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This study was concerned with determining if: (1) the effectiveness of residence hall student government varies according to the perceptions of its role held by residence hall student staff and government officers, and the hall type and population; (2) the perception of hall student government held by student staff varies according to their age, time in position and gender; and (3) the perception of hall student government by student officers varies according to their age, time in office and gender. The survey population included 48 residence hall directors, 209 student staff and 281 student officers from northwestern land grant universities. Hall directors were surveyed to determine perceived effectiveness of their hall's student government, and the resident population. Student staff and officer perceptions of the role of hall student government were obtained by utilizing the government section of the Residence Hall Attitude Scale (Murphy 1971). Age, gender, time in position or office and type of hall were also provided by the students. Multiple regression analysis was used to test three hypotheses at a .05 level of significance. Of the hypothesized relationships, only gender was found to be significantly related to the variance in perceptions of role of hall student government. In the case of both student staff and officers, women were more favorable toward residence hail student government than men. The combined independent variables of age, gender and time in position or office were found, however, to account for only small percentages (4.4%, staff; 7.8%, officers) of the total variance. The regression equation for effectiveness of hall student government failed to account for significant variance due to any of the independent variables of student staff and officer perceptions, type or population of hall. All variables combined accounted for only 7.7% of the variance in perception. The results of this research suggest that hypothesized relationships between various demographic factors and perceptions, and effectiveness of residence hall student government do not exist. This indicates that some other variables must be used to attempt prediction of either effectiveness or role perceptions of hall student government. / Graduation date: 1990

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The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of independent study programs, as perceived by teachers and principals, upon student control in selected secondary schools. The specific intention of collecting this data was to provide educators with useful information to help formulate ideas relative to independent study programs and student control.After the review of related literature on independent study and student control in secondary schools, a teacher questionnaire and a principal interview guide were developed for four schools located in the Northeast and Upper Wabash Study Councils of Ball State University. Also, Burris Laboratory School of Ball State University was included in the research because of the extensive independent study program conducted there, One hundred and thirty teachers responded to the questionnaire and five principals were interviewed.The study was designed to obtain teacher-principal perception of factors which influence independent study and student control. The data were analyzed and conclusions drawn from these perceptions to show the effects independent study had on student control.The questionnaire instrument developed for this study included six major categories and thirty-five specific questions. The six categories for teacher perception consisted of the following: (1) unscheduled time, (2) self-discipline, (3) decision making, (4) attendance, (5) interest in school activities, and (6) respect for school. A final item allowed the respondents to answer' an open-ended question pertaining to personal observations.The principal interview guide included ten open-ended questions covering the following topics: (1) positive aspects of independent study, (2) negative aspects of independent study, (3) direct effects of independent study of student control, (4) personal feelings concerning independent study as it relates to student control, (5) student rejective behavior while pursuing independent study, (6) student aggressive behavior while pursuing independent study, (7) student withdrawal behavior while pursuing independent study, and (8) student evasive behavior while pursuing independent study.Major findings of the research included the following:1. Independent study programs were consistently perceived as having positively affected school attendance. General attendance was seen as good, while class cutting and truancy were indicated as being low.2. The teachers indicated that students spent too much time roaming and talking in the hallways and wasting time in the student lounge. Principals agreed that time was misused by pupils roaming the hallways and groups congregating during free time.3. The research data indicated that both teachers and principals perceived students to generally have poor selfdiscipline while participating in independent study. Peer group pressure was perceived to often cause student control problems and teachers believed more rules and regulations were needed for control purposes. Principals indicated poor selfdiscipline involved a minority of the students.4. The teachers and principals perceived students as often making unwise decisions while pursuing independent study. It is their judgment that the younger students and the less academically talented students were not responsible enough to make the personal decisions necessary in independent study.5. Teachers indicated that there was a tendency for student interest in subject matter to be high. Principals felt that student interest toward academic pursuits were greater under independent study programs.6. Teachers indicated a feeling that student disrespect for authority was high. Principals indicated a feeling that better relationships existed between students and school staff. Student fighting and incorrigibility were not perceived as problems, although there was an indication that some vandalism did occur during student independent study time.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1929. / Vita. Published also as Teachers college, Columbia university, Contributions to education, no. 335. Bibliography: p. 169-170.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis traces the evolution of learner participation in school governance in South Africa, identifies international trends in school governance, particularly learner participation, and then analyses the progress made in South Africa in moving from policy to praxis in this regard. I have discussed the contextual forces that have influenced the production of the policy text on learner participation in the South African Schools Act. This is followed by an analysis of how the policy text has been interpreted and implemented at provincial level in the Western Cape, taking provincial legislation, regulations, circulars, and the capacity building programme that was implemented into consideration. I also look at how the whole process was experienced at institutional (school) level, and how the policy was interpreted and implemented. I also evaluate the phenomenon of learner participation in school governance in terms of promoting the principles of transformation, placing particular emphasis on the promotion of democratic practices in South Africa.In conclusion I contend that the present policy of learner participation in school governance does reflect the resolve of the National Government to promote the principle of participation by all stakeholders in matters affecting them. However, the study has shown that the implementation of the policy at provincial and institutional level has not been as effective as it might have been and has hampered the development of praxis in learner participation. This has hindered learners from making meaningful contributions towards the attainment of the goals as set out in the constitution. Furthermore, present rumblings of curtailing the powers of the school governing bodies because of limited progress in attaining the above goals seem to be a retrogressive step. I strongly contend that given the support, training and encouragement as set out in Article 19(2) of SASA, learner participation in school governance can make a positive contribution towards attaining the goals of transformation in our country, particularly of advancing democratic practices in our society. / South Africa

The problem of this thesis is to evaluate the democracy of the practices and organization of certain school councils. As the problem is thus stated, it is necessarily two-fold in scope. The first approach is to devise some method of evaluating the practices and organization of school council work. The second approach is to apply these evaluative criteria to the practices and organization of the above mentioned school councils.

This problem will seek to determine a program for initiating, developing, and evaluating a sound school council for a small high school. It is the purpose of this study to propose a working situation that may be made immediately applicable to small Texas high schools.

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