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Ml 4 8 1 0 6 - 1 3 4 6 U S A 313 761-4700 800 521-0600 Order N u m ber 9018708 M ic ro c o m p u te r a p p lic a tio n tra in in g a n d a d u lt self-esteem d ev elo p m e n t in an e d u c a tio n /b u s in e ss p a rtn ersh ip s e ttin g in M ich igan Kwon, DaeBong, Ph.D . Michigan State University, 1989 C o p y rig h t © 1 9 8 9 b y K w o n , D a e B o n g . A ll r ig h ts re serv e d . UMI 300 N. ZeebRd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATION TRAINING AND ADULT SELF-ESTEEM DEVELOPMENT IN AN EDUCATION/BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP SETTING IN MICHIGAN By DaeBong Kwon A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Program in Higher, Adult & Lifelong Education Department of Educational Administration 1989 ABSTRACT MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATION TRAINING AND ADULT SELF-ESTEEM DEVELOPMENT IN AN EDUCATION/BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP SETTING IN MICHIGAN By DaeBong Kwon This was an exploratory study to examine whether self­ esteem development was a hidden curriculum effect of a 480hour job-oriented, training program self-paced for adults microcomputer in partnership setting in Michigan. an application education/business One hundred twenty adult learners from a total population of 145 program completers from three locations voluntarily participated in the study. In particular, dependent self-esteem variable, participants1 attainment with perceived (content), development four was viewed independent microcomputer as variables: application instructional the process, skill career development services, and the classroom setting. The one-group pretest-posttest design was employed to measure self-esteem (Long, 1987; development. reliability measure self-esteem. The coefficient = Personal .95) was Inventory used to Each hypothesis was tested at a significance level of p<.05 by using paired t-test, ANCOVA via Kwon MANOVA, and multiple regression. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for analysis. A statistically significant difference was found between the self-esteem concluded pretest that the and posttest program scores, positively participants' self-esteem development. and it affected was adult Participants1 self­ esteem development significantly varied in relation to their job status, but no significant variation was found with regard to their gender, race, age, educational background, program location, shift, class microcomputer experience, marital status, purpose for attending, or adult education experience. Each of four independent variables was found to have a significant positive relationship with the dependent variable. The instructional process variable was found to have the most significant relationship with adult participants' self-esteem development. Socio-economic benefits and strengths and weaknesses of the program were identified. On the basis of the findings and conclusions of this study, a model of the positive hidden curriculum effect on adult vocational developed. microcomputer application training was This model illustrates the relationship between the four contextual elements of the training program and self­ esteem development as a hidden curriculum effect. Copyright by DaeBong Kwon 1989 Dedicated to My father, the late O-Jin Kwon (1922-1971) My mother, M. Sook Ryou-Kwon My father-in-law, Young-11 Kwak My mother-in-law, B. Soon Lee-Kwak v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The opportunity to pursue this research enriching academic challenge for me. have begun and accomplished the has However, project encouragement and help of many people. been an I could not without the My sincere thanks and deep appreciation: To Dr. Richard dissertation director, Gardner, a mentor, advisor, and whose encouragement always bolstered my spirits and whose criticism was always constructive in a manner that exemplified the principles of true adult education. To Drs. Cas Heilman, Howard Hickey, and James Snoddy, who provided excellent input and support as members of my doctoral guidance committee. To the adult learners who volunteered to participate in this research and their instructors, the community education directors president, of the participating director, school districts, and the and staff of the Adult Career Training Corporation, and the Metropolitan Education Commission. To Drs. John Schwille, Cas Heilman, Gloria Kielbaso, and Brian Rowan, financial who provided assistance me through vi with academic graduate training and administrative and research assistantships, and to my colleagues and staff of the Office of International Studies in Education, and the Michigan Vocational Education Resource Center, who helped my professional development while I was working with them. To study: the providers Korea Scholarship of scholarships University (1986) ; Alumni Michigan during Association Association of my graduate in Michigan Adult and Continuing Education Scholarship (1986-87); Russell J. Kleis Memorial Scholarship (1988-89) ; and (1987-88); Phi Delta Kappa Scholarship the Sage Foundation, which awarded a dissertation publication grant. To Drs. Joe Levine, Nancy Lange, and Haeik Hwang, who helped me settle in Michigan at the beginning of my graduate study. To Sangjin Kang, USAID statistics consultant, Kwon, NCRTE statistics consultant, for their and S.K. invaluable discussions with me on the data analysis. To my friend, S. Joon Kim for his interest, and continued support during my doctoral study. To my younger brother, DaeHeum, and younger sister, GukHee, who assumed my responsibilities at home. Last but most daughters, Min-A important, and to my wife, Min-Young. heartfelt appreciation to them. Words Samgeun and two cannot express We made it together while we enjoyed our family life in the United States of America. vii my TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF T A B L E S ........................................ xi LIST OF F I G U R E S ........................................ xiii Chapter I. THE S T U D Y ........................................ 1 Introduction . . . . . .......................... 1 Statement of the Problem ....................... 3 Statement of Purpose ............................ 4 Rationale for the S t u d y ......................... 6 Research Hypotheses .............................. 8 Nature of the Partnership ....................... 9 How Was the Partnership B u i l t ? ............. 9 The Partnership _ .............................. 11 Context of the S t u d y .............................. 12 General i z a b i l i t y .......... 13 Assumptions ...................................14 Limitations . . . . . 15 Definitions of Terms ............................ 15 Summary and O v e r v i e w .............................. 17 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . ..................19 Education/Business Partnership Training ........ Research on Self-esteem ......................... Microcomputer Application and Adult Education . . The Hidden Curriculum Effect of Microcomputer Education ................... Conceptual Framework ............................ S u m m a r y ............................................. 19 23 30 35 38 39 III. M E T H O D O L O G Y ......................................... 40 Introduction .................................... 40 Design of the S t u d y ................................ 40 Population and Sample ............................ 41 Description of the T r e a t m e n t ......................42 The Dependent Variable ......................... 43 viii Page The Independent Variables ....................... 43 Instructional Process....................... 4 3 45 Skill Attainment (ProgramContent) .......... Career Development Services................. 45 Classroom Setting ......................... 46 Research Hypotheses . ......................... 47 Research Hypothesis 1 47 Research Hypothesis 2 47 Research Hypothesis 3 49 Data Collection Procedures ..................... 49 Data Collection Instruments ..................... 51 Collection of Quantitative Data ........... 51 Collection of Qualitative D a t a ................ 52 . 53 Content V a l i d i t y ............. . ............. Self-Esteem T e s t .......... 53 The Post-Questionnaire ............... 53 Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Self-Esteem T e s t ............ 54 The Post-Questionnaire..................... 54 Data Analysis M e t h o d s ......................... . 55 Research Hypothesis 1 55 Research Hypothesis 2 55 Research Hypothesis 3 57 Summary . . . . . . . . . . ..................... 57 IV. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA . . . . . . . . 58 Introduction ............. . . . . . 58 Characteristics of the S a m p l e ...................... 59 Analysis of Quantitative Data Regarding Research Hypotheses ............... 70 Research Hypothesis 1 71 Research Hypothesis 2 72 Research Hypothesis 3 86 Qualitative Data Regarding Research Hypotheses ........................... 98 Qualitative Data Regarding Research Hypothesis 1 98 Qualitative Data Regarding Research Hypothesis 3 99 S u m m a r y .......... 103 V. SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND REFLECTIONS ................. 105 S u m m a r y ............................................ 105 Purpose of the Study ................. 105 M e t h o d o l o g y ................................. 106 F i n d i n g s .......................................... 107 C o n c l u s i o n s ........................................ 109 ix Page Toward a Model of the Positive Hidden Curriculum Effect on Adult Vocational Microcomputer Training ....................... Ill Recommendations .................................. 114 • R e f l e c t i o n s ........ .................... 116 Socio-Economic Benefits of theProgram . . . 117 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Program . .123 A P P E N D I C E S ......... ........ ........................... 128 Appendix A - Research Permit Letter from the Michigan State University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS) ............. Appendix B - Permit Letter from the Copywriter of the Personal Inventory (Self-esteem Test). . Appendix C - Consent F o r m .................. .. . Appendix D - Personal Inventory ................. Appendix E - Key for Scoring and Answer Interpretation .......................... Appendix F - Pre-Questionnaire ................. Appendix G - Post-Questionnaire ................. Appendix H - Content Validation Test of the Post-Questionnaire ............................ Appendix I - List of Experts Who Participated in the Content Validation of the Post-Questionnaire ....................... Appendix J - The Four Factors of the Post-Questionnaire ....................... Appendix K - List of Interview Questions . . . . Appendix L - Description of Instructors' Teaching Styles ................................ Appendix M - Reliability of Pre- and PostSelf-Esteem T e s t s ............................... Appendix N - Reliability of the Post-Questionnaire ....................... 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 140 141 142 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................... 143 X LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Distribution of Sample by Gender and Location. 2. Distribution of Sample by Race and Location. ... 59 3. Distribution of Sample by Age and Location . . . . 60 4. Distribution of Sample by Educational Background and Location . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... 61 Distribution of Sample by Class Shift and Location . . . . . ......................... 61 Distribution of Sample by Microcomputer Experience .............. and Location . . . . . . . . . . 62 5. 6. . . 59 7. Distribution of Sample by Job Status and L o c a t i o n ....................................... 62 8. Distribution of Sample by Marital Status and Location .............................. 63 9. Distribution of Sample by Purpose for Attending and Location .............. 63 10. Distribution of Sample by Adult Education Experience and L o c a t i o n ............ 64 11. Distribution of Sample by How Participants Learned about the Program and L o c a t i o n ....................64 12. Distribution of Sample by Participants• Change in Education and L o c a t i o n ........................ 65 13. Distribution of Sample by Program List Planned to Attend and Location ...................... 65 14. Distribution of Sample by Program Place Planned to Attend and L o c a t i o n ............................ 66 15. Distribution of Sample by Reason of Changing the Program and L o c a t i o n .......................... 66 16. Distribution of Sample by School District and L o c a t i o n ....................................... 67 17. Mean and Standard Deviation of Self-Esteem Pre- and 68 Posttests & Post-Questionnaire ................. xi Page 18. Pearson Correlation Coefficients .................. 70 19. Paired t-test between Self-Esteem Pretest Score and Self-Esteem Posttest Score ..................... 72 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Gender and MANOVA Results ........... 74 20. 21. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Race and MANOVA R e s u l t s ............... 75 22. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Age and MANOVA Results ............... 76 23. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Educational Background and MANOVA Results . . . . . . . . . . ......... 77 24. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Program Location and MANOVA Results ........................ 78 25. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Class Shift and MANOVA Results . . . . 79 26. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Microcomputer Experience and MANOVA R e s u l t s ................................ 80 27. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Scores by Job Status and MANOVA Results 28. Posttest . . . . 81 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Marital Status and MANOVA Results . . 82 29. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Purpose for Attending and MANOVA R e s u l t s ................................ 83 30. Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Adult Education Experience and MANOVA R e s u l t s ................................ 84 31. Summary of MANOVA Results: 32. Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-Esteem Development: The Enter Method . . . 89 xii Hypothesis 2 ........ 86 Page 33. Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-Esteem Development: Entering Skill Attainment Variable with the Two C o v a r i a t e s .......................... 95 34. Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-Esteem Development: Entering Career Development Services Variable with the Two C o v a r i a t e s .......................... 96 35. Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-Esteem Development: Entering Classroom Setting Variable with the Two C o v a r i a t e s .......................... 97 xiii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ....................... 2. Plot of Pretest with Posttest: xiv Self-Esteem . . . . 25 69 CHAPTER I THE STUDY Introduction In recent years there has been an increasing interest in various forms of business/education partnerships for Economic Development Trachtman, Education 1988) . and 1988 ? [CED], National [NCEE], 1983; industry, have been Powers, approximately projects were underway secondary schools of these 60,000 in (Rothman, partnerships on 1985; involved in Betz, 1986). provided & in & Aslanian, business, partnerships with In American schools in business-sponsored 90,000 Levin Excellence including government, education for job-skill development. 1986, 1983, Commission Powers, Many organizations, 1982, (Committee public However, training partnership elementary and relatively few and retraining opportunities for adults. Naisbitt (1982) advocated business/education partnerships for job-skill development to meet new challenges in a hightech/high-touch society. skills the through Helping implementation adults of gain employable business/education partnership vocational-training programs has been the goal of some job oriented adult education programs. 1 Along with the acquisition of job skills, development has been important careers factor identified by many researchers in securing employment in business, self-esteem education, and industry, as an in developing and government. Individuals with high self-esteem differ from those with low self-esteem in the ways they think, feel, and behave, as well as in their competence at the work place Brockner & Elkind 1985; Bedeian, & Armenakis, vocational has been education viewed employable as (Atlanta Rea, 1981; Weiss, and training, integral University Southeast [AUWIS], 198 3; 1987; Brockner & Hess, 1986; Mossholder, 1982; an (Brockner, 19 88; 1977, 1978). In adult self-esteem development part Women's of getting Institute LaFromboise & Boesch, 1987; Reiff,1982; Tapp, 1988; Wendell, people for the Price, 1983). Previous researchers found that self-esteem development was crucial in enabling adults to advance in their careers. Research on self-esteem showed that positive self-esteem was instrumental Healy, & in developing mature career attitudes O'Shea, relationship 1984) between and that self-esteem there and was (Crook, a positive achievement (Battle, 1982; Gillman, 1969; Hansford & Hattie, 1982; Lipton, 1963). Although extensive research has been conducted on self­ esteem as a dependent variable, few studies have examined the relationship between job skill and self-esteem (Argyris, 1960; Hite, 1975; Kornhauser, 1965). In all such previous studies, the subjects were employed workers. Self-esteem was treated 3 predominantly from a sociological or a psychological perspective, with situational independent variables (Brockner, 1988; Tharenou, 1979). In two studies, self-esteem was examined as a by-product, from an educational perspective, variables. Ruzica (1986) with contextual independent found that an 11-week outdoor residential camp experience positively affected handicapped college found students' self-esteem that emphasis relatively low, on development. instructional but positive, Prouty leadership (1987) had a effect on 8th and 12th grade students1 self-esteem development. Statement of the Problem In modern society, both job-skill achievement and self­ esteem development have been considered essential ingredients of success in organizations. the work place for individuals and No research has been done on the possible development of self-esteem of adults who participated in a job-oriented microcomputer application skill training program. Further, little research has been conducted on participant outcomes of business/education partnerships in job-skill training programs. Therefore, indirect it was relationship important to determine whether an existed between a business/education partnership job-skill training program and adult participants1 self-esteem development. The findings might help educators 4 meet the lifelong learning needs of adults in a high-tech society. Statement of Purpose The researcher's purpose in this study was to investigate the relationship vocational training self-esteem program. for between a program development as joint education/business in Michigan a potential adult and participants1 by-product of the Participants were those adults considered eligible state-funded adult education programs in Michigan. Included were: (a) non-high-school graduates over 18 years of age, (b) high school graduates under 20 years of age, and (c) General Education Development (GED) certificate holders. More specifically, the researcher had three purposes in conducting this study: (a) to investigate whether a job-skilloriented, program self-paced for adults microcomputer affected application participants' training self-esteem development; (b) to discover what, if any, differences existed in self-esteem development with regard to participants1 gender, race, age, education, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience, job status, marital status, purpose for attending, or adult education experience; and (c) to learn what, if any, microcomputer relationship skill instructional process, existed attainment between (the the perceived content), the career development services, the and the classroom setting of the training program and participants' self-esteem development. This study had three important differences in context, theory, and methodology from most previous studies on self­ esteem. With regard to context, in most previous studies self­ esteem has been treated from a sociological, psychological or socio-psychological 1979). perspective (Brockner, 1988; Tharenou, Two researchers examined self-esteem as a by-product from an educational perspective (Prouty, 1987; Ruzicka, 1986). In previous research, from a vocational self-esteem had not been investigated training however, self-esteem was perspective. examined as In this a by-product study, from a training perspective. With regard to theory, this researcher investigated self­ esteem as a hidden curriculum effect of adult vocational training, with four major contextual independent variables: participants1 perceptions of (a) the instructional process (the process), (b) microcomputer application skill attainment (the content), service); and (c) (d) the the career development business setting services (the classroom (the classroom setting). In terms of methodology, both a quantitative and a qualitative approach were employed to examine the problem. Using the qualitative approach, Questions 1 and 3 were further investigated. The questions were: 6 1. Did a job-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program for adults significantly affect the participants' self-esteem development? 2. What, if any, significant differences existed in participants' self-esteem development on the basis of (a) gender, (b) race, (c) age, (d) educational background, (e) program location, (f) class shift, (g) microcomputer experience, (h) job status, (i) marital status, (j ) purpose for attending, and (k) adult education experience? 