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Bureaucracy and Teachers' Sense of PowerYuÌ cel, Cemil 30 November 1999 (has links)
The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of Hall's (1961) conceptualization of Max Weber's (1946) theory of bureaucracy as an analytical tool in Turkey. The population was 1946 teachers in 91 public schools that employ five or more teachers. The instruments were distributed to 725 teachers in 68 schools in Karabuk province. Useable returns were 486. A pilot sample (one third of the useable returns) was generated to test the instruments by utilizing a series of item analyses. Remaining cases were used to answer the research questions in a separate sample. Items to measure bureaucracy derived from different versions of Hall's (1961) Organizational Inventory which operationalized six bureaucratic dimensions: hierarchy of authority, division of labor, rules and regulations, procedural specifications, impersonality, and technical competence. Item-analyses were done in the pilot sample. The surviving items were subjected to a factor analysis using the research sample. Generally, the factor structure of items obtained in the pilot sample was replicated in the research sample. Items measuring sense of power were also isolated from the literature and tested in the pilot sample. The surviving items were also subjected to a factor analysis in the research sample. The six moderately correlated bureaucratic dimensions clustered around two negatively related second-order factors. The first factor (control) was composed of hierarchy of authority, rules and regulations, procedural specifications, and formality in relations. The second factor (expertise) was composed of division of labor and technical competence. Based on control and expertise scores, teachers were classified into four typologies: Weberian, Collegial, Chaotic, and Authoritarian. Teachers in collegial cluster were the highest in sense of power and teachers in authoritarian cluster were the lowest in sense of power. Sense of power was inversely related to bureaucratization and positively related to expertise above and beyond the other relevant variables. It is concluded that there is support for the applicability of the western predisposition of bureaucracy to Turkish schools because of similar findings reported by western researchers. Max Weber's ideal theory of bureaucracy as it was operationalizaed by Hall is a useful analytical tool to examine the organizational structure of Turkish schools. / Ph. D.
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The Status of Public School/Business Collaborative Activities in Virginia, 1998 - 1999Parsons, Dennis D. 29 April 2001 (has links)
The purpose of this study was to ascertain important information that was lacking about current school/business collaborative activities in the Commonwealth of Virginia and to compare those activities to the findings of a study conducted by Larkin C. Phillips of school/business collaborative activities during the 1990-91 school year. This study used the same survey questions that were used by Phillips and was designed to provide the following information: (a) Common characteristics of school divisions in Virginia that conducted collaborative activities during the 1998-99 school year as compared to the 1990-1991 school year,(b) The types of collaborative activities conducted in Virginia during the 1998-99 school years as compared to the 1990-1991 school year,(c) Current resources used to manage collaborative activities as compared to the 1990-91 school year, and(d) Types of businesses that participated in collaborative activities in 1998-99 as compared to the 1990-91 school year.A survey was sent to all superintendents of public school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Superintendents from 99 school divisions, 76 percent of the school divisions in Virginia, returned the survey. The responses indicated that 72 percent of the responding divisions conducted school/business collaborative activities during the 1998-99 school year. This was an eight percent decrease from the 1990-1991 school year. Of the school divisions reporting no collaborative activity in this study 89 percent were located in rural areas. In contrast, more than 90 percent of the school divisions in cities and suburbs indicated collaborative activity with businesses. Small school divisions and less wealthy school divisions were less likely to conduct collaborative activities than were larger and wealthier school divisions.The most conducted collaborative activities in the typical Virginia school division at all grade levels were: providing career awareness activities; providing special awards for pupils, teachers or the school; donating or loaning equipment or materials; and sponsoring tutoring programs for pupils. As compared to the Phillips study, there were large increases in businesses providing tutoring at the elementary and middle/junior high school levels. And at the high school level there was a 22 percent increase in partners providing internships for students.During the 1998-1999 school year in Virginia the management of collaborative activities was most often managed totally at each participating school. The person most likely to initiate collaborative activity with business was the building principal.The most likely type of businesses involved in collaborative activities with school divisions was service, civic, manufacturing and retail. The mining industry was least likely to be involved in collaborative activities. / Ed. D.
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Research Centers as Modes of Technology Transfer between the University and Industry and the Implications for Public K-12 SchoolsEarly, Jeffrey Bryan 19 March 2007 (has links)
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is located in the south central region of Virginia commonly known as "Southside". The IALR was established in 2002 by the Code of Virginia for the primary purpose of revitalizing this economically distressed area of Virginia. The education of the citizenry of this area is central to this purpose. One method of providing for this purpose is partnering with the school divisions within the service region of the IALR to provide increased access to educational opportunities. The service region of the IALR includes eight school divisions. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived needs of K-12 educators in the service region of the IALR in Southside Virginia. Teachers, principals, superintendents, and directors of instruction from each school division in the study area received a hyperlink to a separate survey instrument in which items were selected for inclusion that likely match the participant's knowledge based upon his or her job title. Specifically, they provided their perceptions on teaching staff development needs, administrative staff development needs, curricular needs, and the other needs they may have. Descriptive statistics were used to report the data designed to identify the needs of the eight school divisions in this geographic area.
The census survey method was used to collect data from the eight school divisions served by the IALR returned data from 100% of the superintendents and directors of instruction, 70.4% of principals, and 6.4% of teachers within these school divisions. The low response rate for teachers made the value of their perceptions problematic. The findings of the study indicate an overall perceived need for staff development in the areas of special education, science, math, reading, At-Risk programs, and technology. Further, all respondents indicated a desire for greater access to graduate programs, and a majority of participants expressed a desire to have greater communication with the research center in their area. / Ph. D.
