Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 32-06, Section: A, page: 3141. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1971.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 32-11, Section: A, page: 6270. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1971.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-11, Section: A, page: 5909. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-11, Section: A, page: 5909. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

Studies of teacher behavior in a wide variety of countries reveal that the socio-cultural contexts of local schools often undermine the results of teacher training programs. This study examined how the performance and attitudes of Nepalese teachers trained in an innovative, "On-the-Spot" primary teacher training program compared with those of teachers trained in a conventional campus-based program and with those of teachers who had received no formal training. All teachers included in the study were working in the same schools. Participant observation was the major data collection technique employed. Data gathered in this manner were supplemented by an analysis of appropriate documents and other background material. / Teachers trained in the "On-the-Spot" program are not found to be performing differently than the campus-trained teachers on most indicators, although a number of differences were observed between the performance of trained and untrained teachers. The "On-the-Spot" teachers claimed to have learned more from their training program than the campus-trained teachers did from theirs, and trained and untrained teachers alike believed training to be both important and necessary. / Both the "On-the-Spot" and campus-based training programs helped the teachers achieve some upward mobility, and resulted in greater self-confidence and enhanced capacity for program development and management. However, there was relatively little observed classroom application of the specific skills the teachers claimed to have acquired in the training programs. / The findings suggested that the context in which teaching occurs severely inhibits the application of new skills. Poor facilities, limited incentives, shortsighted leadership and inadequate materials all contributed to low teacher morale. Efforts to improve teacher performance without corresponding effort to improve the work environment are likely to heighten discontent in teaching. Nevertheless, the "On-the-Spot" approach displays several unique features which can be used effectively for the development of new skills in the field. Furthermore, the program has already demonstrated its potential for reducing the costs of training and or providing in-service training opportunities to teachers without requiring them to leave their local communities and schools. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-11, Section: A, page: 3571. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate guiding principles and guideline criteria for field experiences in Jamaican Teacher Colleges. A modified version of the Delphi Technique was the method used in validation of the items. A list of 711 items of guiding principles and guideline criteria developed from the literature review was evaluated by an inside jury of five experts in teacher education and field experiences from the Florida State University. The list covered the seven areas of philosophy, goals, objectives, policies, organizational structure, field experiences operational functions, and evaluation. The revised list of 692 items was evaluated by 14 outside jury members consisting of 10 Floridian teacher educators and four Jamaican teacher educators. The finalized list contained 676 items of guiding principles and guideline criteria. / The study indicated that: (1) The conceptual framework for the guiding principles and a guideline criteria can serve as an outline for a field experiences program. (2) The guiding principles and guideline criteria, based on the evaluation of the two juries, are appropriate for Jamaican teacher colleges. (3) The guiding principles and guideline criteria can also be utilized for field experiences program in the United States of America. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 1026. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The purpose of this study was to: (1) develop and validate a taxonomy of Florida teacher competency domains with assessment concerns; (2) classify the competency subskills according to the taxonomy; and (3) examine the implications for assessment within the Florida COTE certification. / The population used in this study to classify the subskills according to the taxonomy was composed of those institutions field-testing implementation procedures for the Florida year-long internship program. / The literature was searched in order to identify competency domains and assessment issues. Five domains were identified; Knowledge, Experience, Behavior, Affective, and Consequence which form the basis of the taxonomy hierarchy. Each domain and its definitions were evaluated by a panel of scholars and practitioners as to the clarity of the domain and the appropriateness for the proposed instrumentation, and all were determined to be valid. The competency subskills were classified and discussed in terms of assessment issues. / All of the COTE (127) subskills were able to be classified into domains by the survey population. Of the validated subskills (117), 27 subskills were classified into one competency domain; 90 subskills revealed two subgroups of classification; subskills in Subgroup A (39) were considered to have competency domain directionality; and Subgroup B (51) contained at least three competency domains. / The survey population was not based on a random sample of professional educators, and therefore may present some degree of sampling bias. The taxonomy has face validity only. Survey instrumentation is not an ordered measure and therefore is not troubled by reliability. / Given the limitations in this study, the following conclusions were made: (1) There is a taxonomy of competencies identified in the literature. (2) The taxonomy has face validity. (3) All of the 117 subskills are classifiable according to the taxonomy. (4) The process of assessing the subskills is complex, when considering subskills covering more than one domain. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-11, Section: A, page: 4797. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purposes of the study were (1) to identify and validate criteria for describing a competency based vocational teacher education program in Florida, and (2) to determine if there were practically significant differences in perceptions of importance of competency based vocational teacher education criteria among vocational teacher educators in different vocational program areas and with varied professional training and experience. Subjects for the study were the 74 vocational teacher educators in vocational programs in Florida's nine public universities. / Data were collected through use of a mailed questionnaire containing 92 criteria statements. The statements, which were classified into five categories: (a) competency specifications, (b) instruction, (c) assessment, (d) governance and management, and (e) total program, were adapted for use with vocational teacher education programs from an instrument developed under the sponsorship of the National Consortium of Competency Based Education (CBE) Centers. A Likert-type scale was used to rate the items. Educational and background information were also collected from respondents. / Sixty-two (84%) of the 74 