3. What, if any, significant relationship existed between participant's self-esteem development and their perception of one or more of four components: (a) the instructional process, (b) skill attainment (the content), (c) the career development services, and (4) the classroom setting? Rationale for the Study In the field of human resource development, a means for developing positive self-esteem has been sought by business, industry, Rinke, and government for both employed (Pierson 1989; 1988) and unemployed adults (Wendell, 1983), to help them maximize their potential. Previous researchers have shown that positive self-esteem is one of the most important elements in securing and maintaining employment and in developing a career (Brockner, 1988). has In adult vocational education, developing self-esteem been viewed as the adults find employment most important (AUWIS, 1983). element in helping No empirical studies have been done to determine whether job specific vocational training positively affects adult participants' self-esteem development. Determining whether there was a relationship between a learner's perceived skill attainment and her or his self-esteem development could lead to a new theory regarding the hidden curriculum effect of adult job-skill training. Second, some adult educators "consider technology to be in opposition to human values .... do not view technology, such as the microcomputer, as facilitating the development of human qualities and characteristics but rather as retarding their development" (Meierhenry, 1982, p.11). stems from the Such criticism fact that a microcomputer does not provide interpersonal interaction in the learning process. examination process of the relationship of microcomputer between training and the Thus, an instructional participants' self­ esteem development could prove valuable in adult learning theory. Third, the relationship between career development services and a business setting classroom designed for adults, and participants' self-esteem development, is an important factor to consider in examining the effectiveness of a program in helping adults in their career development. For example, a recent two-year research report from the William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship (1988a, 1988b) claimed that schools and communities should establish attractive programs to meet the special needs of adults. Finally, a benefit of this study for society in general was that it should provide policy makers, educators, students and theorists in adult and continuing education and training, as well as employers and employees, with knowledge about the possible indirect microcomputer link between application a job-oriented, training program self-paced and participants1 self-esteem development. Therefore important the hidden to investigate potential adult it was curriculum effect of training programs for possible extension to other locations across the nation and the world, in order to help societies function well and to enhance the quality of life, which has been a primary aim of adult and continuing education. Research Hypotheses The following three major hypotheses were formulated to assess adult participants' self-esteem development as a by­ product of the microcomputer application training program: HYPOTHESIS 1. There is significant positive self­ esteem development for adult participants who complete a job-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting. HYPOTHESIS 2. There is a significant difference in adult participants9 self-esteem development on the basis of gender, race, age, educational background, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience, job status, marital status, purpose for attending, and adult education experience. HYPOTHESIS 3. There is a significant relationship between adult participants9 self-esteem development and their perceptions of one or more of four components, namely, the instructional process, skill attainment (the content), the career development services, and the classroom setting. Hypothesis completers who 1 was developed to examine whether program participated in a tuition-free job-skill training program had a significant increase in self-esteem. More specifically, the program under examination was a selfpaced microcomputer application training program implemented through an education/business partnership. Hypothesis 2 was developed to investigate whether there was a significant difference in participants' self-esteem development on the basis of their (a) gender, age, (d) educational background, (b) race, (c) (e) program location, (f) class shift, (g) microcomputer experience, (h) job status, (i) marital status, (j ) purpose for attending, and (k) adult education experience. Hypothesis between the 3 was developed contextual examine independent instructional process, (b) microcomputer application skill (c) to relationships variables, (a) participants’ attainment the career development services, and perceived (the (d) the content), the business setting classroom and their self-esteem development (a by­ product of the program) as the dependent variable. Nature of the Partnership How Was the Partnership Built? The Metropolitan established partnerships in 1987 between Education with the Commission primary educational purpose agencies (MEC) of and was building business, 10 industry, labor, and government; the outcome was identified as the establishment of education/training programs for adults to meet individual and organizational needs. The MEC was formed by 12 school organizations in the metropolitan Detroit area. Those organizations Schools, Garden College, Inkster School District, School City included District, Community State Redford Schools, School District, Public Schools, Dearborn Henry Ford Public Community Plymouth-Canton Community Union South the School Redford District, School Romulus District, Taylor the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Wayne University, and Wayne-Westland Community School District. In 1988, MEC representatives approached the Adult Career Training Corporation headquartered microcomputer in (ACT) (Formerly Com-Tech Enterprises, Southfield, application skill Michigan) training to program Romulus school districts adult education program. previously been organizations adults who operations. contacted that were had by business experienced trained in bring keyboarding the The MEC had and difficulty into a industrial in and securing computer Within three weeks, in addition to the Romulus school district, the Ferndale, Taylor, Garden City, Willow Run, and Dearborn school districts had built partnerships with ACT, through the support and coordination of the Metropolitan Education Commission. 11 The Partnership A special licensing agreement was negotiated between ACT and each school district. effect for three This agreement was to remain in years, at which time all equipment and software would become the property of the school district. Remodeling existing classrooms to accommodate the program was the responsibility of ACT. In some cases, where appropriate classroom space was not available, ACT leased space. In other districts, adult available classrooms were provided by the local education programs. Equipment maintenance was the responsibility of ACT. Instructors district. were technically employed by the school They were paid by the school district for their actual teaching hours in the classroom and by ACT for the rest of their working hours. ACT provided an initial five weeks of pre-service teacher training, as well as continuing in- service training. Student recruitment and placement were undertaken by ACT in cooperation with the development students fit services into local were the school district, and career provided mainly state full-time by ACT. equated Adult membership formula. Disbursements were made to each school district, based full-time Each on school equivalency, district retained slot 30% reimbursed ACT with the remaining 70%. funding of those regulations. funds and 12 Context of the Study As of March 1989, seven microcomputer application training programs were being provided to Michigan. These programs were built on the business/education partnership and were supported by State of Michigan aid. Adult education programs at Ferndale, Dearborn, Taylor, Romulus, Garden City, Grand Ledge, and Willow Run operated 24-week (480 hours) joboriented microcomputer application cooperation with business. programs for adults in For research purposes, three sites were selected for examination in this study: Ferndale, Taylor, and Grand Ledge. Eligible participants in these programs were non-highschool graduates over 18 years of age, high school graduates under 20 years of age, and GED holders. One hundred twenty volunteers from a total population of 145 adult learners who graduated from the program in 1989 participated in the study. The one-group pretest-posttest design was employed in a natural setting development. The to measure self-esteem the change test in (labeled self-esteem the Personal Inventory), standardized and adapted for use by Long (1987) was used. A pre-questionnaire demographic information. was administered A to post-questionnaire gather was administered to determine which if any independent variables were related to participants' self-esteem development (a by­ product of the program) as the dependent variable. 13 Quantitative data were hypotheses statistically, investigate the characteristics Qualitative data four were Hypotheses 1 and 3. to test the research and qualitative data were used to nature of used of the partnership contextual also used independent to further and the variables. investigate Socio-economic benefits of the program, as well as its strengths and weaknesses, were investigated by using qualitative data. Each hypothesis was tested at the .05 significance level by using the paired t-test (for correlated means), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via multivariate analysis of variance and covariance (MANOVA), and multiple regression. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSSX Version 3) and the Michigan State University mainframe computer facilities were used for data analysis. Generalizabilitv The training focus of programs education/business study was especially on microcomputer designed partnership setting respect to generalizability, for application adults in in Michigan. an With the results are applicable to adult microcomputer application training programs similar to one examined in this study. Such programs have the following characteristics: 14 1. Provide 480 hours, microcomputer application skill training. 2. Provide a self-paced instructional design. 3. Provide instructors who have a teaching certificate. 4. Place instructors in the role of facilitator. 5. Provide a five-week initial training program for teachers and monthly continuing in-service training. 6 . Provide career development services. 7. Provide one Zenith 286 microcomputer or equivalent for each adult participant. 8 . Allow easy access to hardware, software, texts/ manuals, and printing materials in the classroom. 9. Provide tuition-free training. 10. Provide a business-like classroom setting. Assumptions This study was based on the following assumptions. 1. The participants1 responses to the self-esteem test, the questionnaires, and the interview were honest and sincere. 2 . The self-esteem test was an effective means for tool for measuring changes in participants1 self-esteem. 3. The post-questionnaire was an effective investigating participants1 perceptions of the instructional process, their development program. skill services, attainment and the (the content), the classroom setting career of the 15 Limitations This study had the following major limitations. 1. It was impossible to control every activity and event that could affect participants' self-esteem development, especially those activities and events that occurred outside the classroom. 2. The applicability of the findings to other kinds of adult vocational-technical education and training could not be assured. Definitions of Terms Adult participants: Non-high-school graduates over 18 years of age, high school graduates under 2 0 years of age, and GED holders. Andraqogical instructional process; The teaching- learning process that emphasizes the instructor's role as a facilitator of self-paced learning. By-product: The adult participants' self-esteem development as a result of participating in the microcomputer application training program. Career employability development skill services: development, Career placement, development, and job and educational counseling services. Classroom setting; The physical setting, availability of hardware, software, printing materials in the classroom. including the texts/manuals, and 16 Class shift: Morning class, afternoon class, or evening class. . Education/business partnership: A partnership between selected Michigan public school districts and the Adult Career Training Corporation(ACT) of Southfield, Michigan. Hidden curriculum effect: An outcome of an educational program that was not originally stated as an outcome of the program curriculum. In this study, "hidden curriculum effect" was synonymous with "by-product" (in this case, self-esteem development). Microcomputer application skill attainment: Participants' perceptions of their skill attainment in using keyboarding, disk operating system, word computerized accounting. skill attainment" was processing, spreadsheet, and Hereafter "perceived microcomputer referred to as "microcomputer skill attainment". Microcomputer application training program: Microcomputer training designed to provide adult learners with instruction in keyboarding, disk operating system, word processing, spreadsheet, and computerized accounting. Placement: Included were the participant1s getting a job, entering the military, pursuing additional education, or waiving out of the job market because health or family status precluded his or her accepting a job. Self-esteem disapproval and : "Expressing an attitude of approval or indicating the extent to which a person 17 believes him or herself capable, significant, successful and worthy" (Long, 1987, p. 6). In this study, self-esteem was considered not as situation-specific self-esteem but as global self-esteem because an individual's self-esteem may differ across situations and time. Self-esteem was measured by the Personal Inventory, the self-esteem test standardized by Long (1987). Summary and Overview Chapter I was an introduction to the study. chapter the researcher education/business outlined partnership and the the In this nature of an purposes of and rationale for this study, why job skill attainment and self­ esteem development were considered critical to educationally disadvantaged adults, and the importance of investigating the potential link between job skill training and self-esteem development in the field of human resource development. context of questions, the study was specified, and the The research generalizability, assumptions, limitations, and definition of terms were stated. Chapter II contains a review of related literature and the conceptual framework of the study. The research methodology is described in Chapter III. Results of the data and analyses are presented in Chapter IV. Chapter V includes a summary of the research, recommendations, and reflections. findings, conclusions, A model of the positive 18 hidden curriculum effect on adult vocational microcomputer application training, based conclusions, is also discussed. on the study findings and Socio-economic benefits and participants' views of strengths and weaknesses of the program are provided in the section on reflections. CHAPTER II REVIEW OP RELATED LITERATURE Literature from four major areas pertinent to this study was reviewed: (a) Education/Business Partnership Training, (b) Research on Self-esteem, and Adult Education, and Microcomputer literature, (d) The Hidden Curriculum Effect of Education. the (c) Microcomputer Application Based conceptual on the framework review of the of related study was developed. Education/Business Partnership Training An education/business partnership training program one form a partnership may take. been interest business and growth partnerships, in from is In recent years, there has various forms of education/ various perspectives: The perspectives of economic development (CED, 1982, 1983, 1985) and educational reform (NCEE, 1983), the perspective of corporate involvement in public education (Levin & Trachtman, 1988) , and the perspective of higher education in partnership with industry (Powers et al., 1988). 19 20 Naisbitt (1982) advocated education/business partnerships because both education and business are facing the transition from an industrial society to an information society, from a forced technology society to a high-tech/high-touch society. To overcome this new challenge, collaboration between business and education has become necessary. Coupled with growth in some organizations, education/business partnerships, including the federal and state governments, schools, foundations, businesses, and industry, are taking an interest in helping adults get employable skills through the implementation of adult partnership vocational training programs. education/business Such partnerships may become an important part of job-oriented adult education programs. Business-education partnerships are "formal, voluntary relationships between schools and the private sector for the purpose of educational improvement" (The Hemlock Business and Education Partnership [HBEP], 1989, p. 2) . Business and Education Partnership has been Michigan exemplary Department program of by Education, the and National The Hemlock funded by the recognized Association of Business Officials of the United States and Canada. as an School Some of the major partnership activities in Michigan are cooperative planning, classroom curriculum development, resource education, and people, enrichment, career awareness, co-op/work study programs. field trips, customized In Ohio, advisory 21 committees, cooperative training, education school-business planning/coordinating education/business programs, partnerships, councils partnerships customized and joint are major forms of (Ohio State Council on Vocational Education [OSCVE], 1987). The form of partnership is different at the local level. In American business-sponsored schools in 1986, partnership elementary and approximately projects secondary were 60,000 underway schools in 90,000 public (Rothman, 1986). Nationally partnerships between business and education are helping to reduce adult illiteracy, train workers in new skills when technology has eliminated the need for previous skills, and improve opportunities for the social and economic advancement of young, minority people (Arman & Shafer, 1986). In education/business collaboration, case studies have revealed that both sides have a strong motivation: Businesses refer to their own self-interest and their role as corporate citizens; educators point to their need for a strong constituency, their need to provide relevant education for young children, and their appreciation for the expertise that is available in the business community. (Levine & Trachtman, 1988, p. xxiii) Through individual, these partnerships, organization, and all levels society— can of partners— benefit by promoting better education and by training and retraining the workforce. community benefit. Mutual and the understanding school community between is also the a business desirable 22 A recent research report on access and barriers to adult education and training, done by the National Institute for Work and Learning and submitted to the U.S. Congress, stated, "Partnership or collaboration among business, education, organized labor, and/or community agencies is one of fourteen critical elements overcoming that barriers to lead to program participation [in effectiveness adult education]M (Charner & Fraser, 1986, p. 108). elements are also business-education in vocational The remaining closely related to the establishment of partnerships. These elements, which Charner and Fraser considered necessary for the effectiveness of adult education and training, can be categorized into three major contextual variables: - The instructional process variable: . Active participation by learners. . Combination of modes of instruction— classroom, hands-on, lecture, and discussion. . Instructors sensitive to adult needs, styles, and values. . Availability of remedial programs. . Flexible curricula and scheduling. - The content variable: . Relevant and pragmatic courses. . Training for new, emerging, or high-demand jobs or careers. . Programs geared to needs and wants of the population being served. - The career development services variable: . Availability of support services. . Increasing options and opportunities available to adults preparing for career transitions. 23 Other critical elements, such as "work place or community environment" components and "low or no cost to participants," of education/business partnership are settings that are also examined in the present study. It is worthwhile to examine the three major contextual variables as education and contextual setting they relate training. to the The researcher independent variables, independent effectiveness variable, focused of adult on these as well as the classroom in an education/business partnership setting. Research on Self-esteem Voluminous research has been conducted on self-esteem in the field of social science. the cognito philosophy (meaning in the self) Rene Descartes first discussed as seventeenth a thinking century. A substance in variety of definitions of self-esteem have been offered during the last 100 years since William James defined the term in 1890. of these definitions are as follows: It is determined by the ratio of our actualities to our supposed potentialities; a fraction of which our pretensions are the denominator and the numerators our success: thus, self-esteem = success/pretensions. (James, 1890, p. 310) It is what the subject says about herself in an intensive interview, after a good rapport has been established. High-dominance feeling empirically involves good self-confidence, self-assurance, high evaluation of the self, feelings of general capability or superiority, and lack of shyness, timidity, self-consciousness, or embarrassment. Low-dominance feeling is seen as lack of self­ Some 24 confidence, self-assurance, and self-esteem; instead there are extensive feelings of general and specific inferiority, shyness, timidity, fearfulness, selfconsciousness. (Maslow, 1939, p. 3) It is the degree of correspondence between an individual's ideal and actual concepts of himself. (Cohen, 1959, p. 103) It is the extent to which the person believes himself to be capable, significant, successful and worthy .... [and] the evaluation a person makes and customarily maintains with regard to him or herself. (Coopersmith, 1967, p. 5) It is defined as expressing an attitude of approval or disapproval and indicating the extent to which a person believes him or herself capable, significant, successful and worthy. (Long, 1987, p. 6) The essence of self-esteem is the favorability of individuals * characteristic self-evaluations. (Brockner, 1988, p.11) Although they used different words to define self-esteem, the authors quoted above agreed that self-esteem refers to an individual's self-evaluation-— the degree of liking and disliking and the degree of competence an individual perceives her/himself as having. In this study, self-esteem is referred to not as situation-specific self-esteem but as global self­ esteem because an individual1s self-esteem may differ across situations and time. In this study, Long’s definition of self-esteem was used because her standardized test instrument was used to measure adult learners 1 self-esteem in pretest and posttest. In his hierarchy-of-needs theory, Maslow (1954) placed self-esteem needs on the fourth level, out of the five human 25 needs as shown in Figure 1. He treated physiological needs as the foundation of human needs and self-actualization needs as the apex. In the middle of the hierarchy, there are safety needs, belongingness and love needs, and self-esteem needs. Self-esteem needs reflect a person's desire for mastery and competence, that the reputation and prestige. hierarchy of needs However, Maslow noted could vary under certain circumstances. (5: Highest ..... 1: Most Basic) 5. Self-actualization Needs 4. 