Thirteen manuscripts and extended reports on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications of research are presented in this status report on speech research for the period of July-December 1979. The topics dealt with include speech perception, children's memory for sentences and word strings in relation…

Participation of women is increasing in the industrial workforce and in the traditional male occupational groups. The differences between women and men in physical performances such as strength, stamina, and skill, make mandatory the assessment of work requirements in the occupational environment, especially in view of the workforce trends and…

A study was undertaken to determine the operational reading levels and skills of beginning office employees and to compare the readability of classroom and on-the-job materials. Clerks and secretaries who had been employed for two years or less were observed and interviewed to collect the data. Statistical analysis revealed that secretaries read…

This paper presents a summary description of the Tennessee Technological University Teacher Evaluation Model and of its application to teachers in early childhood education. The model was developed to assess the graduates of teacher education programs at Tennessee Technological University. The evaluation is based on information from four sources:…

The relationship between teacher personality traits and student evaluation of teacher performance was studied. Fifty-three teachers from four elementary schools were rated by their sixth grade classes. The evaluating instrument was administered six weeks into the school year and again at the end of the year. Ratings were also provided by…

Changing student views toward academic governance and institutional planning were measured using surveys administered to both seniors and freshmen in 1975, and from surveys administered to freshmen in 1971, at Michigan State University. A total of 1,050 seniors responded to a mail survey which was also administered to a 1975 new-freshman sample of…

The question of whether certain teaching behaviors as perceived by students are related to the students' achievement in different subject areas is investigated. A revised questionnaire, Our Class and Its Work (OCIW), assesses student perceptions of teacher behavior along the following nine scales: variability; enthusiasm; task-orientation;…

Several beliefs about the teacher expectancy effect are false or half-truths. Current interest in the teacher expectation effect began with the publication in 1968 of Rosenthal and Jacobson's book, "Pygmalion in the Classroom". That book stated that a teacher's expectations for a pupil's achievement function as a self-fulfilling prophecy.…

Burnout is a condition that exacts a heavy toll on organizational effectiveness. Conditions that contribute to burnout in human service organizations are lack of funds, lack of flexibility, lack of decision-making power of middle managers, task overload, little recognition for efforts, and nature of client population. Strategies to prevent burnout…

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BACKGROUND FACTORS AND JOB PERFORMANCE OF THE BEGINNING EXTENSION AGENT, AND THE AGENT'S ROLE AS PERCEIVED BY HIMSELF AND HIS DISTRICT LEADERS WERE STUDIED AS PART OF A LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH PROJECT. AGENTS AND DISTRICT LEADERS AGREED IN PART ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SELECTED EXTENSION FUNCTIONS AND THE LEVEL AT WHICH THESE…

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ACADEMIC AND NONACADEMIC VARIABLES RELATED TO THE PERSISTENCE, TRANSFER, AND ATTRITION OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS WAS STUDIED TO PROVIDE COUNSELORS AND COLLEGES OF ENGINEERING WITH INFORMATION NEEDED TO ASSIST COLLEGE-BOUND YOUTH IN MOVING TOWARD EVENTUAL CAREER SATISFACTION. INFORMATION ON ACADEMIC VARIABLES WAS GATHERED FROM…

A FIELD STUDY WAS MADE OF THE ACOUSTICAL ENVIRONMENT OF SCHOOLS DESIGNED FOR INCREASED FLEXIBILITY TO MEET THE SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS OF NEW TEACHING METHODS. THE OBJECT OF THE STUDY WAS TO DEFINE ALL THE CRITERIA FOR THE ACOUSTICAL DESIGN OF THIS TYPE OF CLASSROOM INCLUDING THE DETERMINATION OF--(1) MINIMUM ACOUSTICAL SEPARATION REQUIRED FOR…

THE EFFECT OF A LEADER'S ACTIONS ON HIS FOLLOWERS IN SMALL MILITARY UNITS WAS THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL RESEARCH STUDIES CONDUCTED TO EXPLORE THE NATURE OF THE LEADERSHIP PROCESS, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF DEVELOPING TRAINING THAT WOULD USE IMPROVED PRESENTATIONAL MATERIALS AND WOULD BE BASED ON LEADERSHIP DOCTRINE WITH DEMONSTRATED VALIDITY. THE…

AGE, SEX, AND IQ DIFFERENCES IN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONCEPTUAL PERFORMANCE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WERE STUDIED. PERFORMANCE MEASURES WERE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF DUNN'S OBJECT SORTING TASK (OST) WHICH PROVIDED SUCH INDICATORS AS SIZE OF THE COGNITIVE MATRIX, ACCESSIBILITY OF THE CONCEPTS IN THE MATRIX, AND DEGREE OF PRECISION IN…

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE TRANSFER OF TRAINING WERE STUDIED BY USE OF PROGRAMED SELF-INSTRUCTION USING TEACHING MACHINES. THIS MEDIUM WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT PROVIDES LABORATORY-LIKE CONDITIONS SUCH AS STABILIZED METHODS, AND STIMULUS CONTROL INCLUDING CONTROL OF TEACHER PERSONALITY, PLUS A STEP-BY-STEP RECORD OF THE…