This study was designed to assess the perceptions of recent Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University graduates (1983-1993) regarding the relevance of the institution's undergraduate business teacher education curriculum to the requirements of the world of work. A second purpose was to identify the requirements for modification and improvement of the business teacher education curriculum. Specifically, the study collected data related to present occupation of business education graduates and their degree of preparation to teach business subjects. / The questionnaires were sent to 130 business education graduates employed in middle, secondary, postsecondary, vocational-technical, private business, government, and other enterprises throughout the United States. Fifty-four percent of the sample responded to the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the following statistical procedures: Descriptive statistics of background descriptive data, t-Test for differences in means, Point Biserial Correlation, Spearman Rank-Order Correlation, and One-Way Analysis of Variance. / The primary conclusions of the study were: (1) Business education students perceived themselves to be less prepared in the instruction of computer-related courses than in other types of program offerings, (2) Demographic factors such as Present Occupation of Graduates, Highest Degree Earned, Number of Years in Teaching, Types of Inservice Training Received Since Graduation, and Length of Time Between Graduating and Obtaining Employment had little effect on the graduates' perception of the program in business education, (3) Business education graduates were receptive to changes in curriculum content that would make them better prepared for teaching business subjects, and (4) Graduates who were in teaching positions perceive themselves to be better prepared for employment than graduates who were in non-teaching positions. / Major recommendations for the Business Teacher Education curriculum at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University are as follows: (1) An ongoing review of the curriculum should be conducted periodically by members of the business education faculty to ensure that content of the curriculum remains current and consistent with the changes in the workplace, (2) Faculty participation in workshops, seminars, short courses, and business and industry exchange is needed on a regular basis in an effort to keep business education faculty abreast of current trends and issues in business education, (3) Work with business and industry partnerships and partnerships with school districts to keep abreast of the needs of students and of the workplace, (4) Provide undergraduate business teacher education students with opportunities to observe and/or teach at various levels of education--elementary, secondary, vocational-technical, and private business schools, and (5) Replicate the study within the next five years to determine continued relevancy of course offerings and curriculum content. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-10, Section: A, page: 3815. / Major Professor: Clyde Maurice. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

The purpose of the study was to examine the pilot year of the TOTES (Take Out Teaching Experiences for Students) Program to determine if student performance had improved as evidenced by a decrease of retention rate from the previous year, to ascertain whether parent involvement had occurred, and to identify areas for program improvement. The program was critiqued through current research and theory, interviews and observations, and through monitoring factors related to student achievement and parent involvement activities. / The research design was the embedded single case study. Decision Oriented Educational Research was the quantitative procedure used. Techniques were employed to help insure researcher impartiality and credibility of findings. / It was found that children whose parents were involved in TOTES were more successful academically and attendance was higher than students from the previous year. Both findings corresponded with current literature. Data concerning conduct and identification of special needs of children were slightly different from anticipated. Parents were active participants in the educational process and modeled the importance of education for children. Parents perceived educators as caring, knowledgeable teachers. Some components of the program facilitated parental involvement and were slated to be continued. Others were modified slightly or eliminated. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-11, Section: A, page: 4226. / Major Professor: Hollie Thomas. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership behavior of college and university physical education department chairpersons as it related to the department's size and complexity. Department size and complexity was determined by the number of faculty in the department, the number of program majors offered by the department, the number of service program course sections offered by the department, and the level of the department's degree program, either undergraduate only or undergraduate and graduate. / The study utilized the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) to identify the level of two leadership behaviors, initiating structure and consideration. Initiating structure behaviors are those that deal with delineating the paths of authority, establishing the lines of organization and ways to get the job done. Consideration behaviors are focused on the development of good human relations between the leader and followers. It was conducted using the descriptive survey method of research utilizing physical education departments that volunteered to participate. / A total of 152 departments took part in the study representing 39 different states and all 6 districts of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. The participating departments recorded scores for leadership behavior from all 152 department chairpersons and from 748 faculty members. Departments were grouped according to the characteristics identified above for analysis. The analysis of variance procedure was used to detect differences in leadership behavior of the chairpersons from the various department classifications. / A significant difference was found between the perceptions of leadership behavior by faculty members and chairpersons. Chairpersons perceived their behavior to be higher in both initiating structure and consideration than did the faculty members. Differences between the departments were not found for any of the departmental size and complexity characteristics identified. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-11, Section: A, page: 3437. / Major Professor: Dewayne J. Johnson. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