3. Self-esteem Needs Belongingness & Love Needs 2. Safety Needs 1. Physiological Needs Figure 1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Heeds 26 Self-esteem has been regarded as an important factor, not only for employees in securing employment and developing careers but also for employers in achieving better performance and productivity from their workers. Self-esteem has been found to be the most important factor in performance, only for blue-collar workers (Schwalbe, 1988) not but also for white-collar workers such as insurance agents (Neuhart, 1988) and corporation managers (Rinke, 1988). been Self-esteem has also found to be a significant determinant of the sources students use to identify employment opportunities (Ellis & Taylor, 1983) . A strong need to develop positive self-esteem has been identified for employed and unemployed people (Rinke, 1988; Wendell,1983) 1983) , to and school dropouts (Sampson, maximize their potential and to secure employment. Individuals with high self-esteem differ from those with low self-esteem in the ways 1988). that they think, feel, and behave (Brockner, People with high self-esteem are more competent than those with low self-esteem at the work place (Brockner, 1988? Brockner & Elkind 1985; Brockner & Hess, 1986; Mossholder et al. , 1982; Weiss, 1977, 1978) . According to Coopersmith (1967), self-esteem is generated by four sources: power, significance, virtue, and competence. Competence is the achievement of successful performance. Virtue is related to one's standards of morality and ethics. Significance is concerned with the degree of acceptance, 27 attention, and affection that others provide. Power refers to a person's influence and control over other people. Each of these sources can be influenced by an individual's feelings in specific circumstances. This gives a clue that self-esteem can be changed through educational efforts. Research on self-esteem has indicated a positive relationship between self-esteem and an individual1s success (Coopersmith, 1967; Lawler, 1971) or performance (Hollenbeck & Whitener, 1988). Other studies have shown that positive self-esteem is crucial to career advancement, leading to both academic accomplishment and work accomplishment (Crook et a l ., 1984) , and that relationship there between is a relatively self-esteem and valid positive achievement (Battle, 1982; Gillman, 1969; Hansford & Hattie, 198 2; Lipton, 1963). Research indicated on that self-esteem individuals as from a dependent higher variable social class has have higher self-esteem than those from lower social class (Kohn, 1969; Rosenberg & Pearlin, 1978; Rosenberg,1979). Hence, one can infer that developing self-esteem for adults who are in a relatively advance in low social class is crucial if they are to their career development. Although extensive research has been conducted on self­ esteem as a dependent variable, only a few studies have found a positive relationship between job skills and self-esteem (Argyris, studies, 1960; Hite, 1975; Kornhauser, 1965 ). In such subjects were employed workers: 124 manufacturing 28 employees (Argyris, (Kornhauser, 1960)? 407 male automobile workers 1965); and a subsample of a probability sample of U.S. workers (Hite, 1975). Most previous studies have treated self-esteem from a sociological independent or psychological perspective with variables, according to extensive review on self-esteem done by Tharenou (1988). Few product, studies examined have (1979) literature and Brockner self-esteem from an educational perspective, independent variables. situational Recently, Ruzicka as a by­ with contextual (1986) and Prouty (1987) attempted to investigate self-esteem as a by-product of researcher an educational examined program. self-esteem as However, a by-product no has from a vocational- was a significant training perspective. Ruzicka relationship (1986) between experience and variables included handicapped found an that 11-week self-esteem scored individuals and there outdoor development. changes of residential Other dependent attitude locus of control camp scores. toward The research was conducted at Alabama's Special Camp for Children and Adults. The 32 subjects (16 males, average age 21; 16 females, average age 20) were handicapped college students who were first year counselors with no previous experience. collection instruments were the Coopersmith Data- Self-esteem Inventory, the Rotter Locus of Control Scale, and the Lazer Attitude toward Handicapped Individuals instruments. Data 29 were collected four times: arrival day, the end of the fifth week, the last day, and 10 weeks later. Prouty (1987) relationship found between instructional that there school leadership was a principals1 and significant emphasis students' on mathematics achievement, with a significant but relatively small effect The study was conducted in Zaire, Africa. on self-esteem. Subjects included 1,017 students who were in grades 8 and 12, along with their principals and mathematics teachers. The adult version of the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory (in French) and a mathematics questionnaire were used for data A collection. principal's emphasis on instructional leadership was measured by the frequency of faculty meetings and classroom supervision. Although they did not use the terms "by-product" "hidden curriculum effect" in their studies, Ruzicka or (1986) and Prouty (1987) examined self-esteem development as a by­ product of education in evaluating the effectiveness of the program. They labeled self-esteem development as an "uncognitive achievement" (Prouty, 1987) or an "effect of the program" (Ruzicka, 1986). In modern skills and society self-esteem in which are microcomputer important factors application in career development, it is important to determine whether job-specific microcomputer training positively affects adult participants1 self-esteem development as a hidden curriculum effect in adult 30 vocational training established to meet lifelong learning needs of adults in a high-tech society. Microcomputer Application and Adult Education Controversy technology, has arisen about including microcomputers, traditional subject matter in using educational as a tool to master education. But teaching technology for job entry is not controversial. There has been a philosophical problem in applying technology, such as the microcomputer, to adult education because of its non-human characteristics (Meierhenry, related to microcomputers, 1982). In adult some adult educators technology to be in opposition to human values view technology, education "consider .... do not such as the microcomputer, as facilitating the development of human qualities and characteristics but rather p.11). as retarding Also, their development" microcomputer technology (Meierhenry, does not 1982. provide interpersonal interaction in the learning process. There is a growing need for adults to be equipped with microcomputer application skills that will carry them beyond mere survival in the information age. We are facing the transformation from an industrial society to an information society, and from forced technology to high-tech/high-touch, as Naisbitt (1982) argued in his book, Megatrends. The microcomputer is a vital tool for everyone who wants to go beyond survival in this rapidly changing society. In adult 31 education, microcomputer training is important in meeting the lifelong learning needs of adults in a high-tech society. . Gerver (1984) argued that adult learning would be increasingly affected by microcomputers in many ways because of the availability of computers. He wrote: Adult educators may find that because computers are available to perform certain tasks, there is an even greater emphasis on those things that people do supremely well. Where computers can provide significant amounts of information and even knowledge, the adult educator will increasingly become the kind of person described by Legge(1982)-someone who facilitates learning, who helps people diagnose and clarify their requirements, advises them about the choice of educational methods and activities, encourages them through difficult periods and stimulates them to go forward, (p. 103) Gerver's comments indicate not only the increasing role of the microcomputer as a tool in adult education, but also the importance of the adult educator's role as facilitator in microcomputer education and training. In adult "andragogy" teaching education, Knowles's (1979, 1980, 1984) has been referred to as a major approach for adults in general, although many theorists have accused Knowles of oversimplification (Davenport, 1987; Feuer & Geber, 1988). According to the Nottingham Andragogy Group (1983) , the term "andragogy" was originally coined by a German teacher, Alexander Kapp, in 1833 to describe the educational philosophy of Plato; a fellow German, John Frederick Herbart, disapproved of its usage. The term "andragogy" emerged again in Europe in 1921 and became popular in the 1960s in France, 32 the Netherlands, and Yugoslavia. In the United States, Anderson and Lindeman first used the term "andragogy" in 1927 (Brookfield, 1984) . But the term was not used again until Knowles introduced it in his article "Andragogy Not Pedagogy" in 1968, after he had learned of it during his trip to Europe. According to Knowles (1980), the term pedagogy came from the Greek words paid (meaning child) and agogos (meaning leader of). Pedagogy is defined as child leader and interpreted as "the art and science of teaching children" (p. 43). The term andragogy came from Greek words aner (meaning man or adult) and agogos (meaning leader of ) . Andragogy is defined as adult leader and interpreted as "the art and science of helping adults learn" (p. 43). saying pedagogy is Knowles (1979) noted that "I am not for children and andragogy for adulcs, since some pedagogical assumptions are realistic for adults in some situations" (p. 53). appropriate, Either pedagogy or andragogy is given the relevant assumptions. Andragogy is grounded on the following four assumptions: 1. As a person matures his or her self-concept moves from one of dependent personality toward one of a self-directing human being; 2 . An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, a rich resource for learning. For an adult, personal experiences establish self-identity and so are highly valued; 3 . The readiness of an adult to learn is closely related to the development tasks of his or her social role; and 33 4. There is a change in time perspective as individuals mature, from one of future application of knowledge to immediacy of application; thus an adult is more problem-centered than subject-centered in learning. (Knowles, 1980. pp. 44-45) With the availability of computers in adult education and the rapidly increasing use of microcomputers, Dwyer suggested the implications of the Knowles's (1987) theories of andragogy for instruction in microcomputer use, as follows: 1. Adults prefer self-directed, self-initiated, self-paced instruction. The teacher should act as a resource person and facilitator. 2. The prior experiences of adults affect their learning in a computer class both negatively and positively. It is the responsibility of the teacher to provide positive experience to reduce apprehension so that the present learning experience becomes meaningful and satisfactory. 3. Adults must be provided with experiences and opportunities to help them understand how the microcomputer will assist them in their particular circumstances. 4. Adults desire to learn computer applications which are practical [and] directly useful in life situations. (Dwyer, 1987,p.30) Dwyer (1987) emphasized that these uses should be made with physical settings such that "computer classes be taught in a computer laboratory .... The environment should be comfortable with a maximum of two persons per microcomputer" (p.30). (1980) She indicated the possibility of using Knowles's four major assumptions. Although Dwyer's suggestion is not based on experimental studies, it sends a clear message as to the importance of the process (teacher as facilitator) 34 and the classroom environment (physical setting) in the of microcomputer education. "Microcomputer application" refers microcomputers as a tool in business, education, and so on. to use industry, government, The major microcomputer applications at work places are word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics, and communication programs (Spence & Windsor, 1987). Microcomputer application can component of computer literacy. (a) computer programming, be categorized as one Computer literacy includes: (b) computer applications that use the computer as a tool, and knowledge about computers (c) appropriate attitudes and (Roessler, 1987) . Microcomputer application is now regarded as the most important component of computer literacy at the work place. Programming is less important for employment and career advancement than was once believed, except for professional programming experts (Moursund, 1986) . Microcomputer application is more essential than computer programming at the work place because a wide variety of preprogrammed software is commercially available. Spence and Windsor (1987) developed a comprehensive list of microcomputer application programs such as word processing (using words to produce a document), spreadsheet (manipulating numbers), database (maintaining lists), graphics (creating diagrams), and communications (interacting with others) that are used in various occupations and professions. included application programs for auto Their list service/repair, 35 broadcasting (radio and TV) , commercial and residential construction, country club or pro shop management, education, engineering, entertainment rental services, studios, farming, (movie consultation, reporting, law management of management, investment janitorial enforcement, preschool equipment management of health and fitness hospital, hotel/motel financial production), service, limousine and day-care or journalism and or taxi service, centers, property management, real estate sales, religious organizations, social work, and travel/tourism. It can be inferred that modern society cannot function well without using microcomputer application programs. These are, then, lifelong learning needs of adults because most adults have not been trained to use such programs during their school years, and technology in microcomputer application programs is rapidly changing. The Hidden Curriculum Effect of Microcomputer Education Jackson (1968) originally coined the curriculum" in his book Life in Classrooms. term "hidden He contended, "the crowd, the praise, and the power that combine to give a distinctive flavour to classroom life collectively form a hidden curriculum which each student must master if he is to make his way satisfactorily through the school" (pp .33-34). A hidden curriculum effect is defined as an outcome of an 36 educational program that was not originally outcome of the program curriculum. stated as an In this study, the hidden curriculum effect is synonymous with "by-product" (in this case, self-esteem development). The hidden curriculum effect of microcomputer education and training is twofold: a positive effect and a negative effect. The positive hidden curriculum effect of microcomputer education is seldom discussed, whereas negative effects have been pointed out by many educators. Some adult educators have warned of the dehumanizing effect of using microcomputers in adult education (Meierhenry, 1982). that the process. computer Pogrow microcomputer is (1983) programs placed in Olds (1982) pointed out control and Chandler would of (1984) threaten the the learning commented that credibility of school because students could learn very well by using selfpaced microcomputer programs. Frude (1983), Hester (1984), and Langeveld (1985) criticized the anti-social effects of using microcomputers because people may be isolated from society after establishing a relationship with a microcomputer. comfortable in interacting with Many people are more a microcomputer than with other people, they said. Research on computer training in schools has indicated students differ in their perceptions of and preferences for the learning according to content gender of (Fisher, microcomputer-skill 1984; Gilliland, training, 1984), age 37 (Turkle, 1984) , socioeconomic status (Hess & Tenezakis, 1970) , and access to the microcomputer depending on school location (DuBois & Schubert, 1986) . In high school, more boys are taking computer-programming classes than girls (Gilliland, 1984) , whereas more girls are taking microcomputer application programs, such as word processing (Fisher, 1984). year ethnographic study, Turkle (1984) In a six- found that people's attitudes about forming a relationship with a computer varied widely, according to ages. "a new way of children." life He contended that the computer is for adults" Students who and believe "a fact they are of life for discriminated against because of their personal background regard computerbased learning as particularly beneficial Tenezakis, 1970). than did (Hess & One survey revealed that schools located in wealthy communities computers to them had a higher schools in poor ratio of students communities (DuBois to & Schubert, 1986). As adults learn to use computers as "a new way of life," they may have to cope with some difficulties in using technology, which may affect them negatively or positively. If people overcome these difficulties, self-confidence can be assured. consequence Ultimately, of self-esteem learning to use may be developed microcomputers. as It a is necessary to examine whether self-esteem can be developed as a positive hidden curriculum effect in microcomputer education because self-esteem can be affected by many variables such as 38 learning process, learning classroom environment, content, support services, and learner's demographic variables such as job status, gender, age, school location, and other personal background factors. Conceptual Framework The review of literature revealed a vital need to help people who are educationally disadvantaged to maximize their potential and to secure a job they want. To facilitate this, a maj or goal of this researcher was to determine whether there was a positive hidden curriculum effect of adult vocational training in an education/business partnership setting and to investigate the relationship between possible self-esteem development and the four contextual elements of the training program: participants' perception of instructional process; skill attainment (program content); services; and classroom setting. review, the four components of career development Based on the the program literature appear to be related and to affect positively adult learners' self-esteem development. If the microcomputer training program has a hidden curriculum effect on self-esteem development, then it would seem important to know if self-esteem development was related to any demographic variables and/or to one or all of the four components of the program. Perhaps if such relationship is determined, it will possible to enhance lifelong education by 39 recommending similar programs to help educationally disadvantaged people across the state and the nation. Also, it might lead to a new theory of hidden curriculum effect of process, content, career development services, and setting on the adult learner, with regard to classroom self-esteem development. Summary The concepts and theories of education/business partnership training, self-esteem, microcomputer application and adult education, and the hidden curriculum effect microcomputer education were examined in this chapter. of The conceptual framework of this study was presented, based on the review of literature. CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY Introduction The purpose that undergirded this research effort was to explore the relationships between a job-oriented training program for adults and participants' potential self-esteem development. group employed in The a one natural pretest-posttest setting. Both design was quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Design of the Study The one group pretest-posttest design was employed in a natural setting to determine whether changes in self-esteem occurred. The absence of a control group was "not a serious threat the to internal validity of the experiment" in a natural setting, and this design was "especially appropriate when the researcher was attempting to [measure a change in] behavior pattern or internal process that was very stable" (Borg & Gall, 1983, p.659). referred to as global self-esteem. (Global In this study, self-esteem was self-esteem not a situation-specific self-esteem is considered as quite stable in most individuals by adulthood and is not likely to 40 41 change unless some significant standardized self-esteem test effort (Long, is made.) A 1987) was used in the study. Before treatment, a pre questionnaire was administered to retrieve data on selected characteristics of the sample. After treatment, a post-questionnaire determine which, was administered to if any, independent variables affected the development of self-esteem (a by-product of the program) the dependent variable. as Interviews were conducted to gain qualitative information. Population and Sample The population of the study was comprised of participants who completed a job-skill-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in partnership settings in Michigan. three education/business The population included 145 adult participants who completed the program. The sample was 120 program completers (83% of the population) who volunteered to complete a pretest and a posttest. were not chosen by the random The sample subjects sampling participated in the research voluntarily. method. They A total of 211 adults initially registered at the three training locations; 145 of them(69%) completed the program. The other 31% left the program before completion. completed the program. for early program Some got jobs before they There were no data on other reasons departure. Two hundred one adult 42 participants took the pretest and 120 program completers took the posttest. Therefore, the valid number of cases for this research was 12 0. Description of the Treatment The researcher collected information on the treatment from the program developer, instructors, community education directors, and students through interviews and class observation. Two day programs (morning and afternoon) and one evening program were offered at each location. The day program operated four hours a day (morning class 8 :00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. , and afternoon class 12:30-4:30 p.m.), five days a week. evening program provided five hours (5:00-10:00 p.m.), four days a week. of instruction The a day A total of 480 hours of instruction was provided from March 1989 to August 1989. The curriculum was the same at each training location. This included spreadsheet, keyboarding, WordPerfect and computerized accounting. individualized and self-paced. Each Zenith 286 AT computer, a color Lotus 123, Instruction was location instructors, including one lead instructor. one 5.0, had three Each student had monitor, printed instructional materials, and access to printers in a carpeted classroom. 43 The Dependent Variable The dependent variable was the participants' self-esteem development after completing a job-oriented self-paced microcomputer application training program. The Independent Variables The four participant's program: independent perception (a) variables of instructional the were four process, the components (b) skill adult of the attainment (program content), (c) career development services, and (d) classroom setting. Instructional Process All of certification. hours) for the instructors Each had Michigan instructor underwent teacher five weeks (200 of intensive computer training designed specifically this microcomputer addition, each continuing application instructor education as training received the program. monthly curriculum was In in-service updated and revised. At first, the researcher interviewed the three lead instructors from each location (instructors A, B, and C.). Later, instructor information D received was during interviewed the student to follow interviews. up on The researcher asked the instructors if they were acquainted with the term "andragogy"„ Only instructor B knew the term, and 44 he agreed that he had been using an andragogical instructional process. graduate Instructor B had studied adult learning theory in school. The other instructors did not know of andragogy specifically, but their instructional process, as observed and corroborated by students, was comparable to the andragogical model described by Dwyer (1987). The instructor's role in the classroom was regarded as that of a facilitator, as evidenced in the interview results (see Appendix L: Description of Instructors1 Teaching style). The curriculum was monthly. development. Teams of Each developed instructors school by ACT worked district and was updated on curriculum received up-to-date curriculum, based on input from more than 120 public school adult educators. The president of ACT said the program was designed for incremental learning because he did not like the letter-grade system (A, B, C, D, F) of the traditional school he had attended. He explained the concept of incremental learning as follows: What I designed was an incremental learning program. You start out to learn to type. You type 5 words a minute. Your new goal is 7. You get to 7. Good job, now you go to 9. That's incremental learning, where the tasks are easily achieved in a relatively short period of time .... Give me a goal where i t 1s incremental, little steps, and I '11 work around the clock until I complete that task. 45 Skill Attainment (Program Content) All instructional material progress by each student. his/her rate of learning. was set up for self-paced Each student was able to control The course modules were as follows: 1. Introduction to microcomputers and disk operating system (DOS). Mastery of file administration was emphasized. 