Master's Theses

Department

Education

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

The hypotheses stated were 1) that an experience-based concept of academic freedom did exist in America, 2) that there is a relationship between authoritarianism expressed in terms of the California F Scale and attackers of teaching freedom, and 3) that a simple systems approach of a full disclosure nature would constitute a research design capable of being a useful tool in further research. A non-funded single-handed systems design was developed utilizing a simple edge notched card information storage and retrieval device. The system was applied to a sample of 181 cases taken from the last eighteen years. The sample was obtained from a national news media meeting the criteria of impartiality in that it derives all of its income from subscription monies and none from advertising revenue. Each case was classified into 12 Dimensions with subdivisions within each dimension so that as to each case there were 91 possible classification dots from which 12 were selected for each case, thus over 16,471 possible alternatives were considered in the ultimate selection of a 12 dimensional answer for the total of 181 cases. This amounted to 2,172 classification dot positionings in the full disclosure study. Each of the 181 cases is abstracted and all 2,172 classification decisions out of the 16,471 possibilities are disclosed within the body of the report; thus the research is of a full disclosure nature. The research design is explained in detail, including the revealing of errors and a critique of design weakness. Conclusions: A negative result is claimed for the academic freedom hypothesis. No concept of academic freedom existed in the experience of The Sample. A positive result is claimed for the relationship of educational attackers and authoritarianism. A positive result is claimed for the useful tool hypothesis, which it is claimed, is a combined encyclopedia, digest, citatory, useful as a case finder in educational controversy. A caution is made as to its use. Need for further research is indicated in an appendix wherein a free-flowing exposition of the intellectual foundations of some college administrators is engaged in and a discussion had of what the researcher styles The Medieval Fallacy, The Super Black Fallacy and The Bucher Syndrome.

Keywords

Academic freedom, Education, History, Case studies, Research, Authoritarianism

Advisor

Dr. Calvin E. Harbin

Date of Award

Spring 1969

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

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