This study was undertaken as an empirical investigation to determine whether the rate of truancy, grade point averages and attitudes toward school of habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students were affected after the student's participation in a mandatory Saturday School Program. Subjects were habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students chosen from two selected schools within the Whittier Union High School District in Whittier, California. Of the total sample of 130 students, a total of 55 students participated in a traditional (control) Saturday School Program and 75 students participated in an experimental Saturday School Program. Comparisons were drawn between the traditional and experimental groups and between the two grade levels and genders. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was the statistical technique used to assess the effect of the Saturday School Program on the variables identified. A researcher designed student opinionnaire was used to assess student attitude toward school. The main findings were: (1) habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students reduce their rate of truancy following participation in Saturday School. Ninth grade students showed a greater reduction in rate of truancy than did tenth grade students. (2) The grade point averages of habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students declined, as much as one-half a grade point in some cases, following participation in Saturday School. (3) The attitude toward school of habitually truant ninth and tenth grade students was not noticeably affected following participation in Saturday School. (4) For the three variables studied, participation in Saturday School was found to have a greater effect on habitually truant male students than on habitually truant female students. (5) For the three variables studied, there was no appreciable difference between the students who participated in the traditional Saturday School Program as compared with the students who participated in the experimental Saturday School Program.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pacific.edu/oai:scholarlycommons.pacific.edu:uop_etds-4293 |
| Date | 01 January 1988 |
| Creators | Bell, Robert Howard |
| Publisher | Scholarly Commons |
| Source Sets | University of the Pacific |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations |
Page generated in 0.0021 seconds