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To Determine the Need for Teacher Tenure in TexasMartin, Wesley 08 1900 (has links)
The purpose of this study is to determine the need for teacher tenure in Texas. In order to determine this need, it will be necessary to investigate not only the need for tenure in the teaching profession, but also the advantages and disadvantages of tenure, the standards necessary for adequate tenure legislation, and the tenure situation as it exists in the public schools of Texas today.
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To Determine a Sound Method of Distributing the Public School Funds in TexasAlderdice, Joseph Lloyd 08 1900 (has links)
It is the purpose of this study to discover and report a sound method of distributing the public school funds of Texas. This investigation will discuss present-day practices in distributing the public school funds, and where advisable will make recommendations to secure more adequate distribution.
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Determining the Extent to Which the Purposes of Radio Educational Broadcasts are Being Achieved in the Elementary SchoolDouglas, Truman B. 08 1900 (has links)
This study seeks to furnish school administrators and teachers with information about the (1) historical background of radio in the public schools of America; (2) equipment needed for radio reception; (3) plans that are necessary for efficient use of the radio; and (4) finally, to show the status of radio in the schools of Texas.
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THE IDENTIFICATION, STATUS AND INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIRECTORS OF SELECTED ARIZONA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS (COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION).ASHBY, SUZANNE KAY LEADLOVE. January 1984 (has links)
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which Arizona public school districts had a designated school-community relations director position with a clearly defined "gatekeeper" role and to determine the effectiveness of this role as perceived by newspaper editors and as evidenced by newspaper coverage of various news topics. Two different questionnaires and a topic analysis of newspaper stories were methods used to collect data. One questionnaire, responded to by 87 superintendents of Arizona school districts having enrollments of more than 800, pertained to the status of the position of school-community relations director and to school-press relationships. Data collected by this instrument was used to categorize districts into 18 different groups on the bases of district size, district type, and the employment of school-community relations personnel. A representative school district was selected from each category and editors of the newspapers serving those particular districts were contacted. Eleven different editors responded to a questionnaire or telephone interview pertaining to school-press relations and news coverage. Specific issues of the designated newspapers were then analyzed to identify the number and direction of different school news topics. In addition, an analysis of job descriptions submitted by school-community relations personnel determined specific functions of the position. The major findings of the study included: (1) Twenty-nine full- or part-time school-community relations directors were identified, who to some extent served as "gatekeeper" between their districts and the newspapers. (2) Although school-community relations directors expressed high priority on press-related activities, the amount of news coverage pertaining to these districts in most instances did not reflect this priority. Districts without school-community relations personnel appeared to receive just as much news coverage as those districts which did employ someone in the position. (3) School-community relations personnel perceived relations with newspapers to be much more positive than did newspaper editors. (4) Virtually no differences existed in the number of different topics nor in the direction of coverage between news about school districts employing school-community relations directors and districts that did not. Additional findings pertained to job roles, news sources, positive press-school relationships, and types of news topics.
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THE PHILOSOPHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN SECULAR HUMANISM AND JUDEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITIONALISM IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: AN EXAMINATION OF "FAMILY LIFE" EDUCATION.SHEA, VICTORIA ANNE. January 1985 (has links)
The purpose of this study was to answer the research question, "Are there areas of philosophical agreement between the contemporary world views of secular humanism and Judeo-Christian traditionalism as they apply to public school curricula, or are these two belief systems mutually exclusive and irreconcilable?" The literature was reviewed with a focus on three areas: (1) the historical development of secular humanism, (2) the contemporary conflict between secular humanism and Judeo-Christian traditionalism regarding the public schools, and (3) this conflict as it is exemplified in "Family Life Education." Utilizing the statements of recognized secular humanist and Judeo-Christian traditionalist leaders, an attempt was made to clarify the philosophical positions of the two world views by having each side in the controversy "speak for itself." The guiding assumptions, beliefs, and values of these leaders were categorized into areas of standard philosophical inquiry, such as metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, and ethics, and into basic educational viewpoints. The resulting composite world views, validated by the reliability of their sources, provided for two comprehensive alternative philosophies of education: that of secular humanism ("humanism") and Judeo-Christian traditionalism ("traditionalism"). The two world views were summarily juxtaposed according to philosophical assumptions. Areas of agreement and conflict were located. In order then to determine the effects of the beliefs of humanism and traditionalism upon actual classroom curricula, a sample "Family Life Education" curriculum was examined from each world view. The sample was chosen as representative of those in use in over three hundred school districts nationwide. A noted humanist and two traditionalist authorities provided a supplemental verification of the results of the study. It can be concluded from this study that there are very few areas of philosophical agreement between humanism and traditionalism as they apply to the public schools. They are based upon mutually exclusive presuppositions and aside from the assumptions of logic, there are no major philosophical beliefs that humanism and traditionalism hold in common. When the public school attempts directly to shape human values, these two world views will come into conflict. They are fundamentally irreconcilable.
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Perceptions of the Actual and Ideal Roles of Public School Superintendents in TexasSandler, Steven 05 1900 (has links)
The problem of this study was to compare concepts of the actual and ideal roles of school superintendents as they are perceived by school superintendents and by school board presidents.
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State Participation in Funding Capital Projects and Improvements in Texas Public SchoolsHawkins, Jimmy R. (Jimmy Ray) 12 1900 (has links)
The impact of four basic capital project funding models for state participation was determined for the school districts in Texas. A review of the historical background for funding of capital projects and improvements by states was followed by a review of the historical background of state support for funding capital projects in the State of Texas. Additionally, the current funding models and methods of determining need were reviewed for all of the states. This historical review revealed that facility funding, like aid for maintenance and operation, has evolved with all the states at different stages.
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