2. Keyboard skills. Speed and accuracy drills in alphabetic entry were given throughout the duration of the course. Additional instruction was given in numeric keypad entry. 3. Word-processing skills. Experience was given in a major word-processing program (Word Perfect, version 5.0). 4. Lotus 12 3 and spreadsheet concepts. Creation and operation of electronic spreadsheet was covered. 5. Computerized accounting (microcomputer bookkeeping and introduction to accounting concepts). Operations were done with a multi-module accounting package with small-business simulations. According to instructors, Wordperfect 5.0 and Lotus 123 were chosen because they were more widely used in public- and private-sector organizations than other microcomputer applications. Career Development Services Career development services was considered a vital part of the program, addressed follows: through according to employability instructors. skills The training topics were as 46 - Resume-writing skills. - How to write a cover letter. - How to uncover the hidden job market and use networking skills. - Image projection by using fashion consultants, videos and lecture. - Interviewing techniques (from filling out the application to sending the "thank you" note). - Overcoming rejection. The job-placement segment of the program began 30 days before the end of the training. Adult students were given an exit interview, which highlighted their knowledge and acquired skills. A career seminar was sponsored to give adult students an opportunity to meet with potential employers. Placement services business partner. were provided primarily by the The Grand Ledge training location had its own placement officer who was a certified teacher in Michigan and was provided by ACT. Placement services for Ferndale and Taylor were provided by personnel in the business partner1s main office in Southfield. Classroom Setting The microcomputer training classrooms in Ferndale and Taylor were set up in adult education facilities by remodeling existing classrooms. In the case of Grand appropriate classroom space was not available, partner leased space. in any business, Ledge, where the business The classrooms were set up like offices industrial, or governmental organization. Each classroom had 30 sets of Zenith Z-286-Lp AT computers with 20 MB hard disk drives and Analog color monitors. There were 30 student work stations, complete with work tables, and secretarial-style swivel chairs. There were 15 Panasonic dot­ matrix printers with graphics, so that two people shared one printer. All three classrooms were carpeted and air- conditioned. Research Hypotheses The hypotheses as set forth in Chapter I are restated in the bold face. The null hypothesis form of the hypothesis is underlined. Research Hypothesis 1 HYPOTHESIS l: There is significant positive self­ esteem development for adult participants who complete a job-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting. NULL HYPOTHESIS 1; There is no significant positive change between the self-esteem pretest score and self-esteem posttest score of adult participants who complete a iob-oriented. self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting. Research Hypothesis 2 HYPOTHESIS 2: There is a significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development on the basis of gender, race, age, educational background, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience, job status, marital status, purpose for attending, and adult education experience. 48 NULL HYPOTHESIS 2: There is no significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development on the basis of gender, race, acre, educational background, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience, iob status, marital status, purpose for attending, and adult education experience. To test Null Hypothesis 2, 11 null subhypotheses were developed as follows: H0 2A: There is no significant difference in adult participants * self-esteem development, based on gender. H0 2B: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on race. H0 2C: There is no significant difference in adult participants 1 self-esteem development, based on age. H0 2D: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on educational background. H0 2E: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on program location. H0 2F: There is no significant difference in adult participants * self-esteem development. based on class shift. H0 2G: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on microcomputer experience. H0 2H: There is no significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development. based on iob status. H0 21: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on marital status. H0 2J : There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development, based on purpose for attending. H0 2K: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development, based on adult education experience. Research Hypothesis 3 HYPOTHESIS 3. There is a significant relationship between adult participants1 self-esteem development and their perceptions of one or more of four components, namely/ the instructional process, the skill attainment (the content), the career development service, and the classroom setting. Null Hypothesis 3. There is no significant relationship between adult participants8 self-esteem development and participants1 perception of any one or more of four components s Namely the instructional process; the skill attainment (the content); the career development services; and the classroom setting. Data Collection Procedures Permission to undertake this study was granted by the program developer and the Michigan State University Committee on Research Involving Human Subject A) . (UCRIHS) (see Appendix The use of a copyrighted self-esteem test (Long, 1987) was approved by P.A.R. Inc. (see Appendix B). Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Quantitative data were used to test the research hypotheses statistically. The self-esteem pretest and pre-questionnaire were administered on the first day of the program, participants began their formal training. before Self-esteem posttests and post-questionnaires were administered to the sample the last day of the program, after they had received 50 480 hours of training. Participants signed consent forms at both the pretest and posttest times (see Appendix C ) . They were assured that information provided would remain anonymous and confidential. Qualitative data were used to investigate the nature of the partnership and the characteristics of the four contextual independent variables. These data were also used in further testing Research Hypotheses 1 and 3. Qualitative data were collected directly by the researcher through interviews with the president of the business partner (ACT), the director of the Metropolitan Education Commission education directors instructors, of each of the 1 placement officer, (MEC), the community 3 school districts, 4 and 18 Participation in the interviews was voluntary. adult students. Adult students were categorized according to their educational background (non-high-school holder). graduate, high school graduate, and GED At each location, two adult students from each of the three educational background categories participated in an interview. Interviews were conducted on Monday of the final week in location C, and on Tuesday and Wednesday of the final week in locations A and B. 51 Data Collection Instruments Collection of Quantitative Data Four instruments were used to collect quantitative data for the study: 1. Pre/post self-esteem tests were administered determine whether the job oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program for adults participants1 development of self-esteem. affected the The self-esteem test was standardized and adapted for use by Long (1987) . The self-esteem survey, titled the Personal Inventory was designed "to measure attitudes toward self, society, school, family and personal experience" (Long, 1987, p.7), which could be called global self-esteem. The Personal Inventory contained 20 questions (see a copy of the self-esteem test in Appendix D ) . Each question was in dichotomous received a score of either 5 or 0. form, and each answer The score was calculated as follows: (Number Correct x 5 = Total Score) (see Appendix E for a copy of the key for scoring and answer interpretation) In administering the self-esteem test, the test administrator (training location instructor) did not use the words self-esteem, directed self-concept, in the test manual. complete the test. or self-evaluation Students had 15 minutes as to to 52 2. The pre-questionnaire was developed to gather demographic data on the subjects and to determine whether employment was a desired outcome of the participants. (A copy of the pre-questionnaire is included in Appendix F.) Based on responses this questionnaire, sample characteristics were identified. 3. The post-questionnaire was developed to determine whether a relationship existed between adult participants' self-esteem development and one or more of the four components of the program (see Appendix J for The Four Factors of Post­ questionnaire) . The questionnaire contained 22 questions; responses were chosen according to a four-point Likert-type scale (4 = STRONGLY STRONGLY DISAGREE) . AGREE, 3 = AGREE, 2 = DISAGREE, 1 = (A copy of the post-questionnaire is included in Appendix G . ) Collection of Qualitative Data Qualitative data were collected to investigate the nature of the partnership and the characteristics contextual independent variables of the program. qualitative data were Hypotheses 1 and 3. used in further of the four In addition, testing Research Information on strengths and weaknesses of the program, as well as on socio-economic benefits of the program, was gathered through interviews. To collect qualitative data, open-ended, the researcher conducted structured interviews with the president of the 53 business partner, education directors the director of each of of the MEC, the 3 school community districts, 4 instructors, 1 placement officer, and 18 adult students. The researcher also visited each research site to observe the instructional process and classroom setting. (The interview questions can be found in Appendix K.) Content Validity Self-Esteem Test Information on the content validity, item analysis, and reliability of the Personal Inventory were in the test manual (Long, 1987, pp. 22-27) . All items significantly related to the others. in the test were An item analysis was conducted for each question across the range of the original sample, which included 500 students who were drawn from a national cross-section of proprietary schools located in the North, South, East, and West. The Post Questionnaire Participants' responses to the post-questionnaire were used in determining the relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable. A panel of experts in adult education and microcomputer training performed a content validation of the post-questionnaire. (A copy of the content validation test is included in Appendix H, and the list of experts is contained in Appendix I.) 54 Reliability Self-Esteem Test The Personal Inventory (Kuder-Richardson-20 reliability coefficient = .95) that was standardized and adapted for use by Long (1987) was used as both a pretest and a posttest. In this study, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients of .51 and .61 for the pretest and posttest, respectively, were obtained, which were acceptable because "the more homogeneous a sample, appear. a the lower the validity and reliability statistics This does not indicate anything negative, only that population similarly" dichotomous with (Long, form, similar 1987, characteristics p.26). Cronbach's Since alpha was the will data equivalent perform were to in the Kuder-Richardson-20 reliability coefficient (see Appendix M) . The Post-Questionnaire The post-questionnaire was administered to determine the relationships between dependent variable. the independent variables and the Cronbach1s alpha reliability coefficients of .81 (instructional process variable), .70 (skill attainment variable), .80 (career development services variable), and .71 (classroom setting variable) were obtained for the post­ questionnaire (see Appendix N ) . 55 Data Analysis Methods All null hypotheses were tested at a significance level of p<.05, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSSX Version 3) and the Michigan State University mainframe computer facilities. Research Hypothesis 1 To test Hypothesis 1, a paired t-test means) was employed. (for correlated "The usual procedure for analyzing data from a one-group pretest-posttest design is to do a t-test for correlated means" (Borg and Gall, 1983). test means), rather (for correlated than The paired tthe t-test for independent means, should be used as the subjects took both the pretest and posttest on self-esteem. Qualitative data were used in further investigating Hypothesis 1. Research Hypothesis 2 To test Hypothesis 2, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via multivariate analysis of variance and covariance (MANOVA) was employed to compare self-esteem development between differing groups, after taking into account preexisting differences in self-esteem. ANCOVA controlling extraneous was developed variables for the purpose statistically, of thereby increasing the precision of the analysis (Fisher, 1958). By using be ANCOVA, relevant individual controlled (Pedhazur, 1982). differences could Individual scores on the self­ 56 esteem pretest established preexisting differences, and the self-esteem test was standardized so that it could be used as a covariate. [Analysis of covariance] combines regression analysis with analysis of variance. The procedure involves measuring one or more concomitant variables (also called covariates) in addition to the dependent variable. The concomitant variable represents a source of variation that has not been controlled in the experiment and one that is believed to affect the dependent variable. Through analysis of covariance, the dependent variable can be adjusted so as to remove the effects of the uncontrolled source of variation represented by the concomitant variable. The potential advantages are (1) a reduction in experimental error and hence, increased power and (2) a reduction in bias caused by differences among experimental units where those differences are not attributable to the manipulation of the independent variable. (Kirk, 1982, pp. 715716) "If the regression of Y on X is linear and jSw = 1.0. the analysis of difference scores gives the same estimate of treatment p.752). effects as analysis of covariance" (Kirk, 1982, In this study, posttest score on pretest score of self-esteem was linear but /3w = .56392. Thus, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) model by using score difference should not be employed. The ANCOVA model should be employed to test Hypothesis 2. To obtain adjusted posttest scores, ANCOVA was done via Hypothesis MANOVA. 2 No further attempt with methodological limitations. was made qualitative to data investigate because of 57 Research Hypothesis 3 To test Hypothesis 3, multiple regression was used to determine the relative effect of the four independent variables on the dependent variable ( the adjusted self-esteem posttest score with two covariates). provides "estimates significance of both of the magnitude relationships Gall, 1983, p.596). Multiple between and regression statistical variables." (Borg & Self-esteem pretest scores and job status were used as covariates. The gain score between the self­ esteem pretest and self-esteem posttest should not be used as the dependent variable as /3w of the self-esteem posttest on pretest was not equal to 1.0 (Kirk, 1982) . Selected demographic variables were dummy coded for multiple regression analysis. Also qualitative data were used in investigating Hypothesis 3 further. Summary The design and methodology, of this study were described in this chapter. population independent collection and Included was the design of the study, the sample, variables, procedures the treatment, the the research and instruments, dependent hypotheses, validity and dataand reliability of the instruments, and the data-analysis methods. The research findings are presented in Chapter IV. CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction In this chapter, sections. the data are presented in three major The characteristics of the sample are described in the first section. An analysis of data to answer the research questions and results of the formal testing of the hypotheses are given in the second section. The t-test for correlated means, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via multivariate analysis of variance and covariance (MANOVA) , and multiple regression were used for test statistics, with the significance level set at p < .05. In the third section, qualitative data are presented for further investigation of Research Hypotheses 1 and 3. illumination provided. and elaboration of the research Further questions is Many researchers have claimed that a qualitative approach is effective to answer the "why" or "how" questions (Eckstein, 1975; George & McKeown 1983; Lijphart Merriam, 1988; Skocpol & Somers, 1982; Yin, 1984). 58 1975; 59 Characteristics of the Sample Twenty-seven males and 93 females participated in the study. Females (77.5%) Forty subjects were predominated from Ferndale (37.5%), and 35 from Grand Ledge over (33.3%), males 45 (22.5%). from Taylor (29.2%) training locations (see Table 1) . Table 1 Distribution of Sample by Gender and Location Male Female Ferndale 14 26 Total % of sample Taylor 8 37 40 33.3% Grand Ledge 5 30 45 37.5% 35 29.2% 27 93 Total % 22.5% 77.5% 120 100% Almost equal percentages of Caucasians (54.2%) and nonCaucasians (46.8%) were represented purposes of the data analysis, three subgroups: in the sample. For subjects were categorized into Caucasian (65), Black (40), and other (15) to give adequate cell sizes (see Table 2). Table 2 Distribution of Sample by Race and Location Ferndale Caucasian 5 Black 29 Hispanic 2 Asian Pacific 1 Native American 3 Total % of sample 40 3 3.3% Taylor 34 8 0 0 3 45 37.5% Grand Ledge 26 3 3 1 2 35 29.2% Total 65 40 5 2 8 120 % 54.2% 33.3% 4.2% 1.7% 6.7% 100% 60 Subjects ranged in age from 18 years to over 46 years. For analysis purposes, participants were divided into four subgroups: 18-25 years (very young adult), 26-35 years (young adult), 36-45 years (middle aged adult), and 46 or older (oldest adult) to give adequate cell sizes (see Table 3). Table 3 18-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-45 46 or Distribution of Sample by Age and Location years years years years years older Ferndale old 12 old 3 old 6 old 7 old 9 3 Grand Ledge 21 3 1 5 4 1 Taylor 12 3 3 3 13 11 Total % of sample 40 33.3% Educational background 45 37.5% was Michigan eligibility requirements. Total % 37.5% 45 9 7.5% 10 8 .3% 15 12 .5% 21.7% 26 15 12 .5% 120 35 29.2% determined by 100% state of Eligible participants were those adults without a high school diploma (including those with a GED) and high school graduates under 20 years of age (see Table 4). Non-high-school graduates without a GED made up 40.8% of the sample, high school graduates made up 27.5%, and GED holders made up 31.7%. sample were non-high-school school graduates. In other words, 72.5% of the graduates and 27.5% were high 61 Table 4 Distribution of Sample by Educational Background and Location Ferndale Non-high-school 16 graduate High school grad. 10 GED Holder 14 Total % of sample In enrolled terms of 40 33.3% class in the morning Grand Ledge Taylor Total % 22 7 16 11 16 8 49 33 38 40.8% 27.5% 31.7% 45 37. 5% 35 29.2% 120 100% shift, 36.7% and another of the 36.7% sample in the were evening class; 26.7% were in the afternoon class (see Table 5). Table 5 Distribution of Sample by Class Shift and Location Ferndale Morning class 18 Afternoon class 7 Evening class 15 Total % of sample Taylor 14 13 18 40 33.3% Grand Ledge 12 12 11 45 37.5% 35 29.2% Total % 44 36.7% 32 26.7% 44 36.7% 120 100% Before attending the program, 70% of the subjects had no computer experience, Table 6). whereas 30% had such experience (see 62 Table 6 Distribution of Sample by Microcomputer Experience and Location Ferndale 25 15 No experience Experience Total % of sample Grand Ledge 25 10 Taylor 34 11 40 33 .3% 35 29.2% 45 37.5% Total % 84 70.0% 36 30.0% 120 100% More than half of the subjects (50.8%) had no job at the time they attended the program. jobs, 24.2% had For analysis subgroups: full-time jobs, and 4.2% were self-employed. purposes, the full-time job, (61 participants) sample was including participants), part-time job Table 7 Another 20.8% had part-time into self-employed three (34 (25 participants), and no job (see Table 7). Distribution of Sample by Job Status and Location Full-time job Part-time job No job Self-employed Ferndale 8 14 15 3 Total % of sample 40 33.3% Taylor 13 3 29 0 Grand Ledge 8 8 17 2 45 37.5% With regard to marital status, subjects divided (52.5%) 35 29,2% Total % 29 24.2% 25 2 0.8% 61 50.8% 5 4.2% 120 100% more than half of the were single and 31.7% were married. Less than 16% were divorced, and none were widowed (see Table 8). 63 Table 8 Distribution of Sample by Marital Status and Location Ferndale 9 24 7 0 Married Single Divorced Widowed Total % of sample Taylor 20 15 10 0 40 33.3% Participants’ most 45 37.5% Total % 38 31.7% 63 52.5% 15.8% 19 0 Grand Ledge 9 24 2 0 35 29.2% common purposes for 120 100% attending the program were to get a job (46.7%) or to change jobs (28.3%). Thus, employment was a desired outcome for 75% of the subjects. Of the remaining participants, 19.2% were there for enrichment purposes, 5% to get prepared for community college or university enrollment, credit (see Table 9) . and 0.8% to receive high For data analysis, attending were divided into three subgroups: school purposes for to get a job (56), to change jobs (34), and for enrichment (30). Table 9 Distribution of Sample by Purposes for Attending and Location Ferndale To get a job 16 To change jobs 14 For enrichment 8 To go to college* 2 To receive credit** 0 Total % of sample 40 33.3% Taylor 25 10 7 2 1 45 37. 5% Grand Ledge 15 10 8 2 0 35 29.2% Total % 56 46.7% 34 28. 