Master's Theses

Department

Social Work

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate the differences in attitudes, academic achievement, and self-esteem among graduating seniors, high school dropouts, and those who dropped out of high school and enrolled in an alternative school. The subjects were selected from a Midwestern high school of 1,089 students. The subjects consisted of 36 graduating seniors, 34 dropouts and 33 alternative school students. Of those 103 subjects, 52 we r e female and 51 were male; 49 were Hispanic and 54 were Anglo. The Demos D. Scale was used as the technique to assess the school related attitudes of the subjects. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Adult Form was used to measure the subject's self- esteem. Each subject's grade point average for the ninth grade was employed as a measure of academic achievement. A three group status survey design was employed. The independent variables investigated were gender, race, and graduation status. The dependent variables were academic achievement, school related attitudes, and self-esteem of the subjects. Data analysis consisted of testing six null hypotheses. Each null hypothesis was tested employing a three-way analysis of variance. Forty-three comparisons were made; of those comparisons, eight were found to be statistically significant. The results of this study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. graduating seniors have a higher G.P.A. than dropouts and alternative school students, 2. Angloes have a higher G.P.A. than Hispanics, 3. graduating seniors place a higher value on the importance of education than high school dropouts and alternative school students. 4. Females place a higher value on the importance of education than males, 5. Angloes have a more favorable attitude toward school personnel than Hispanics, 6. Graduating seniors place more importance on school behavior than dropouts and alternative school students, 7. Angloes have a higher self-esteem than Hispanics, 8. Anglo females have a higher self-esteem than Hispanic females.

Keywords

Counseling

Advisor

Dr. Bill C. Daley

Date of Award

Summer 1987

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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