A quantitative study was conducted to discover to what extent women who have achieved responsible positions in educational administration in public schools perceive that their careers have been influenced by a mentor or others in a related role. A second purpose was to discover whether there were other experiences or environmental factors that contributed to career advancement. / An ethnographic research design, employing the use of an interview guide in a series of interviews, was implemented to gather data from six women principals in Leon County, Florida. Field notes were compiled and profiles of each principal were developed. Validity of the data was established through the use of member checks. Reliability was established through the use of a triangulation technique. / Eleven patterns emerged from the profiles of the six principals, and from the field notes. These included: (1) Help from above; (2) Educational and professional credentials; (3) Work experience; track record; (4) Hard work; energy; desire to succeed; (5) Parental influence and career socialization; (6) Mentoring others; (7) Personal responsibilities; (8) Change; (9) Characteristics of the work environment; (10) Significant experiences; (11) Leadership style. / Half of the six principals had one or more mentors. The other half received help and encouragement from multiple significant other individuals at different times in their lives. The personal and professional qualities of the principals included intelligence, effective communication, hard work, high energy, desire to succeed, strong track record; high level of education and required professional certifications, skills and experiences needed for the job, ability to manage time and energy, a team approach to management, a strong commitment to developing others, and willingness to take risks involved in changing jobs. / Supportive work environments which provided peer support, a strong staff development component, and freedom to be innovative were positive influences cited by the principals in their job satisfaction. / Five of the principals identified significant experiences in their lives which affected their career direction or leadership style. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-02, Section: A, page: 0353. / Major Professor: Joseph C. Beckham. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the organizational, political, and economic factors that affected implementation of the policy to Africanize faculty at the University of Ghana from 1961-1966. Africanization was a term used to refer to the hiring and promotion of Africans as opposed to expatriates. The study explained how these factors affected implementation by providing an analysis of the means through which these factors impeded or contributed to implementation success. It also examined the policy consequence that resulted from the effect of these factors. / The study concerned itself with the policy objective on Africanization recommended by the Commission on University Education, an internationally-constituted commission formed by Kwame Nkrumah's government in 1960 to advise on the future development of University education in Ghana. The study was historical in its attempt to reconstruct events so as to determine the means through which the factors contributed either negatively or positively to implementation success. / The study relied on documentary research and utilized internal validity checks and data triangulation to ensure reliability of data. Data sources were policy documents, archival records, newspaper publications, books, and manuscripts. These were obtained from the Florida State University Library, Tallahassee, Florida; the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; the Dabu-Gizenga Collection on Kwame Nkrumah, Manuscript Division, Howard University Library; and the Registry, University of Ghana. / Organizational factors such as policy leadership, communication, and administration coordination; political factors such as ideology and the form and nature of the power structure; and economic factors such as allocation of funds, contracts and the supply of labor had significant effects on the policy. Policy leadership, communication, administrative coordination and the supply of labor impeded the attainment of the policy objective; while ideology, the form and nature of the power structure, allocation of funds and contracts had positive effects on the implementation of the policy. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-03, Section: A, page: 0747. / Major Professor: Clyde F. Maurice. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The purposes of this study are fourfold: (1) to examine job satisfaction among academic department chairpersons/division directors in four allied health disciplines in colleges and universities, (2) to identify factors that influence job satisfaction among chairpersons/division directors of baccalaureate and associate degree allied health academic department, (3) to identify differences in characteristics of academic department chairpersons/division directors which would influence job satisfaction, and (4) to determine the feasibility of the use of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory in determining their job satisfaction. / The population consisted of allied health academic department chairpersons/division directors from 155 Medical Record Administration programs, 65 Occupational Therapy programs, 257 Radiologic technology programs, and 273 Respiratory Therapy (Respiratory Care) programs (n = 750). / The research method employed in this study was the survey method using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consist of two instruments: the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), Smith et. al. (1969) and Porter's needs fulfillment instrument, Porter, (1961). The data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. One hundred eighty-eight questionnaires were mailed with a return rate of 67% with 64% usable. / The results of this study indicated the following: (1) with the respect to the total sample; while not statistically significant for every job characteristic, the results generally indicated that higher ratings in job characteristics tended to be positively related to higher ratings in satisfaction with the work, (2) there was no significant difference between the means (at the.05 level) of the independent variables of discipline, formal academic preparation, classification of schools, type of institution, academic position, first administrative position, race (White/Non-White), and gender with the dependent variable of job satisfaction. However, there was a statistically significant difference between the means (p =.05) of those educationally prepared and those unprepared for the academic position and the subscale promotion for the JDI, (3) the needs categories most often reported as unsatisfied were the high level needs of autonomy and self-actualization, and (4) overall, most respondents indicated they would probably remain in the position for the next five years. / Finally, information derived from this study can be utilized to improve selection, retention, and self-motivation of allied health academic department chairpersons/division directors. This will contribute to the improvement of allied health education, and thus, the quality of care delivered by graduates of baccalaureate and associate degree programs in the allied health sciences. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-08, Section: A, page: 2763. / Major Professor: Allan Tucker. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