3% 23 19.2% 6 5.0% 1 0 .8% 120 100% * To get prepared to go to community college or university ** To receive high school credit 64 Almost 57% of the sample members had not previously taken adult education courses, whereas 43% had taken such classes (see Table 10). Table 10 Distribution of Sample by Adult Education Experience and Location Ferndale 18 22 Yes No Total % of sample Taylor 21 24 40 33.3% Grand Ledge 13 22 45 37.5% 35 29.2% Total % 52 43.3% 68 56.7% 120 100% Almost half of the subjects (48.6%) first learned of the program through mass media newspaper, 25.3%). or relative, 15% (television, 2.5%; radio, 20.8%; Twenty percent learned of it from a friend from a pamphlet, 10.8% through a call from the program developer, from school, 5% and 0.8% from a participant in the program (see Table 11). Table 11 Distribution of Sample by How Participants Learned about the Program and Location Ferndale T.V. 2 Radio 13 3 Newspaper School 4 Pamphlet/brochure 11 Participant 0 Friend/relative 3 Call from the program 4 Total % 40 33.3% Taylor 1 10 9 8 4 1 11 1 45 37.5% Grand Ledge 0 2 18 1 3 0 10 1 35 29.2% Total 3 25 30 13 18 1 24 6 % 2.5% 20.8% 25.3% 10.8% 15.0% 0 .8% 20.0% 5.0% 120 100% 65 Less than twenty one percent of the subjects had planned to enroll in another adult education program before they found out about this program (see Table 12). Table 12 Distribution of Sample by Participants' Change in Educational Plan and Location I had planned to enroll in another adult education program before I found out about this program. Total % of sample Grand Ledge 7 28 Taylor 9 36 Ferndale 9 31 Yes No 40 33.3% Total 25 95 120 35 29.2% 45 37.5% % 20.8% 79 .2% 100% Programs that participants had planned to attend included basic adult education computers, job and training job related partnership act programs (JTPA) such as programs, business, control data and typing courses that were offered by local adult education programs, community colleges and/or universities (see Tables 13 and 14). Table 13 Distribution of Sample by Program List Planned to Attend and Location (IF yes in TABLE 12, from what program?) Adult Ed/GED Computer JTPA Program Business Control Data Typing No response Total % Ferndale 2 3 1 1 0 0 3 9 36.0% Taylor 3 0 0 0 1 1 4 9 36.0% Grand Ledge 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 7 28.0% Total 5 4 1 1 1 1 12 25 % 20.0% 16. 0% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 48.0% 100% 66 Table 14 Distribution of Sample by Program Place Planned to Attend and Location (IF yes in TABLE 12, from where?) Ferndale Lansing Com.College 0 0 Lansing 2 Detroit 1 Hazel Park Wayne State Univ. 1 Highland Park 1 Ferndale 2 Truman 0 Allen Park 0 No response 3 Total % Taylor 0 0 G 0 0 0 0 3 1 4 9 36.0% Grand Ledge 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 7 28. 0% 9 36.0% Total 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 12 % 4.0% 4.0% 8 .0% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 8 .0% 12.0% 4.0% 48.0% 100% 25 The reasons participants changed their program plans were related to the program quality, free tuition, and convenience of location (see Table 15). TABLE 15 Distribution of Sample by Reasons of Changing the Program and Location (IF yes in TABLE 12, why you changed?) Ferndale Good quality 7 Free tuition 0 Convenient location 0 No response 2 Total % A 9 36.0% wide participants. where the Taylor 1 1 1 6 range of school Grand Ledge 1 0 0 6 9 36.0% Total 9 1 1 14 % 36.0% 4.0% 4.0% 56.0% 7 28.0% 25 was represented districts 100% by Subjects living in the same school district program was offered made up 27.5% of Ferndale 67 participants, 75.6% of Taylor participants, and 57.1% of Grand Ledge participants. The remainder came from various neighboring school districts, which did not offer the same program (see Table 16). Table 16 Distribution of Sample by School District and Location Ferndale FERNDALE Ferndale Detroit Hazel Park Hamtramck Highland Park Brandon Macomb 11 24 1 1 1 1 1 Total 40 TAYLOR Taylor Detroit Gibraltar Wayne Ecorse Allen Park Carrollton Lincoln Park Woodhaven 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total GRAND LEDGE Grand Ledge Lansing East Lansing Perry Charlotte Total Taylor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 Grand Ledge 0 0 0 0 0 % 11 24 1 1 1 1 1 27.5% 60. 0% 2.5% 2 .5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 40 100% 34 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 75.6% 6.7% 2.2% 2.2% 4.4% 2.2% 2.2% 2.2% 2.2% 45 100% 20 12 1 1 1 20 12 1 1 1 57.1% 34.3% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 35 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 45 0 0 0 0 0 Total 100% 68 The means and standard deviations of the self-esteem pretests and posttests and the post-questionnaire are shown in Table 17. The mean of the self-esteem posttest score had relevant increments (M = 81.458, SD = 11.906) compared to the mean of self-esteem pretest (M = 73.542, SD = 13.179). The means of four of the independent variables were more than 3.0 (PROCESS = 3.676, SKILL ATTAINMENT = 3.297, SERVICE = 3.437, CLASSROOM SETTING = 3.622). participants responded This means that, on the average, "more than agree" with regard to the four components of the program. Table 17 Mean and Standard Deviation of Self-esteem Pretests and Posttests a Post-questionnaire MEAN SD SELF-ESTEEM POSTTEST (POST) 81.458 11.906 SELF-ESTEEM PRETEST (PRE) 73.542 13.179 POST-QUESTIONNAIRE 1. PARTICIPANT'S PERCEIVED INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS (PROCESS) 2. PARTICIPANT'S PERCEIVED SKILL ATTAINMENT(CONTENT) (SKILL) 3. PARTICIPANT'S PERCEIVED CAREER SERVICE (SERVICE) 4. PARTICIPANT'S PERCEIVED CLASSROOM SETTING (CLASSROOM) 20.625 ( 3.676 2.826 .373)* 16.483 ( 3.297 2.550 .510)* 18.108 ( 3.437 1.869 .471)* 22.058 ( 3.622 2.235 .374)* N of Cases = 120 * Average value of each independent variable (4 = Strongly agree, 3 = Agree, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly disagree) (see Appendix J for the four factors of the post-questionnaire) 69 S E L F E S T E E M P 0 S T T E S T ++ 100 + I I I I 90+ + + + + + + + 1 2 13 + 2 2 5 7 3 4 9 3 1 ++ + 2 l I 1 3 2 4 3 3 1 1 1 I I 80+ 1 2 4 2 4 1 I I + I I I I + I 11 I I 1 1 1 2 4 3 3 1 l l 70+ I I 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 1 2 2 1 1 I I + I I 60+ I 1 1 1 2 1 l I I I I I + I I 50+ I I I I 40+ I I I I 30+ + I I I I + I I I I + 1 + ------------+ 20 --------+ ------------- + 30 ---------- + 40 ---------- + 50 ---------- + 60 ---------- + 70 --------- + 80 90 — •— + 100 SELF-ESTEEM PRETEST 120 cases plotted. Regression statistics of POST on PRE: Correlation .56392 R Squared .31800 S.E. Of Est 9.87429 Sig. .0000 Intercept(S.E.) 43.99259 ( 5.13073) Slope(S.E.) .50945 ( .06868) Figure 2. I 1 I I + I Plot of Posttest with Pretest: Self-esteem 70 The self-esteem pretest and posttest scores had a linear relationship and had a high correlation (r=.56392) (see Figure 2). Approximately 31.8% of the variance in self-esteem posttest score was explained by the self-esteem pretest score (coefficient of determination: R square = .31800). A significantly high correlation was found between the four independent variables as shown in Table 18. Process had a high correlation with skill attainment (.4431), with service (.4851), and with classroom setting (.6221). Table 18 Pearson Correlation Coefficients PRE PROCESS SKILL SERVICE CLASS POST PROCESS -.1383 -.1526 -.1829 -.1897 .5639** * p< .01 ** p< .001 .4431** .4851** .6221** .2462* SKILL SERVICE CLASS .6772** .4227** .2215* .4852** .1375 .1288 (1-TAILED) Analysis of Quantitative Data Regarding Research Hypotheses The following research hypotheses were tested to answer the research questions. for each hypothesis, Analyses of the data were performed in order. 71 Research Hypothesis 1 HYPOTHESIS l: There is significant positive self­ esteem development for adult participants who complete a job-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting. NULL HYPOTHESIS 1: There is no significant positive change between the self-esteem pretest score and self-esteem posttest score of adult participants who complete a iob-orientad. self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting. A paired t-test (for correlated means) was performed to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between self-esteem pretest score and self-esteem posttest score for all the subjects. "The t-test for correlated means has more statistical power than the t-test for uncorrelated means" (Borg & Gall, 1983. p.547). 'To put it another way, the t-test for correlated means "results in a smaller means.” standard error than the t-test The standard error of estimate for (SE) independent is "used to describe the margin of error to be expected in an individual1s predicted score on a criterion measure based on his test score" (Borg & Gall, 1983. p.371). The results of the paired t-test procedure are shown in Table 19. There was a high correlation self-esteem pretest score I.203) II.906, and (M = 73.5417, self-esteem posttest SE = 1.087) , with p=.000. 7.9167 (SD = 11.768, SE = 1.074). score (r=.564) between SD = 13.179, (M = 81.4583, SE = SD = The mean difference was The t value was 7.37, and 72 the difference between self-esteem pretest score and self­ esteem posttest p=.000. score was statistically significant, with A statistically significant positive change at the .001 level was found between adult participants self-esteem pretest score and self-esteem posttest score. Thus, Null Hypothesis 1 was rejected. The educational effect in developing significance of the hidden curriculum adult participants' self-esteem illustrated in Table 19. Table 19 Paired t-test Between Self-Esteem Pretest Score and Self-Esteem Posttest Score VARIABLE POSTTEST PRETEST N 120 120 MEAN 81.4583 73.5417 (DIFFERENCE) MEAN 7.9167 CORRELATION 0.564 T VALUE 7. 37 SD 11.768 SD 11.906 13.179 SE 1.087 1.203 SE 1.074 2-TAIL PROB. 0.000*** DF 119 2-TAIL PROB. 0.000*** ***p <.001 Research Hypothesis 2 HYPOTHESIS 2: There is a significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development on the basis of gender, race, age, educational background, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience, job status, marital status, purpose for attending, and adult education experience. is 73 NULL HYPOTHESIS 2;___ There is no significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development on the basis of gender, race, age, educational background, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience. job status. marital status, purpose for attending, and adult education experience. To test Null Hypothesis 2, 11 null subhypotheses were developed for the demographic variables considered in the main hypothesis. test each An analysis of covariance via MANOVA was done to of the eleven sub-hypotheses. The self-esteem pretest score was used as a covariate to control the ceiling effect and the regression effect (the phenomenon of regression toward the mean) controlling (see Borg & Gall, 1983, pp.721-722). the ceiling effect and the regression After effect, adjusted posttest scores were obtained by using MANOVA. HP 2A: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on gender. As shown in Table 20, the adjusted posttest scores were not found to differ and showed no significant between male (M = 82.86) and female (M = 81.39) . was .46 with p=.500. difference The F value No statistically significant gender- related difference (at the .05 level) was found between males and females in adult participants' self-esteem development. Therefore, Null Hypothesis 2A was not rejected. The results indicated that gender was not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). 74 Table 20 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Gender and MANOVA Results N M 27 93 Male Female SD 75.00 73.12 SD M 83.33 80.91 13.08 13.25 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11460.38 REGRESSION 5286.93 GENDER 44.81 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest DF 117 1 1 M 12.25 11.82 MS 97 .95 5286.93 44.81 F 82.86 81.39 Sig of F 53. 97 •46 .000 .500 H0 2B: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development, based on race. As shown in Table 21, the adjusted posttest scores were found not Caucasians 80.31) . to differ significantly (M = 81.13), The F value Black was .18 among (M = 82.00) with statistically significant difference race groups: and other p=.834. (at the (M = Because no .05 level) in adult participants1 self-esteem development was found among different racial groups, Null Hypothesis 2B was not rejected. The results indicated that race was not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). 75 Table 21 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Race and MANOVA Results N M Caucasian 65 Black 40 Other 15 SD 73.31 74.50 72.00 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest DF 116 1 2 M 11.71 12.51 11.57 81.15 82.63 79.67 15.44 10.24 9.41 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11469.22 REGRESSION 5291.95 RACE 35.96 SD M F MS 98.87 5291.95 17.98 81.13 82.00 80.31 Sig of F 53 .52 18 .000 .834 H0 2C: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development. based on age. The adjusted posttest scores were found not to differ significantly among age groups (see Table 22) . The young adult group (26-35 years old, M = 83.88) and the oldest adult group (46 or older, M = 83.81) had similar adjusted posttest scores, followed by the very young adult group (18-25 years old, M = 82.37) and finally the middle-aged adult group (36— 45 years old, M = 79.22). The F value was 1.17 with p = .323. Because no statistically significant difference (at the .05 level) self-esteem was found development among rejected. The in age adult participants' groups, Null results indicated Hypothesis that age 2C was was not not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and dependent variable (self-esteem development). the 76 Table 22 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, £ Adjusted Posttest Scores by Age and MANOVA Results Pretest N M 18-25 26-35 36-45 46 or yrs old yrs old yrs old older 54 25 26 15 SD 70. 09 76.80 75.00 78. 00 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11163.74 REGRESSION 4942.75 AGE 341.45 Adjusted Posttest Posttest SD M 79.91 84.80 79.23 85.33 13.48 11.97 12.25 13.60 DF 115 1 3 MS 97.08 4942.75 113.82 M 10.30 11.13 14.95 11.72 F 82.37 83.88 79.22 83.81 Sig of F 50. 92 1 .17 .000 .323 H0 2D; There is no significant difference in adult participants8 self-esteem development, based on educational background. The adjusted posttest scores were found not to differ significantly according to educational background. The GED holders had the highest score (M = 82.58) , followed by nonhigh-school graduates (M = 80.31) . (M = 81.10) and high school graduates The F value was .49 with p=. 616. statistically significant difference adult participants1 self-esteem (at the development Because no .05 level) in was in found relation to educational background, Null Hypothesis 2D was not rejected. The results indicated that educational background was not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). 77 Table 23 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Educational Background and MANOVA Results N M SD SD M Non-high-school graduate 49 74.59 11.13 High school graduate 33 70.91 12.65 GED holder 38 74.47 15.84 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11409.45 REGRESSION 5161.88 EDUCATION 95.73 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest M 81.73 11. 34 81. 10 79.09 11.07 80.31 83.16 13.23 82.58 DF 116 1 2 MS 98.36 5161.88 47.87 Sig of F F 52 .48 .49 .000 .616 H0 2E: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development, based on program location. The adjusted posttest mean score for Grand Ledge was 82.92, 80.71 for Ferndale, and 80.64 for Taylor as shown in Table 24. The F value was .62 with p=.537. significant difference (at the .05 No statistically level) in adult participants' self-esteem development was found among program locations. The results Therefore, Null Hypothesis 2E was not rejected. indicated that program location was not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables dependent variable (self-esteem development). and the 78 Table 24 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, 6 Adjusted Posttest Scores by Program Location and MANOVA Results Pretest N SD M Adjusted Posttest Posttest SD M M Ferndale 40 73 .13 12.79 80. 63 14.68 80.71 76.33 13.67 82.22 11.56 80. 64 70.43 12 .57 81.43 8.62 82.92 Taylor 45 Grand Ledge 35 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11382.56 REGRESSION 5433.16 LOCATION 122.62 DF 116 1 2 MS 98.13 5433.16 61.31 F Sig of F 55. 37 •62 .000 .537 Ho_?F:.. There isi no sianificant difference in adult participants* class shift. self-esteem development, based on As shown in Table 25, the adjusted posttest scores varied among subjects in the evening class (M = 78.80), afternoon class (M = 84.25) , and morning class (M = 81.86) . The F value was 2.92 with p=.058. (at the .05 No statistically significant difference level) development was found in adult participants' among different class Therefore, Null Hypothesis 2F was not rejected. self-esteem shift groups. However, the afternoon class developed the highest self-esteem of the three groups, and this difference among groups was significant at the .10 level. Class shift was found not to be a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the 79 four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). Table 25 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Class Shift and MANOVA Results N M MORNING 44 AFTERNOON 32 EVENING 44 15.44 12.43 10.81 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 10952.93 REGRESSION 5738.83 CLASS SHIFT 552.25 SD M SD 71.82 71.87 76.48 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest 12.37 9.79 12 .89 81.02 83.44 80.45 MS 94.42 5738.83 276.13 DF 116 1 2 M 81.86 84.25 78.80 Sig of F F 60.78 2.92 .000 .058* *p <.10 H0 2G; There is no significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development, based on microcomputer experience. The adjusted posttest scores were found not to differ significantly between the group who were experienced in using a microcomputer (M = 81.41) and the inexperienced group (M = 80.59). Because no statistically significant difference (at the .05 level) in adult participants' self-esteem development was found between the group who had experience and those who did not have Hypothesis 2G experience was not microcomputer was found variable when examining in using rejected. not the to a microcomputer, Experience be a in significant relationship between Null using a control the four 80 contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). Table 26 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Hicrocomputer Experience and MANOVA Results N M No experience 84 Experience 36 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest SD M SD M 74.40 12.60 82.14 10.96 81.41 71.53 14.43 79.86 13.91 80. 59 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11488.23 REGRESSION 5250.36 COMPUTER EXP. 16.95 DF 117 1 1 F MS 98.19 5250.36 16.95 Sig of F 53.47 .17 .000 .679 H0 2H: There is no significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development, based on nob status. The adjusted posttest scores indicated some difference among the "no job group" group" (see (M = 84.10) and the "full-time job (M = 78.35) and the "part-time job group" (M = 79.03) Table 27) . The F value was statistically significant difference 4.94 with (at the p=.009. .05 level) A in adult participants' self-esteem development was found among job-status rejected. job group" 78.35; groups. Therefore, Null Hypothesis 2H was The adjusted self-esteem posttest means of the "no (M = 84.10) and the "job group" (full-time, M = part-time, M = 79.03) differed significantly from one 81 another. The adjusted self-esteem posttest means of the full­ time ( M = 78.3 5) and the part-time ( M = 79.03) job groups did not differ significantly from each other. It can be concluded that the "no job group" experienced higher self­ esteem development than either the full-time or, the part-time job group. The results also indicated that job status was a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). Table 27 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Job Status and MANOVA Results N Full-time 34 Part-time 25 61 No job SD M 73.24 73.40 73.77 12.84 10.68 14.42 78.24 79.00 84.26 DF 119 1 2 M SD M Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 10602.19 REGRESSION 5283.73 JOB STATUS 902.99 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest MS 91.40 5283.73 451.50 78.35 79.03 84.10 14.45 10.90 10. 18 F Sig of F 57.81 4.94 .000 .009** **p<.05 H0 21: There is no significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development, based on marital status. The adjusted posttest scores differed among the married group (M = 79.07) , the single group (M = 83.60) , and the divorced group (M = 82.47), as shown in Table 28. The F value 82 was 2.48 with difference p = .088. (at the No .05 level) esteem development was statistically significant in adult participants' found according to marital Therefore, Null Hypothesis 21 was not rejected. self­ status. However, the single group achieved the highest self-esteem development of the three marital statistically groups, significant at and the indicated that marital status was variable when examining the this .10 difference level. The was results not a significant control relationship between the contextual independent variables and four the dependent variable (self-esteem development). Table 28 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Marital Status and MANOVA Results N M Married 38 Single 63 Divorced 19 76.97 70.79 75.79 M SD 12.97 13.91 8.86 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11032.79 REGRESSION 5738.09 MARITAL STATUS 472.40 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest 80.39 81.59 83 .16 DF 116 1 2 MS 95.11 5738.09 236.20 M SD 13.63 11. 39 10.17 F 79.07 83.60 82.47 Sig of F 60.33 2.48 *p < . 1 0 H0 2J : There is no significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development, based on purpose for attending. .000 .088* 83 As shown in Table 29, the adjusted posttest scores differed somewhat among "to get a job" group (M = 83.73) , the "to change jobs" group (M = 79.45), and the "for enrichment" group (M = 80.07) . The F value was 2.51 with p=.086. statistically significant difference (at the No .05 level) in adult participants' self-esteem development was found based on different purposes for attending the program. Null Hypothesis 2J was not rejected. Therefore, However, the "to get a job group" achieved the highest self-esteem development, and this difference was significant at the .10 level. The results indicated that "purpose for attending" was not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). Table 29 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Purposes for Attending and MANOVA Results N M To get a job 56 72.32 To change job 34 75.15 For enrichment 30 74 .00 SD M SD M 15.16 82.95 11. 55 83 .73 8.92 80.15 12.46 79.45 13.42 80.17 12.00 80.07 Source of Variation SS WITHIN CELLS 11028.15 REGRESSION 5609.12 PURPOSE 477.03 * p < . 10 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest DF 116 1 2 MS 95.07 5609.12 238.52 F 59.00 2.51 Sig of F .000 .086* 84 Hq 2K: There is no significant difference in adult participants* self-esteem development, based on adult education experience. The adjusted posttest mean score of the previous adult education experience was 80.57; no experience was 82.41 (see Table 30). with p = .323. group with the group with The F value was .99 No statistically significant difference (at the .05 level) in adult participants' self-esteem development was found between the group with adult education experience and the one without such experience. 2K was not re jected. The Therefore, Null Hypothesis results indicated that adult education experience was not a significant control variable when examining the relationship between the four contextual independent variables and the dependent variable (self-esteem development). Table 30 Self-Esteem Pretest, Posttest, & Adjusted Posttest Scores by Adult Education Experience and MANOVA Results N M Experience 52 No experience 68 Adjusted Posttest Posttest Pretest SD M SD M 76.06 12.62 81.73 13.64 80.57 71.62 13.37 81.25 10.48 82.41 Source of Variation .SS WITHIN CELLS 11408.99 REGRESSION 5453.99 ADULT ED 96.19 DF 117 1 1 MS 97.51 5453.99 96.19 F Sig of F 55.93 .99 .000 .323 85 The results of all of the hypothesis tests discussed above are summarized in Table 31. hypothesis 2, only Null In the overall testing of Hypothesis statistically significant difference 2H was rejected. (at the .05 level) A in adult participants' self-esteem development was found between different job-status groups. Job status was found to be the only significant control variable. The "no job group" (adjusted posttest mean = 84.10) had higher self-esteem development than did the "job group," either full time (adjusted posttest mean = 78.35) or part time (adjusted posttest mean = 79.03). class shift, significantly and marital (at the status Purpose groups for attending, did not differ .05 level), but rather had relative differences in self-esteem development at the .10 significance level. In short, adult no statistically significant differences self-esteem development were found on the basis in of gender, race, age, educational background, training location, class shift, microcomputer experience, marital status, purpose for attending, or adult education experience. Only job status was found to have a statistically significant relationship to adult participants' self-esteem development. 86 Table 31 Summary of MANOVA Results :Hypothesis 2 SS Sub-hypotheses DF MS F Sig of F 2A. GENDER 44.81 1 44 .81 .46 .500 2B. RACE 35.96 2 17.98 .18 .834 341.45 3 113.82 1.17 .323 95.73 2 47.87 .49 .616 2E. LOCATION 122.62 2 61. 31 .62 .537 2F . SHIFT 552.25 2 276.13 2 .92 16.95 1 16. 95 .17 2H. JOB 902.99 2 451.50 4 .94 .009 ** 21. MARITAL 472.40 2 236.20 2.48 .088 * 2J . PURPOSE 477.03 2 238.52 2.51 .086 * 96. 19 1 96. 19 .99 2 C . AGE 2D. EDUCATION 2G. COMPUTER 2K. ADULT ED .058 * .679 .323 * p < .10 **p < .05 Research Hypothesis 3 HYPOTHESIS 3. There is a significant relationship between adult participants' self-esteem development and their perceptions of one or more of four components, namely, the instructional process, skill attainment (the content), the career development services, and the classroom setting. Null Hypothesis 3. There is no significant relationship between adult participants1 self-esteem development and participants' perception of any one or more of four components : Namely the instructional process; the skill attainment (the content); the career development services; and the classroom setting. 87 In this analysis, the dependent variable was the adjusted self-esteem posttest score with two covariates pretest score and job status). (self-esteem The gain score was not used as the dependent variable for the reasons explained in Chapter III. To test Null Hypothesis 3, significant control variables were taken into consideration. Through testing Null Hypothesis 2, job status was found to be the only significant control variable of all the demographic variables. The self­ esteem pretest score was used as a covariate to control for initial individual differences in self-esteem. By using multiple regression with the stepwise inclusion procedure, job status was demographic again found variable. to be Therefore, the significant the self-esteem control pretest score and job status were used as the two covariates. After identifying the two covariates, self-esteem pretest score and job status, the multiple regression analysis was performed to test Null Hypothesis 3, described below. coefficient with the enter method Table 32 contains standardized regression (beta), multiple correlation coefficient (R) , coefficient of determination (R square), R square change, F change, and T value. The effects of the independent variables on adult self-esteem development can be determined by using the standardized regression coefficients (beta) . The multiple correlation coefficient (R) is "a measure of the magnitude of relationship between a criterion variable and a predictor variable or some combination of predictor variables", and the 88 coefficient of determination (R square) is "the amount of variance in the criterion variable that is predictable from a predictor variable or combination of predictor variables" (Borg & Gall, correlation 1983, p. coefficient, 600). The larger the multiple the better the explanation. The significance of the model was tested by evaluating an F value, and the significance of the effect was tested by evaluating a t-value. The two covariates were entered first, and then the four independent variables were entered: process, skill attainment (content), service, and classroom setting in order. The regression coefficient for the four independent variables indicates the participants program, expected in the self-esteem microcomputer development for application adult training explained by a unit score for the four independent variables, holding other variables constant. 1. The self-esteem pretest score was the first variable entered into the multiple regression. multiple correlation correlation coefficient coefficient (r=.56392) The pretest yielded a (R) was of the .56392. same The as the multiple correlation coefficient (R=.56392) because only one variable was entered. The coefficient of determination (R square) was .31800, which indicated that approximately 31.8% of the variance in self-esteem development was explained by the self-esteem pretest score. 7.418 The pretest score, with t = ( p=.0000), had a significant effect on the dependent variable. 89 Table 32 Multiple Regression Analyses for Adult Participants' Self-Esteem Development: The Enter Method R squarei F change T Multiple R R square Change (P) (P) Variable Beta 1. PRE .5639 .56392 .31800 2. JOB (Dummy) J0B2 .0233 J0B3 .2427 7.418 (.0000)*** .60953 .37153 .05353 4.94 (. 0087)** .271 (.7872) 2.813 (.0058)** 3.PROCESS .3279 .68957 .47550 .10398 4.775 22.80 (.0000)*** 0000)*** (• 4.SKILL .1774 .70687 .49966 .02416 5.50 0207)** (• 2.346 (.0207)** 5.SERVICE -.006 .70688 .49968 .00002 .004 (- 9492) -.064 (.9492) 6.CLASS .032 8585) (• -.179 (.8585) -.016 .70698 .49982 .00014 NOTE: JOB was dummy coded. J0B2 = Part time job J0B3 = No job Base(JOBl) = Full time job ** p < .05 *** p < .001 2. The job status variable was entered next into the multiple regression. The two covariates together yielded a multiple coefficient correlation (R) of .60953. The coefficient of determination (R square) was .37153, indicating that approximately 37.53% of the variance in self-esteem development was jointly explained by self-esteem pretest score and job status. The R square increment was .053 53, indicating 90 that the addition of the job status variable to the analysis explained 5.35% more of the variance in self-esteem development than could be explained by the self-esteem pretest score only. examining Thus, the the two covariates relationship between the variables and the dependent variable. t=2.813 (p=.0058), (full-time job) time from significantly four J0B3 t = .271 (p=.7872), (No job), with different JOB1. The changed was in independent at the .05 significance level. job) , with different was were controlled not from J0B1 J0B2 (part- significantly regression equation was statistically significant, with F change=4.94 (p=.0087). 3. Next, the instructional process variable was added in There were two reasons (one reason the multiple regression. in theory, process another variable reason in methodology) first. The first for reason adding was the that instructional process has been regarded as the most important component in most adult learning theories. The second reason was that instructional process had the lowest correlation with self-esteem pretest scores (r= -.14) and the second highest correlation with self-esteem posttest score (r= .25). The combination of the instructional process variable and the two covariates together yielded a multiple correlation coefficient (R) of .68957. was .47550, The coefficient of determination indicating that approximately (R square) 47.55% of the variance in self-esteem development was explained jointly by the instructional process variable with the two covariates. 91 The R square increment was .10398, indicating that the addition of the instructional process variable to the analysis explained 10.40% more of the variance could be explained in the solely self-esteem development than by the two covariates. The instructional process variable had a highly significant effect on self-esteem development, with t=4.77 5 (p=.0000). The changed regression equation was statistically significant, with F change=22.80 (p=.0000). 4. added Next, the skill attainment (the content) variable was into the multiple regression. The skill-attainment (content) variable was added after the instructional process variables it had because the lowest correlation with the instructional process variables (r= .44) and the next highest correlation with the posttest score (r= .22) . The combination of the skill-attainment (content) variable with the process variable and the two covariates together yielded a multiple correlation coefficient determination (R) of (R square) approximately 49.97% development was was of explained .70687. .49966, the The coefficient of which variance jointly by the indicated that in self-esteem skill attainment variable and the instructional process variable with the two covariates. The R square increment was .02416, which indicated that the addition of the skill attainment (content) variable to the analysis explained 2.42% more of the variance in self-esteem development than could be explained by the process variable with the two covariates. The skill 92 attainment (the content) variable had a significant effect on self-esteem development, with t=2.346 (p=.0207), at the .05 level. equation The changed regression was still statistically significant, with F change=5.50 (p=.0207). 5. Next, the career development services variable was added into the multiple regression. The career development service variable was added after the instructional process variables because it had the next lowest correlation with the process variable (r= .48) and the third highest correlation with the posttest (r= .14). By the same token, the classroom setting variable last. was added The combination of the career development services, skill attainment (content), and instructional process variables with the two covariates together yielded a multiple correlation coefficient .70688. The coefficient of determination (R) of (R square) was .49968, indicating that approximately 49.97% of the variance in self-esteem content development variable covariates. and the was explained process jointly variable The R square increment was .00002. with by the the two The addition of the career development services variable to the analysis explained .002% more of variance in self-esteem development than could be explained by the previous regression, that was no significant improvement. variable with, t=-.064 •05 level. The career development services (p=.9492) was not significant at the The changed regression model was not significant either, with F change=.004 (p=.9492). 93 6. was The last variable added into the multiple regression classroom setting, and all of the four independent variables with the two covariates together yielded a multiple correlation coefficient determination (R approximately 49.98% (R) of square) was of development was independent variables, .70698. the explained .49982, indicating variance jointly with The coefficient of the in byall two that self-esteem of the four covariates. The unexplained variance accounted for was about 50.02% and might have been a result of other variables that were not included in this regression model. The R square increment was .00014. The addition of the classroom setting variable to the analysis explained .014% more of development than could regression, that was the be no variance in explainedby self-esteem the previous significantimprovement. The classroom setting variable had no significant effect (at the .05 level) (p=.8585). on self-esteem development either, The changed regression with t=-.179 equation was not statistically significant, with F change=.032 (p=.8585). After adding the career development services and the classroom-setting variables, it was found that there were very small R square increments, which were not significant. The reason for this phenomenon was collinearitv between each of the independent attainment, setting). variables career (instructional development Collinearity is "the process, services, and technical term skill classroom for this 94 overlap [high correlation between variables], or shared variance between two variables” (Borg and Gall 1983, p.599). The instructional process variable had a high correlation with skill attainment (content) (r=.44), career development service (r=.49), and classroom collinearity, other setting (r=.62). variables Because (skill-attainment, development services, and classroom setting) chance to improve upon of the explanation instructional process variable, this career did not have a made by the which was entered into the multiple regression analysis first after controlling for the two covariates. To pursue collinearity further, three separate multiple regression attainment classroom analyses were (content), setting covariates. statistically The performed career variables, results entering development respectively, showed significant by that skill services, and with two the each variable relationship development at the .05 level. the with had a self-esteem Entering the skill attainment (the content) variable in the multiple regression, the skill attainment variable with the two covariates together yielded a multiple correlation coefficient (R) of .67156 33). (see Table The coefficient of determination (R square) was .45100, indicating that approximately 45.10% of the variance in self­ esteem development was explained jointly attainment variable with the two covariates. by the skill The unexplained variance accounted for was 54.90% and might have been a result 95 of other variables that were not included in this regression model. The skill attainment variable had a statistically significant effect on self-esteem development, with t=4.080 (p=.0001). The regression equation was also statistically significant, with F =23.62 (p=.0000). Table 33 Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-esteem Development: Entering the Skill Attainment Variable with the Two Covariates Multiple R .67156 R Square .45100 Adjusted R Square .43190 Standard Error 8.97416 Analysis of Variance DF Sum of Squares Regression 4 7608.20766 Residual 115 9261.58401 F = 23.61756 Signif F = .0000 Variables in the Equation Variable Beta B SE B SKILL 6.737868 .288641 1.651450 JOB2 .039023 1.139279 2.367026 PRE .546088 .063211 .604471 .209337 JOB3 4.964787 1.930726 (Constant) 16.324493 7.775058 Mean Square 1902.05191 80.53551 T 4.080 .481 8.639 2.571 2 .100 Sig T .0001*** .6312 .0000*** .0114** .0380 ** p < .05 ***p < .001 As shown in Table 34, the career development services variable had a statistically significant effect on self-esteem development, with t=3 .241 (p=. 0016) . The regression model was statistically significant, with F =21.17 (p=.0000). The career development services variable with the two covariates together yielded a multiple correlation coefficient .65124, when the career development (R) of services variable was 96 entered to the multiple determination (R approximately 42.41% regression. square) of The was .42411, the variance coefficient indicating in of that self-esteem development was explained jointly by the career development services variable and the two covariates. The unexplained variance accounted for was 57.59% and might have been a result of other variables that were not included in this regression model. Table 34 Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-esteem Development: Entering the Career Development Services Variable with the Two Covariates Multiple R Square Adjusted Standard Analysis R R Square Error of Variance .65124 .42411 .40408 9.19124 DF Sum Regression 4 Residual 115 F = 21.17310 Signif Variables in the Variable B SE B SERVICE 5.911425 1.824213 JOB2 .607782 2.421664 PRE .544579 .065058 JOB3 5.349809 1.971417 (Constant) 18.242419 8.637740 of Squares 7154.71886 9715.07281 F = .0000 Equation Beta .233817 .020818 .602802 .225571 Mean Square 1788 .67971 84 .47889 T 3.241 .251 8.371 2.714 2.112 Sig T .0016** .8023 .0000*** .0077** .0369 ** p < .05 ***p < .001 By entering the classroom setting variable into the multiple regression, the classroom setting variable with the two covariates together yielded a multiple coefficient (R) of .64472 (see Table 35). correlation The coefficient of determination (R square) approximately 41.57% was of .41566, the which variance indicated that in self-esteem development was explained jointly by the classroom setting variable and the two covariates. The unexplained variance accounted for was 58.43% and might have been a result of other variables that were not included in this regression model. The classroom setting variable had a statistically significant effect on self-esteem development, with t=2.947 (p=.0039) . The regression equation was significant, with F =20.45 (p=.0000). Table 35 Multiple Regression Analysis for Adult Participants' Self-esteem Development: Entering the Classroom Setting Variable with the Two Covariates Multiple R Square Adjusted Standard Analysis R R Square Error of Variance .64472 .41566 .39534 9.25845 DF Sum of Squares Regression 4 7012.12319 Residual 115 9857.66848 F = 20.45094 Signif F = .0000 Variables in the Equation Variable B SE B Beta CLASSROOM 6.904241 2.346923 .216733 J0B2 .062765 2.448280 .002150 PRE .543355 .601447 .065665 J0B3 34.814079 .202983 2.007432 (Constant) 14.033979 10.476119 Mean Square 1753.03080 85.71886 T 2.947 .026 8.275 2.398 1.340 Sig T .0039** .9796 .0000*** .0181** .1830 ** p < .05 ***p < .001 In summary, each of four significant in testing Hypothesis 3 dependent relationship variables (at the it was found that had .05 a level) statistically with adult 98 participants' self-esteem development. The instructional process variable was the most significant one, with p=.0000. Next in significance was skill career development services attainment (p=.0001), then (p=.0016), and lastly classroom setting (p=.0039) in regard to developing self-esteem. Therefore, Null Hypothesis significance level. 3 was rejected at the .05 A statistically significant relationship was found between adult participants' self-esteem development and their perceptions of the four components of the training program, namely, the instructional process, the skill attainment (content), the career development services, and the classroom setting at a job-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an education/business partnership setting. Qualitative Data Regarding the Research Hypotheses In this section, qualitative data that were gathered to further investigate Research Hypotheses 1 and 3 are discussed. No attempt was made to investigate Research Hypothesis 2 with qualitative data because of methodological limitations. Qualitative Data Regarding Research Hypothesis 1 To gather qualitative data regarding Hypothesis 1, adult students were interviews. asked of the following question during the 99 "Do you like yourself more than you used to before attending the program ?" Seventeen of the 18 adult students responded that they liked themselves better and felt better about themselves than before attending the program. Some examples of students1 responses to the question were as follows: I wasn't happy, I wasn't happy with myself. But now there is a big difference, because I feel like I can achieve more and therefore I get more done. I get it done better. I complete what I'm doing much quicker. I have a positive attitude now. Yes, I'm proud of what I'm accomplishing and that's given me a better outlook on myself. Oh I it's know this d o , a lot better since coming here. I know, really helped my self-esteem. Before I didn't if I wanted to go to college and since I had course I have really wanted to go. One student before." about feelings. "I've never had a diploma The participants almost unanimously were positive their program. mentioned, feelings of "self worth” as a result of the Only one adult learner expressed no change in her She said, "Nothing changed. because I believe in Jesus Christ. I always feel good However, it is a great program." Qualitative Data Regarding Research Hypothesis 3 To gather qualitative data regarding Hypothesis 3, adult students were asked several questions during the interviews. This analysis was based on students' responses questions, as well as on classroom observation. to these 100 The relationship between participants1 perceptions of the instructional process and their self-esteem development. To determine whether there was a relationship between the instructional process and participants' development, the adult students were asked: self-esteem "How do you feel about your instructor's teaching?" Without exception, all 18 adult learners positively to their instructors1 teaching. responded Some examples of the responses were as follows: I love it, I love it. Because they make you feel so comfortable. I t 's not like y o u ’ve got to sit down, you can't stand up, you c a n 't be excused, you can't voice your opinion, it's not like that. It's open for suggestions. If you have any suggestions, just let them know. I think all of the instructors are very qualified because they know how to handle people. I like it very much. Because the instructors are fair and very patient with students. Well s h e 1s there when I really need her. S h e 's very helpful and she stays with me until I feel comfortable with what I'm doing. I t 1s a lot different from high school. I remember in high school it was kind of do it and that's it. However, here the instructor explains it to you until you do understand it. I can learn at my own pace, I feel that I'm kind of a slow learner but because I learn at my own pace there doesn't seem to be any pressure and I think I get more out of it. The relationship between participants' perceptions their skill attainment and their self-esteem development. determine whether there was a relationship of To between 101 participants' microcomputer skill attainment and their self­ esteem development, the adult students were asked: "How do you feel about your computer skill attainment?" All 18 adult learners responded positively about their skill attainment (the content of the program). Examples of their responses were as follows: I think it is great. When I first came here I wasn't that motivated and I 've gotten motivation from this class. I t 's a very good class because I'm learning a lot and I can tell the difference from when I came in. I love the program. I've never known anything about computers or typing before. And now I'm doing very well, my speed has come up, I 've learned the keyboard, and the instructors are very patient with me. I feel good now. I think I can do something now with computers. And there is a big demand for data entry workers, wordprocessing operators, and copywriters. The relationship between participants' perceptions of the career development services and their self-esteem development. To determine whether career development development, there was a relationship between the services and participants' self-esteem the adult students were asked: "What do you think of the career development services?" All 18 adult learners responded that they were pleased with the career development services. Examples of responses were as follows: I came here and I learned how to talk and how to dress. They teach you how to talk. I learned how to present myself. And a lot of it is just basic common sense but if y o u 're not in the work world their 102 you don't understand so it's a lot to learn here. That's why I feel great with these services. I feel so good. They teach you all the little things around it also, dress for success, the positive attitude, all of it goes together. I feel great about their services because I can benefit by attending this program. I will probably be getting a better job, higher paying job and a job where I can grow. Through the career service, I will be able to get a job. I'm positively sure that I '11 get a job. The relationship between participants1 perceptions of the their self-esteem classroom setting and determine whether there was a development. relationship between To the classroom setting and participants1 self-esteem development, the adult students were asked: "How do you feel about this classroom setting?" All classroom 18 adult setting. learners responded Examplesof their positively responses to the were follows: I t 's like a job setting and I feel good about it. I love this classroom setting. I wish I con1d do more of it. I like it because it1s kind of like a classroom setting but then it's not. I t 's like a business office. The classroom setting is convenient for me. I t 's not inconvenient. The classroom setting is good. I t 's not overcrowded. You can have your computer in class. Just like a job setting. own A job setting classroom is more motivating. It gets you ready. Because if they d o n 't , how else are you going to get ready, if you don't get a taste of it. as 103 All 18 adult students responded positively about the program. All of them were positive about the instructional process, the skill attainment (content), the career development services, and the classroom setting. Summary Descriptive statistics, results of hypothesis testing, and related qualitative data were presented in this chapter. Research Hypothesis 1 was supported by the results of the statistical analysis with quantitative data. The qualitative data also supported the results of the statistical analysis. In testing Research Hypothesis 2, only Null Hypothesis 2H was rejected; a statistically significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development was found in relation to their job status. in self-esteem No statistically significant difference development participants' gender, program location, marital status, experience. race, class purpose Research was age, shift, found respect to educational background, microcomputer experience, for attending, Hypothesis with or adult education 3 was supported by the results of the statistical analysis with quantitative data. The qualitative data also supported the results of the statistical analysis. It was found that the four elements of the the program development. affected adult participants' self-esteem The instructional process was found to be the 104 most critical factor influencing adult participants' self­ esteem development. A model of positive hidden curriculum effect on adult vocational microcomputer training is presented in Chapter V. Socio-economic benefits of the program, as well as strengths and weaknesses which were not hypotheses, are also discussed. addressed in the research CHAPTER V SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND REFLECTIONS Summary Purpose of the Study The researcher's purpose in this study was to explore the relationship between a job-oriented microcomputer application program for adults in Michigan, operating in cooperation with business, and participants' self-esteem development as a hidden curriculum effect. To fulfill that purpose, the following research hypotheses were examined: HYPOTHESIS l: There is significant positive self­ esteem development for adult participants who complete a job-oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting. HYPOTHESIS 2 % There is a significant difference in adult participants' self-esteem development on the basis of gender, race, age, educational background, program location, class shift, microcomputer experience, job status, marital status, purpose for attending, and adult education experience. HYPOTHESIS 3. There is a significant relationship between adult participants1 self-esteem development and their perceptions of one or more of four components, namely, the instructional process, skill attainment (the content), the career development services, and the classroom setting. 