as a whole. A second purpose was that of determining the efficacy of group-centered psychoeducational therapy in improving self-esteem and decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescent female Hispanic high school students. The experimental groups consisted of one group of seven female Hispanic adolescents who received computer and internet training and psychoeducational group counseling twice a week for five weeks. and a second group of five female Hispanic adolescents who received computer and internet training and psychoeducational group counseling twice a week for five weeks. The control group consisted of fourteen female Hispanic students who received no treatments. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure pre and post test levels of depression, the Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to measure pre and post test levels of anxiety, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire and the Index of Self-Esteem were used to measure pre and post levels of self-esteem.

D.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between self-concept and study habits among different subgroups of 9th grade at-risk students. The study included the administration of two independent measures: The Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes. Other data were self-reported by the students. The five subgroups selected in this study were: (1) male and female, (2) white and non-white, (3) socioeconomic groups determined by eligibi1ity in the Free/Reduced Lunch Program, (4) retained and non-retained students, and (5) participants and non-participants in school activities. Raw scores from the self-concept scale and study habits survey were converted into percentile scores. A correlation coefficient was calculated for each subgroup. The significance of the two correlation coefficients was tested using Fisher's Zr transformation. Of the five hypotheses tested at the .05 level, all were rejected. Major findings of the study verify other research regarding characteristics of at-risk students. Also, more than half of the subjects had deficient study habits but only a small percentage (19,5V#) had signif icant ly low self-concept scores. In addition, at-risk students who participate in school activities had higher self-concept scores and study habits scores than non-participating at-risk students. It was concluded that low self-concept does not appear to be as significant a factor of students being at risk as does their poor study habits. Recommendations were made to encourage school districts to include self-concept and study habit evaluations for at-risk students and to involve more at-risk students in school activities.

published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences