Date of Award

1-1-1995

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Angela Maynard Sewall.

Abstract

A quasi-experimental study to determine

differences in student academic achievement when

teachers were trained in Process Communication was

conducted between October 1993 and April, 1994. The

study involved seventh grade students in three junior

high schools in the Little Rock School District. These

three schools were restructured school having two teams

of students and teachers at each grade level. The

students were divided, by computer placement, into two

groups (teams) before the 1993-1994 school year began.

 

In October, 1994 a total of fifteen teachers (one

team of seventh grade teachers at each of the three

schools) were trained in Process Communication. The

training consisted of a two day workshop with one

additional day of follow up training. All teachers in

the experimental group had access to additional Process

Communication conferencing and support as needed

throughout the school year. The other fifteen teachers

(one seventh grade team of five teachers at each of the

three schools) served as the control group and did not

receive the Process communication training but did

receive all other inservice training along with the experimental group of teachers.

 

A 3x2x2 factorial analysis of covariance was used

to determine differences among the variables of gender,

group (experimental and control), school and

achievement as measured by the Stanford Achievement

Test, Version 8. The students' 1992-93 Stanford 8

scores served as the covariate and their 1993-94 scores

were the dependent variable. Significant differences

were found due to the main effect of different schools,

gender, group and achievement. significant

interactions between group and gender were also found.

 

After determining that differences existed, a

Scheffe' post hoc test was run. Some differences found

by the ANGOVA were not recognized by the Scheffe' test,

but other differences were detected. Interactions were

found between gender and group, school and group and

school and gender.

 

Due to the small number of white subjects in some

of the subgroups, ethnicity was removed from the ANGOVA

as a main effect variable. Using a Mann-Whitney U test

for the ethnicity variable, significant differences

were revealed.

 

The results of this study seemed to justify the

following conclusions:

1. Process Communication training for teachers

may increase the academic achievement of students.

2. Female students appear to benefit

significantly when their teachers are trained in

Process Communication.

3. Male students do not appear to respond as

positively as females in regard to academic achievement

when their teachers are trained in Process

Communication.

4. Teacher application of the Process

Communication training may not be consistent, therefore

producing varied results in students' academic

achievement.

5. Although unable to directly relate to the

Process Communication treatment, this study supported

previous findings within the Little Rock School

District in that white students significantly

outperformed black students on the Stanford Achievement

Test, Version 8.

 

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