105 106 Methodology To provide information with which to test the research hypotheses, the one-group pretest-posttest design was employed in a natural setting to measure the change development. in self-esteem One hundred twenty volunteers from a total population of 145 adult learners who successfully completed a microcomputer applications program developed as an education/business partnership participated in the study at three locations in Michigan. Both qualitative data were collected. quantitative and To gather qualitative data, the researcher made site visits and conducted interviews. To gather quantitative data, the following four instruments were used: (a) information, for pre-questionnaire for (b) self-esteem pretest, gathering adult participants' gathering demographic (c) post-questionnaire reaction to the four components of the program, and (d) self-esteem posttest. Quantitative hypotheses data were statistically. used to test the research data were used Qualitative further investigating Research Hypotheses 1 and 3. was made to investigate the Research in No attempt Hypothesis 2 with qualitative data because of methodological limitations. The socio-economic benefits of the program, as well as strengths and weaknesses qualitative hypotheses. data of the that program, were not were included discussed in the using research 107 The quantitative data were analyzed in three ways. Research Hypothesis 1 was tested by using a paired t-test (for correlated means). Research Hypothesis 2 was tested by using analysis of covariance via MANOVA. 2, a subhypothesis was To test Null Hypothesis developed for each of the 11 demographic variables. Analysis of covariance via MANOVA was performed to test 11 sub-hypotheses. all pretest score was used as a covariate. 3 was tested by effects of the using multiple four contextual The self-esteem Research Hypothesis regression to assess the independent variables. In multiple regression, the score of the self-esteem pretest and job status were used as covariates because job status was found to have a statistically significant relationship with self-esteem development. Each hypothesis was tested at the .05 significance level, using the Version 3) Statistical and the Package Michigan for Social State Sciences University (SPSSX mainframe computer facilities. Findings Research hypothesis 1 was supported by the results of the statistical analysis with quantitative data (p=.000), and was further supported by analysis with qualitative data. The findings indicated the educational significance of the hidden curriculum effect of a job oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business 108 partnership setting in developing adult participants' esteem. self­ The results supported the fact that microcomputer training promoted a humanizing effect for adult participants. This was considered a positive aspect of the hidden curriculum effect of the microcomputer training. In 2H testing Research Hypothesis 2, only Null Hypothesis was rejected (p=.009). A statistical significant difference in adult participants1 self-esteem development was found in relation to their job status. However, no statistical significant differences were found with respect to participants' gender, program location, marital status, experience. class race, age, educational background, shift, microcomputer purpose for attending, experience, and adult education This finding indicated that the job oriented, self-paced microcomputer application training program in an adult education/business partnership setting was very effective in developing self-esteem for the adult participants who had no job at the time of the application. also The findings indicated that job status was the only statistically significant control variable when examining the relationship between the dependent adjusted four contextual variable posttest independent variables (self-esteem score with the and the development: self-esteem covariates, self-esteem pretest score and job status). Research Hypothesis 3 was supported by the results of statistical analysis with quantitative data (instructional 109 process with p=.0000, development p=.0039) services and was qualitative data. components of skill attainment with p=.0001, with p=.0016, further This the classroom supported finding program by the indicated positively career setting with analysis with that the affected four adult participants1 self-esteem development, which was a positive hidden curriculum effect training. proved of the adult vocational computer It should be noted that the instructional process to be the most critical participants' positive self-esteem. factor in developing The instructional program was designed to be task driven and the tasks were accomplished according to the adult's learning pace. students accomplished represented Each task level that incremental improvement. Adult students were positive about themselves, their progress, and the program. They said they preferred individualized self-paced learning over other instructional modes. Conclusions 1. The methodology employed in the research was appropriate for determining self-esteem change in adults who completed an education/business partnership job-skill training program. 2. Initial individuals concerns engaged in over the technology microcomputer application program, dehumanizing training, effect such as on a were not substantiated; rather, the opposite proved to be the case. 110 3. Program completers experienced a statistically significant increase in self-esteem. 4. There was a statistically significant difference in self-esteem development between program completers who were unemployed at the start of the program and those who were employed. esteem No statistically significant differences in self­ development were found with regard to the other demographic factors included in the study. 5. A strong relationship was found between the instructional process and the positive self-esteem development of the adult learners. a number of factors, This finding might be attributed to including instructor selection, an intensive five-week pre-service training program for all new instructors, planned continuing education for all lead instructors, customized professional-development training for all instructors, and the involvement of all instructors in curriculum decision. 6 . The research findings supported the belief that self­ esteem is a critical to an individual's success, especially in his or her career development. courses in self-esteem development. Organizations have offered The results of this study provided support for the development of job-skill training programs employing a model (presented later in this chapter) that provides skill acquisition and self-esteem development. 7. Previous researchers have focused on the negative aspects of the hidden curriculum in education and training Ill programs. as a Positive hidden curriculum outcomes that may accrue result of investigated. job-skill The training programs present research have not been demonstrated the importance of identifying positive hidden curriculum outcomes. 8. Programs such as the one examined in this study can help to meet the lifelong learning needs of adults in a hightech society. With the effects of rapid technological change in the work place, adult education can no longer be regarded as a marginal entity. Today, adult education can be justified as a human right and regarded as a mainstream component of education and social policy. Toward a Model of the Positive Hidden Curriculum Effect on Adult Vocational Microcomputer Training On the basis of the findings and conclusions of this study, a model of the positive hidden curriculum effect on adult vocational microcomputer training was developed. From an education and training perspective, the model was built on the fact that adult participants1 self-esteem development was positively affected by the four contextual elements of the training program, provided an namely, andragogical (a) an instructional process that adult education technique, (b) microcomputer skill attainment (program content) that provided marketable skills, (c) a career development service that provided employability skills and placement service, and (d) 112 a physical setting that provided a business environment within the classroom. 1. The instructional process most significantly affected adult participants' self-esteem development. According to students, the instructors were very friendly and were always willing to help them. Adult participants thought that instructors were always thinking of new ideas to help them be better students. Students appreciated that their instructors were always full of energy and enthusiasm, which encouraged them. As one student commented, "If you have a dragged-out, tired teacher you feel the same way. I t 's all in the attitude." All of the students mentioned that the instructors had always been helpful, that they were very patient and available, and that they had helped the learners a great deal. These comments indicated that instructors1 qualifications, including interpersonal affecting students• self-esteem development. In particular, skills regarding were the an important instructional factor process, students were not evaluated with letter grades because the program developer thought it inappropriate. The program developer assumed that students thought that they had failed when they received a grade lower than "A". Adult learners said they felt very good during their learning process. They were happy because they could learn at their own pace and had more personal time with the teacher. weak areas, rather than just They could work on their going on, as in a typical 113 classroom situation. Instructors helped them learn computer application on an individual basis? that is why they felt good about the instructional process of this program. 2. Adult students expressed a relationship between their personal taking happiness this and program experiences. skill had previous Many were high participants1 achievement. perceived Many negative school dropouts. microcomputer skill students educational The adult attainment affected their self-esteem development. 3. The program affected the participants1 self-esteem development, especially those who had no job. The program attracted people who were mainly looking for employment. recognized that, when they became qualified, opportunities for them: employment, there would be promotion, education, and/or personal enrichment. They additional The skills taught in the program not only aided the students in the quest for a career, but also helped students understand themselves better. The program developer believed that "in giving the students proper instruction [in employability skills], we got in return a better equipped and more knowledgeable person who has the confidence and ability to compete and achieve in many life areas." The placement officer in location C said, "I try to help adult students sharpen their skills in looking for a job, preparing resumes and interviewing and each group of skills which they learn builds their confidence." officers spent much time searching for jobs Placement for students. 114 Adult participants stated that their confidence increased each time a fellow student got a job. Also, they felt better about themselves because they had discovered opportunities they did not know existed before attending the program. 4. Adult participants setting added credibility responded that the classroom to the program. The classroom did not remind them of where they may have failed before and it also showed them what to expect in future employment. Recommendations The following recommendations are offered for practical applications and for further research. Recommendations for Practical Applications 1. Adult educators, policy makers, and school officials are encouraged evaluating to use job-oriented this information microcomputer in planning application and training for adults and in selecting the instructional process, the content, the career development services, and the classroom setting. 2. Educators who are involved in adult basic education and training are encouraged to use the andragogical instructional process. 3. Human resource development specialists in business, industry, and government should use adult learning theory in retraining their adult workforces, to enhance their self­ 115 esteem development and to achieve high organizational productivity, as well. 4. Curriculum developers and curriculum planners are encouraged to use the information from this study in devising future courses, especially with regard to developing learners1 self-esteem. 5. Both private businesses and public schools should develop and expand programs similar to the one examined in this research for helping educationally disadvantaged adults to obtain lives. jobs and hence to improve the quality of their Both partners should recognize that continuation of a quality program will be contingent upon adequate funding, teacher selection, continuing staff development, in-service training, pre-service training, and quality of the instructional design. 6 . Policy makers should support the expansion of joboriented microcomputer training partnership programs across the state and the nation to enhance the aim of lifelong education in a high-tech/high-touch society. Recommendations for Future Research 1. A similar study should be conducted in a nonpartnership or a different partnership setting to compare the results and findings with those from this study. 2. A similar study should be conducted in an education/ business partnership adult vocational-technical training 116 program other than microcomputer training to further examine participants’ self-esteem development as a hidden curriculum effect. 3. A similar study should be conducted in another country or countries to examine whether the model developed in this research can be applied in a different culture. 4. A similar study in adult basic education should be undertaken to discover whether self-esteem development is a result of the hidden curriculum effect. 5. A study should be made to examine the effects of this partnership political training economy organizations, program of adult and from the education society were perspective because of the individuals, identified as the beneficiaries of the program. Reflections The school district built a partnership with business to meet the needs of a specific group encumbering a large financial burden. of adults without The school districts had very few computers in adult education and the computers they did have were outdated and mainly useful for tutorial programs. The school districts did not have any state-of-theart equipment, which the ACT program was able to provide. The program brought economic as well as noneconomic benefits to the communities. training for Districts received income; provided skill needy adults; furnished trained adults to 117 community business, industry, and government agencies; and enhanced their image as organizations capable of responding to individual, organizational, and societal needs. In this section, the qualitative data, such as the socio­ economic benefits program, are and, examined. strengths Although and weaknesses these addressed in the research hypotheses, topics of the were not it was educationally, socially, and economically meaningful to explore the possible socio-economic benefits of the program, strengths and weaknesses. as well as program The data were gathered through interviews with the president of ACT, the community education directors of the participating school districts, instructors, and a placement service officer, and 18 adult students. Socio-Economic Benefits of the Program The president of ACT, the community education directors of participating school districts, at each location were asked: and the lead instructors "What are the socio-economic benefits of this partnership computer training program?" 18 adult students were asked: The "What would be your benefit in attending this program ?" was asked of the 18 adult students. Socio-economic benefits of the program were categorized into economic and noneconomic benefits to the individual adult participant, to organizations (school and business partners), and to society. 118 Benefits to the individual (adult participants. First of all, the program is provided tuition-free to participants. It would cost "about $4,000 if they had to pay for it," according to instructor B, but it is funded by the state of Michigan. The community education director from school district A pointed out that "by the year require some computer knowledge. 2000, 80% of the jobs will These adult students had not been exposed to the computer and it's going to be required." The program enabled students to be placed in a computer skill area according to how they could perform. in data entry or in word That placement was processing, according to economic and participants1 skills and interests. Students agreed that they received both noneconomic benefits from the program. they would benefit by getting a education, and learning computers. interviewees college said because that they training experience. they had wanted been Most students said job, getting a better Three of the 18 student to go motivated by to a community the computer- Some students described their benefits as follows: A higher paying job, more professionalism, advancement in the job field mainly. Learning a new way of getting it done faster and better. Getting myself to know that I can do it, and go out and get a better job. Also I decided to go to Lansing Community College to develop myself more and more. 119 Well, I learn a lot. They help me find a job. I think everything is turning towards computers anyway. Hopefully I will get trained enough to get a job. I would like to get into something else, that's why I came here to begin with because I d o n 't have any training at all and I hope to be trained at least enough some day to get a job doing this. Many changes adult in students mind. entered Adult the students definitely thought they "got an with expressed upgrading." skill, their self-esteem increased, job placement assistance. program career that they They learned a and they also received Both the business partner and the school aggressively attempted to place participants in the job market. Graduates could expect to earn between "$5 and $8 an hour right out of the classroom and to make $10 to $14 an hour three years interviewed. out of the classroom," according to According to the ACT program director, those 67% of the program completers in the seven sites were employed as of October 1, 1989. Placement services participant after program completion. continued for each Fifty seven percent of the program completers found jobs before graduation and 10% found jobs after graduation. In short, individual adult participants had the economic benefits of tuition free training and free career development services. As for noneconomic benefits, for many participants doors were opened to different possibilities in life, such as further education. The program reached those who might not otherwise have had the opportunity for gaining skills. Benefits school to the district also organization received (school economic district). and The noneconomic benefits from this program. The community education directors from the three school districts recognized the same benefits as accruing to the school district. Responses of the community education directors from school districts B and C were as follows: There are several [benefits], one is the financial benefit, which is obvious since we have the 70 - 30 split between business partner and school partner. We realized an additional amount of money for our general fund this year, which allows us to do programs we wouldn't normally be able to do, also it helps us address what our mission is, which is to teach, and this is a specific population. (Community eduction director from school district B) We d i d n 1t offer anything like this before. People who are interested in adult training now come into our school, and they bring friends and relatives with them for some of our other programs. It gives us high visibility. (Community eduction director from school district C) Other comments made during the interviews indicated that adult education programs did not have the financial or human resources necessary to implement such a program on their own. Teachers, recruiters, developers would have placement personnel, and curriculum to be hired and trained. The main reason school districts built a partnership program was that the computer training center was installed quickly and easily, with no financial outlay on the part of the district. It took a business, a private entity like ACT, which had the resources to be able to set up the training facilities. According to 121 the community education director from school district A, school district "with scarce resources ability to come in and set up a this. does not have a the 30, 40 computer complex like It would have taken about $300,000 to start such a program." A second economic benefit to the districts was that all equipment — the computers, tables, and chairs— was to become the property of the school district at the end of the threeyear licensing agreement. The districts would also have a trained cadre of teachers by that time. A noneconomic benefit was that school districts were being recognized as adult training facilities as well as adult basic education facilities. One community education director commented that "we gained more visibility and better ties with business and industry in our community, serving adult training needs rather than just the academic needs of adults." Instructors agreed with the community education directors about the benefit to the school districts. The program increased community education enrollments and retention rates. Instructors mentioned that: Our classroom is probably one of the fullest in the school, so that's good. I think it gives the school district another vehicle by which to meet the needs of their adult population. 