Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Summer 1988

Degree Name

Education Specialist (Ed.S)

Department

Advanced Education Programs

Advisor

Robert Markley

Abstract

The present study utilized school teachers to investigate the perceived acceptability of types of interventions while controlling for types of behavior problems across grade levels. Information obtained during the initial phase of the study allowed for the formulation of a case vignette describing a behavior problem that subjects had indicated occurred frequently in all grades and was viewed by most subjects as a serious problem. Three intervention orientations (behavioral, humanistic, and pragmatic) were applied to the characteristic behavior problem. Subjects then used the Intervention Rating Profile to rate each of the interventions for acceptability. Findings of the study indicate that teacher's ratings of the frequency of occurrence and perceived seriousness of behavior problems do vary significantly as a factor of grade level. Several behaviors on the checklist appear to be limited to primary grades, suggesting children outgrow these behaviors. Also of interest was the relatively low severity ratings for those behaviors whose frequency of occurrence c hanged significantly according to grade level. Part two of the study revealed significant differences in the acceptability ratings of the humanistic, pragmatic, and behavioral interventions. Multiple comparisons pin pointed that the humanistic intervention was rated as more acceptable than both the pragmatic and behavioral interventions. The difference between the mean acceptability ratings of the pragmatic and behavioral interventions was not significant. After placing the subjects into three groups according to the grade they taught, it was determined that a significant interaction effect between grade group and intervention acceptability was present. Teachers in grade 6 or above found the humanistic and pragmatic interventions more acceptable than the behavioral intervention. The same was true of a small group of teachers who indicated they taught grades K though the 12. In contrast, teachers in grade 5 and below rated the humanistic and behavioral interventions as more acceptable than the pragmatic intervention.

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Rights

© 1988 Elizabeth K. Wahrman

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