This study deals with the role of UNESCO in Haitian education. The research was carried out in 1989-1991 in Haiti. The author interviewed more than a dozen persons, and examined Haitian and UNESCO documents both in Haiti and at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. / Analysis of UNESCO's role in Haiti revealed that UNESCO promoted educational measures in conformity with the then dominant educational paradigms. Furthermore, within the specific time frame of this study, many of the policies promoted by UNESCO appeared to be based on voluntarism and underestimation of the importance of environmental and contextual factors in the policy process. / The author concluded that UNESCO, like many other development agencies, in spite of the many positive inputs, acted as surrogate State for this island nation. She recommended that instead, UNESCO should use its formidable experience to truly empower developing countries to fight for their fair share at the bargaining table with donor agencies. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3484. / Major Professor: Sydney R. Grant. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The majority of recent studies on community college trustees have centered around trustee perceptions and characteristics. While a 1987 study by Boyce examined Washington state trustees' perceptions of their roles, it did not examine what those boards actually did. The purpose of this study was to add another dimension to the empirical knowledge base, by investigating community college board of trustee formal decision-making. / The study of eight community college boards in the state of Washington analyzed formal board decisions and actions from two perspectives: (1) a content analysis of formal decisions and actions as recorded in board of trustee minutes; and (2) differences in these decision patterns among colleges based on two categories, college setting and college size. / Through a series of questions to randomly selected board of trustees members and the eight community college presidents, the researcher also attempted to determine in what ways and to what extent board trustee members interact with members of the institution (internal environment), and with the constituency served by the college (external environment) in their process. / Frequencies and percentages were calculated to identify distinctive patterns on subject area, source, timing, level and internal or external system of formal trustee decisions impacted by the decision. The majority of trustees decisions were directed to ensuring the college fulfilled its purpose. Of the 532 decisions, 196 were initiated by the president. Nearly all were dealt with "before the fact" and were affirmative in nature. Only 92 were considered to be a policy making nature, while 344 were at the operating level. ANOVA results revealed significant differences in decision-making patterns within the variables. As was expected, the largest number of decisions (369) was directed internally. / Overall, the colleges involved in the study appeared to support Weick's (1976) description of colleges characterized by multiple goals, fluid participation, unclear technologies, and intangible and unmeasurable outcomes which are serving to restrain trustees from acting with purpose and direction. In general, the researcher found that both the trustees and the presidents recognized their limited power, yet they were unclear as to how to change their environment, or even if they should. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3537. / Major Professor: Louis W. Bender. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant differences existed in perceptions of senior patrol officers and campus judicial officers regarding the role of campus police/public safety relative to the service versus law enforcement functions. The population selected for the study consisted of senior patrol officers and judicial officers from seventy-nine four-year public research and doctoral granting institutions of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,000 or more students. / The following three research questions guided the study. (1) What are the perceptions of senior patrol officers and campus judicial officers regarding the role of campus police/public safety relative to the service versus law enforcement orientation? (2) What are the demographic correlates of variations in perceptions? (3) Do significant differences exist in the perceptions of senior patrol officers and campus judicial officers relative to the service versus law enforcement orientation? / A 26-item questionnaire was used to obtain data on role item and behavior item criterion aimed at identifying perceptions. Simple means, frequencies, and t-tests of each question were calculated in identifying what perceptions existed. A regression analysis and Chi-square analysis were utilized in identifying demographic correlates of variations in perceptions. t-tests were utilized to determine if significant differences existed between the means of the two groups. / The study found that differences exist in the perception of senior patrol officers and university judicial officers regarding the role of campus police/public safety. Senior patrol officers tend to be more law enforcement oriented than campus judicial officers in the role criterion items, but campus judicial officers tended to be more law enforcement oriented on the behavior criterion items. The demographic correlates of age, time employed as a campus law enforcement officer/campus judicial officer, gender, and education were related to respondent's orientation towards law enforcement versus service. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3542. / Major Professor: Joseph C. Beckham. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The problem of increasing dropout rates in the nation's public school system has attracted the attention of almost every segment of our society. Government agencies have documented the extent of the dropout problem on both national and state levels. In response, the Florida Legislature mandated a series of statutes designed to remedy the problem. Many schools and communities responded and involved vocational education programs to provide high-risk students with concrete reasons for remaining in school. / The purpose of this state-wide study was to survey selected populations to ascertain their opinions as to which of the literature-based, dropout prevention variables were considered to be most effective in retaining high-risk students in the school system. / Two juries of "experts" were invited to participate. Jury A consisted of vocational education directors while Jury B was selected from the school district's dropout prevention persons. A third population of interest was a stratified sample of high-risk students. A modified form of the Delphi technique was employed as the data collection procedure. / The principal findings included: (1) the most successful dropout prevention variables selected by the juries were almost identical to those found in the literature, (2) there was little evidence to support the existence of any positive and helpful relationships between teachers, staff, and high-risk students from participating school districts, (3) there was no evidence of any close linkages existing between academic and vocational education programs in the participating school districts and, (4) a wide range of new teaching and learning strategies are needed to increase student interest and to better reflect the relevancy of school to the workplace. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-03, Section: A, page: 0892. / Major Professor: W. Hugh Hinely. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.