instruments distributed were returned. Usable data were provided by 61. Analyses of these data indicated that, of the 92 criteria statements submitted to the subjects, 82 received a mean rating of 3.0 or above, the level of acceptance as valid criteria for describing a competency based vocational teacher education program. / Differences of practical significance were found among respondents in different vocational program areas and among those with educational degrees of varying levels regarding importance of criteria. No differences of practical significance were found in perceptions of importance by respondents who had participated in CBTE professional development and those who had not; nor were differences found between perceptions of those with little experience (0-3 years) and those with 4 or more years experience in conducting CBTE programs. / Additional research is recommended for: (1) determining specific program indicators for each of the 82 validated criteria. (2) using the validated criteria to develop and field test an instrument to assess the extent to which Florida's vocational teacher education programs are competency based, and (3) validation of CBVTE criteria, used in this study, in other states. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-11, Section: A, page: 4798. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of using self-assessment and written test scores for making inservice teacher education decisions. This involved: (a) determining whether prospective teachers' self-assessment and written test scores are valid indicators of their actual performance on given teaching skills; (b) comparing the validities of self-assessments and competency test scores; (c) comparing inservice teacher classification decisions based on self-assessments and written test scores; and (d) determining the extent of misclassifications resulting from the use of both sources of assessment data. Thirty-five student teachers and their classroom supervising teacher volunteered to participate in this study. / Three instruments were constructed for the study. The Self-Assessment Inventory assessed student teachers' perceptions of their ability to demonstrate thirty-one teaching skills during a ten-week internship period. The Student Competency Test assessed their knowledge and understanding of the same thirty-one skills. Supervising teachers assessed student teachers' actual classroom performance on the given skills through summative ratings on the Teacher Assessment Inventory. All instruments were administered during the last week of the internship period. / Nonparametric statistics and regression analysis were used to examine the differences and relationships between student teachers' self-assessments, written test scores, and actual performance ratings. Findings from this study suggest that: (a) student teachers' self-assessments were significantly higher (p < .05) than their written test scores; no differences existed between their self-assessments and performance ratings; and their written test scores were significantly lower (p < .05) than their performance ratings; (b) there was no relationship between student teachers' self-assessments and performance ratings; a significant, but weak (p < .05) relationship existed between their written test scores and performance ratings; and a significant (p < .05) relationship existed between their combined self-assessment and written test scores and their performance ratings; and (c) the use of self-assessments, written test scores, and the combination of the two for making inservice teacher training classification decisions resulted in making classification errors of 40, 69, and 23 percent, respectively. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: A, page: 4411. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine whether a set of specialized competencies necessary to perform effectively in the correctional education field could be identified and validated. If so, would such competencies be perceived as having the same degree of importance by academic and vocational instructors and by correctional administrators? The study also sought to determine the training method preferred by correctional education staff in the acquisition of the accepted competencies. / Competencies were identified from a review of the literature and input from correctional educators and validated by a panel of experts. Through this process, 61 competency statements, using a taxonomy of the following six categories: ability to be empathetic and humanistic, awareness of inmate culture, awareness of cultural setting, personal and professional self-awareness, professional education and experience, and security, were identified. / The 61 competencies were then incorporated into a survey instrument which was distributed to the entire population of 172 correctional educators employed in the nine Florida Department of Corrections youthful offender institutions. Ninty-nine (57%) of those surveyed responded. Fifty-nine percent (58) of the respondents were males and 31% (32) females; 10% (10) did not indicate their sex. Forty-seven (47%) were academic teachers, 27 (27%) vocational instructors; 21 (21%) administrators. Four respondents did not indicate their positions. The average number of years of experience in correctional education for the respondents was in the 10-20 range. The subjects averaged over 3 years of college training. Although administrators and instructors in academic fields had college degrees, the average formal educational level reflected Florida's certification requirements for vocational instructors, who need not have a degree. / Each survey competency statement was rated by respondents on a Likert-type scale as essential (5), important (4), useful (3), not important (2), and useless (1). In order to meet the criteria for a validated competency, the statement had to receive a mean score of 3.0 or higher by 55% of the respondents. Survey respondents were also asked to indicate the preferred method of training: formal schooling, internship, on-the-job training, or in-service training. / Findings of the study were that all 61 competencies were accepted as useful or higher. Preferred methods of learning the competencies were formal schooling or some form of formal or informal on-the-job training. Schooling was favored for skill and theory training while in-service and on-the-job were preferred for learning institution and inmate functions such as awareness of security procedures and inmate motivation factors. Internship was totally rejected by the respondents as a means of acquiring the identified competencies. The staff of the youthful offender institutions were found to be better educated and younger than the national average for correctional educators. Academic staff were primarily interested in teaching strategies; administrators were found to value their authority and mediation skills the most; and vocational instructors favored skills and knowledge which helped inmates to get and keep a job and become functional members of society after release from prison. / Suggestions for further research included means of utilizing the 61 validated statements in developing training programs and materials and evaluation instruments for correctional educators. In addition, differences in perceptions of the importance of certain categories of competencies by administration, academic, and vocational personnel raised questions regarding the effects of background and training on the values and emphasis reflected by these groups. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1105. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.