122 Benefits to the organization (business partner^. Economic and noneconomic benefits were also realized by the business partner. Financial benefits were the concern of business, but the researcher got the president of the business-partner impression from the organization that his interest went beyond financial matters. helping people who were He felt good about educationally disadvantaged. He thought his company was promoting high-quality education to meet people9s lifelong learning needs, and he was proud that his training program was providing skilled manpower to local employers. One instructor mentioned, HI 9m sure [ACT] feel good about themselves for creating a program like this." Instructors, who were technically employees of the school district and were paid by both business and school partners, regarded themselves as school teachers. Their attitudes showed a desire to make and improve the business partner’s public image. One instructor mentioned: We are still teachers so we still have the attitude, like any teachers in the schools, which is to help the student, to help the person, to help the person grow and get somewhere. And the company wants to have that, wants to feel that way, but at the same time companies have to earn a profit. Benefits to society. The major economic benefits to society were that employers in the community had a better, more skilled work force. Adult participants1 quality of life increased as those who were formerly unemployed became wage earners. As such, they became positive elements in the 123 economic life of the community. Some adult participants who had been on welfare or Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) , and some of the participants with part-time jobs, secured full-time employment. The director of community education from school district C said: The benefit is that the community is provided people with better skills who have six months training in these sorts of things that a lot of people have not had. Instructors agreed with the community education directors in terms of benefit to society: I would say students who are unemployed can now have the opportunity to receive jobs. They're trained in a field where they're much needed. So a lot of people are getting off unemployment. Also an employer gets somebody that he can easily cross-train. So he benefits tremendously. Employers could take any one of these graduates cross-train them easily in any other computer system. president of the business-partner organization said, they've been through 480 and The "Once hours, they can learn anybody's system." Strengths and Weaknesses of the program The 18 adult students were asked, "What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?" Their responses are discussed in the following pages. Strengths of the program strengths program. Students' responses included all the four components about of the 124 program: the instructional process, their skill attainment, the career development services, and the classroom setting. Those components were found to affect the adult participants' self-esteem training was program. development. pointed In out as an addition, important the tuition-free strength of the Adult participants spoke about the strengths of the program as follows: I think I would have to say the instructors are very good, I think, and the school is. You've got your own computer to work on and you get a lot of help and a lot of assistance, not just instruction but what you do after you finish school, and how you go about things. They give you a lot. The instructors, and the attitudes of the students too. You have to have that commitment and attitude that you want to better yourself and better your education and you want to learn. I t 's the hands-on training, you do n 't feel like y o u 're in a classroom. I t 's more like if you were on the job and the practice that they give you and its more something that you could use in an office if you needed to. A job-setting classroom like a business office is great. Going at your own pace, not having your teachers being authoritative with you. That is a strength. She can't tell you to go sit in the corner or put your nose in a chalkboard. You know, they're just not authoritative. I t 's updated. What we learn from here is the freshest thing in business. That's what the offices are asking for. I love it, i t 's good. I like everything about it. There aren't really any better or any worse parts, I like it all. I think it's flexible. I've been able to come in early if there were computers available, and that way spend more time. I guess it's just knowing that somebody is there if you need help. Another strength that students pointed out was that they were motivated by getting help, as people who could not help themselves. The program provided an opportunity for adults to come and it did not cost them anything. "It1s great that all I had to do was learn," one student said. Weaknesses of the program. Five of the 18 adult participants who were interviewed said they could not find any weaknesses in the program. Weaknesses, hummmm. now. They commented: I couldn1t think of any right I doubt if there is any weakness. There are none in my eyes. There hasn't been any problem at all. Not for me. I've gotten a lot out of it. Seven participants of the 18 interviewees pointed out that they needed more time: The weakness is I think it's not long enough. It just kind of puts your feet in the door like in opening up a new world, for me at least. I'm not saying about the other people but if it was just a 9 month course because you ca n 't learn a whole lot in this short period of time but I have accomplished quite a bit. 1 111 be starting Lotus at the end of this week. And I probably won't have time for the accounting. 126 The program was tight, it was too much you had to try to learn within a six month period, it should have been at least 7 months long. I t 1s just too short. It should be longer except it is good. I've been telling friends about it. I t 's a good program and they should get into the program. Not enough time. We need more time I think. I wish I were here all could come in a little I get in here I find I to come in earlier and day really. You know if we more than what I do. Once wish I would have been able stay later than I could. A possible reason adult participants noted a lack of time to learn all of the program was that the program was designed to be self-paced. One might infer that many participants learned at a slower pace. Four participants noted that they needed to practice with typewriters employer before gave a going typing to test job with interviews because typewriters, not the with microcomputers (word processors). Two participants from location B pointed out that what they really didn't like was WordPerfect version, 5.0, was that the word processor software but that the with changed instructions. was very confusing; book was for the 4.0 One of them said, "It it was really tedious trying to figure everything out." In conclusion, a review of all qualitative data indicated that the program contributed economic and noneconomic benefits to the participants, to the organizations and to society. 127 Participants pointed out the strengths of the four components of the program. Tuition-free training, funded by the state of Michigan, was an important strength of the program. The major weakness of the program, according to participants, was a shortage of time. business resulted The partnership between education and in a more comprehensive and effective training opportunity than either education or business could have accomplished alone. APPENDICES APPENDIX A MICHIGAN STATli UNIVERSITY U N IV E R S IT Y C O M M IT T E E O N R E S E A R C H IN V O L V IN G E A S T L A N S IN G • M IC H IG A N • 45521-1 111 H U M A N S U B JE C T S (U C R IH S ) 2 0 6 B E R K E Y H A LL 1517) 5 5 3 -9 7 3 5 1 R B # 89-134 M arch 15, 1989 M r. D aeB ong Kwon B SE E rickson H all D ear Mr. Kwon: R e: "M IC R O C O M P U T E R A PPLIC A T IO N T R A IN IN G A N D A D U L T S E L F -E S T E E M D E V E L O P M E N T IN AN E D U C A T IO N A L /B U S IN E S S P A R T N E R S H IP S E T T IN G IN M IC H IG A N IR B # 89-134" T h e above project is exem pt from full U C R IH S review. I have review ed the proposed research pro to co l and Find th at the rights and w elfare of hum an subjects a p p ear to be p ro tected . Y ou have approval to conduct the research. Y ou a re rem inded th at U C R IH S approval is valid for one cale n d ar year. If you p lan to continue this p roject beyond one year, please m ake provisions for obtaining appropriate U C R IH S approval one m o n th p rio r to M arch 15, 1990. Any changes in p rocedures involving hum an subjects must be review ed by the U C R IH S p rio r to in itiation o f the change. U C R IH S m ust also be notified prom ptly o f any problem s (unexpected side effects, com plaints, etc.) involving hum an subjects during the course o f the w ork. T h a n k you for bringing this project to o u r attention. If we can be of any future help, please do not h esitate to let us know. Sincerely, Kjfm K. H udzik, Ph.D . C hair, U C R IH S J K H /s a r cc: R. G a rd n e r 128 M S U u am .- i/fi r m u l it e A i l i n m f i / u d i U f p n r n ,H H \ I n i t t l u h n m '-oQNAL CAROL A. LONG puq, 129 Senior Editor Educational Consultant APPENDIX B April 10, 1989 0 ' , a c h i e v e ^ '* Mr. DaeBong Kwon, Doctoral Student Mr. Richard Gardner, Dissertation Director Michigan State University College of Education Department of Educational Administration Erickson Hall Lansing, MI 48824-1034 Dear Mr. Kwon and Mr. Gardner: P.A.R. Publishers is pleased to grant you permission to use the Self-Esteem Test (Personal Inventory) from our Admissions Testing Program in your research to evaluate the computer application training program in the state of Michigan. Please be advised that at all times our copyright should appear. We would also be very interested in seeing the results of the research as it pertains to the Personal Inventory. Sincerely, Carol A. Long Senior Editor/Educational Consultant CAL:jmn 290 WESTMINSTER STREET. PROVIDENCE. R I. 02903 • TELEPHONE (401) 331-0130 OR (BOO) 556-7277 . FAX (401) 76)4)154 130 APPENDIX C CONSENT FORM Explanation of Research This study is being conducted as part of DaeBong Kwon1s doctoral dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Richard Gardner from Michigan State University. The major purpose of this study is to evaluate the microcomputer application training program that you attend. The questionnaire will take you no more than 10 minutes to complete. All information will remain completely anonymous and confidential. Your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to participate at all or not to answer certain questions without penalty. Consent to Participate I have been informed that this study is being conducted to evaluate the microcomputer application training program that I attend. The purpose and procedure of the study have been explained to me, and I voluntarily agree to participate in the research. I understand all information will remain completely anonymous and confidential and that the results of the study will be available to me upon request. Name (please print) Signature Date PLEASE NOTE: Copyrighted materials in this docum ent have not been filmed at the request of the author. They are available for consultation, however, in the author’s university library. T hese consist of pages: 131 132 UMI APPENDIX F PRE-QUESTIONNAIRE PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: A. PLEASE CHECK(X) ONE. l.( ) Male B. CHECK ONE. I am l.( ) Caucasian 2.( ) Black 5. ( )- Native American 2.( ) Female 3.( ) Hispanic C. CHECK ONE. I am l.( ) 18-20 years old 2.( ) 21-25 years old 4.( ) 31-35 years old 5.( ) 36-45 years old 4.( ) Asian Pacific 3.( ) 25-30 years old 6.( ) 46 or older D. CHECK ONE. I am 1.( )Non high school graduate 2.( )High school graduate 3.( )GED holder E. CHECK ONE. I attend at 1.( ) Ferndale 2.( ) Taylor 3.( ) Grand Ledge F. CHECK ONE. I attend 1.( ) Morning 2.( ) Afternoon 3.( ) Evening G. CHECK ONE. I found out about this program first through l.( ) T.V. 2.( ) Radio 3.( ) Newspaper 4.( ) School 5.( ) Pamphlet or brochure 6.( ) Participant of the program 7.( ) Friend or relative 7.( ) Call from the program 8. ( ) Other(Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) H. CHECK ONE. Before enrolling in this program 1.( ) I had no experience in using a microcomputer. 2.( ) I had experience in using a microcomputer. I. CHECK ONE. At the time I applied for the program, l.( ) I had a full time job. 2.( ) I had a part time job. 3.( ) I had no job. 4. ( ) I was self-employed. J. CHECK ONE. I am l.( ) Married 2.( ) Single 3.( ) Divorced 4. ( ) Widowed K. CHECK ONE. Why did you enroll in the program? l.( ) To get a job. 2.( ) To change jobs. 3.( ) For enrichment. 4.( ) To get prepared for community college or university enrollment. 5.( ) Other(Please specify _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ) L. CHECK ONE. I have previously taken adult education courses. l.( ) Yes 2.( ) No M. CHECK ONE. Ihad planned toenroll in another adult education program before I found out about this program. l.( ) Yes 2.( ) No If Yes, What program _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Where _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Why you changed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ THANK YOU VERY MUCH! 134 APPENDIX G POST-QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EACH STATEMENT PLEASE INDICATE YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATION TRAINING PROGRAM THAT YOU ATTENDED. PLEASE CIRCLE ONE OF THE NUMBERS NEXT TO EACH STATEMENT. STRONGLY STRONGLY AGREE DISAGREE DISAGREE AGRE 1. I have learned how to use a microcomputer. 3 2 2. I have been able to learn at my own pace. 3 2 3. I have learned how to interview for a job. 3 2 4. My instructor provides encouragement during instruction. 5. The classroom is designed for adults. 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 14. I have time to practice while I am in class. 15. My instructor treats me as an adult. 3 2 3 2 16. I have easy access to software in the classroom. 17. I know how to use D0S(Disk Operating System). 18. I know how to use computerized accounting. 3 2 3 2 3 2 19. My instructor provides individual help. 3 2 20. I have the opportunity of getting a job through this program. 21. The classroom is visually appealing. 3 2 3 2 22. I have 1earned how to prepare my resume. 3 2 6. I know how to use word processing (Word Perfect 5.0). 7. I have had an opportunity to discuss my career options. 8. I do not have to keep up with or wait for other students. 9. I have 1earned how to dress for a job interview. 10. I have easy access to the textbooks/ manuals in the classroom. 11. I have learned about jobs which require my ski 11. 12. I have easy access to the equipment (computer hardware) during instruction. 13. I know how to use spreadsheet(Lotus 123). THANK YOU VERY MUCH ! 135 APPENDIX H CONTENT VALIDATION TEST OF THE POST-QUESTIONNAIRE Name For each statement please circle whether you believe that its content is related to Microcomputer Skill Attainment: (S), Instructional Process: (P) Career Development Service: (SS), Classroom Setting (Physical setting including hardware, software, and print material in the classroom): (E), or None of them:(*). 1. I have learned how to use a microcomputer. S P SS E * 2. I have been able to learn at my own pace. S P SS E * 3. I have learned how to interview for a job. S P SS E * 4. My instructor provides encouragement during instruction. 5. The classroom is designed for adults. S P SS E * S P SS E * S P SS E * S P SS E * S P SS E * S P SS E * 6. I know how to use word processing (Word Perfect 5.0). 7. I have had an opportunity to discuss my career options. 8. I do not have to keep up with or wait for other students. 9. I have 1 earned how to dress for an interview. 10. I have easy access to the textbooks/manuals in the classroom. 11. I have 1 earned about jobs which require my ski 11. S P SS E * S P SS E * 12. S P SS E * 13. I know how to use spreadsheet(Lotus 123). S P SS E * 14. I have time to practice while I am in class. S P SS E * 15. My instructor treats me as an adult. S P SS E * 16. I have easy access to software in the classroom. S P SS E * 17. I know how to use D0S(Disk Operating System). S P SS E * 18. I know how to use computerized accounting. S P SS E * 19. My instructor provides individual help. S P SS E * 20. I have the opportunity of getting a job through this program. 21. The classroom is visually appealing. S P SS E * S P SS E * 22. I have learned how to prepare my resume. S P SS E * I have easy access to the equipment (computer hardware) during instruction. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! ANY COMMENTS ON BACK PAGE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. 136 APPENDIX I LIST OF EXPERTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CONTENT VALIDATION OF THE POST-QUESTIONNAIRE Experts who participated in the content validation test of the post-questionnaire were Dr. R. Gardner, Dr. C. Heilman, Dr. H. Hickey, Dr. J. Snoddy, and Dr. G. Kielbaso, all of whom are professors of adult and continuing education at Michigan State University. Bell, Other experts included Dr. N. a professor who taught "Computers in the classroom" at Michigan State University and Dr. J. Mackenzie, Associate Director of the Michigan Vocational Education Resource Center, who taught "Microcomputer Application in Adult and Continuing Education" at Michigan State University. 137 APPENDIX J THE FOUR FACTORS OF POST-QUESTIONNAIRE Responses represented participants' perceived reaction to: a. The instructional process. (Question Numbers: 2, 4, 8, 14, 15, 19) Variable code =PROCESS. The value of PROCESS was computed as "COMPUTE PROCESS=(Q2+Q4+Q8+Q14+Q15+Q19)/ 6 ." Q2 'LEARNED AT MY OWN PACE' Q4 'INSTRUCTOR PROVIDES ENCOURAGEMENT 1 Q8 'DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH OR WAIT FOR OTHERS• Q14 'HAVE TIME TO PRACTICE WHILE I AM IN CLASS1 Q15 'INSTRUCTOR TREATS ME AS AN ADULT' Q19 'INSTRUCTOR PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL HELP' b. Their microcomputer skill attainment. (Question Numbers: 1, 6, 13, 17, 18) Variable code =SKILL. The value of SKILL was computed as "COMPUTE SKILL=(Q1+Q6+Q13+Q17+Q18)/ 5 ." Q1 'LEARNED HOW TO USE A MICROCOMPUTER' Q6 'KNOW HOW TO USE WORD PROCESSING' Q13 'KNOW HOW TO USE SPREADSHEET' Q17 'KNOW HOW TO USE DOS' Q18 'KNOW HOW TO USE COMPUTERIZED ACCOUNTING' c. The career development services. (Question Numbers: 3, 7, 9, 11, 20, 22) Variable code =SERVICE. The value of SERVICE was computed as "COMPUTE SERVICE=(Q3+Q7+Q9+Q11+Q20+Q22)/6." Q3 Q7 Q9 Qll Q20 Q22 'LEARNED HOW TO INTERVIEW FOR A JOB' 'OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS MY CAREER OPTIONS' 'LEARNED HOW TO DRESS FOR A JOB' 'LEARNED ABOUT JOBS WHICH REQUIRE MY SKILL' 'OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING A JOB' 'LEARNED HOW TO PREPARE MY RESUME' d. The classroom setting. (Question Numbers: 5, 10, 12, 16, 21) Variable code =CLASS. The value of CLASS was computed as "COMPUTE CLASS=(Q5+Q10+Q12+Q16+Q21)/5." Q5 Q10 Q12 Q16 Q21 'THE CLASSROOM IS DESIGNED FOR ADULTS' 'EASY ACCESS TO THE TEXTBOOKS/MANUALS' 'EASY ACCESS TO COMPUTER HARDWARE' 'EASY ACCESS TO SOFTWARE* 'CLASSROOM IS VISUALLY APPEALING' APPENDIX K LIST OP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS To investigate the nature of the partnership: a. Interview with the president of ACT: What is the nature of the partnership? How was the partnership built? b. Interview with the director of MEC: What is MEC and its role in building this partnership? c. Interview with the community education director of three school districts: (One of them was Associate Director) Why did you build the partnership? What is the nature of the partnership? Who is an eligible participant of the program? To investigate the characteristics of the four contextual independent variables of the program: a. Interview with the president of the ACT: How was the curriculum developed? b. Interview with the instructors: What is the curriculum of the program? What is your teaching style in this program? Have you changed your teaching style because of the self-paced structure of the training material Why is the classroom set like a work place? c. Interview with the placement officer: What do you provide for students' career development 139 3. To further investigate Research Hypothesis 1: a. Interview with the adult students: Do you like yourself more than you used to after attending the program? 4. To further investigate Research Hypothesis 3: a. Interview with the adult students: Do you like this program? Why? How does your instructor teach? Do you like it? Why? How do you feel about your computer skill attainment? How do you feel about this classroom setting? What do you think of the career development services of the program? 5. To determine the socio-economic benefits of the program: a. Interviews with the president of the ACT, the community education director of three school districts and the instructors: What are the socio-economic benefits of the partnership computer training program? (Benefit to individual participant, organizations, and society) b. Interview with the adult students: What would be your benefit in attending this program? 6. To determine the strengths and weaknesses of the program: a. Interviews with adult students: What are the strengths of the program? What are the weaknesses of the program? 140 APPENDIX L DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTORS• TEACHING STYLES Four instructors from three different locations their teaching styles as follows: described My teaching style, I would have to say, is relaxed. My training in child development has helped me to know that I need to meet the emotional and social needs of my students before I can even get to curriculum or academics. I ’ve learned that through my training. So that helps me a great deal in dealing with these (adult) students. I teach one on one. I let them know that they can ask me anything, and I have a laid back classroom, I believe. (Instructor A) I think my teaching style is in a rather traditional mode as far as adult education would go. I very much leave some structure in the classroom, I'm very much in control of the situation although I do give way to a lot of class participation. So I try to maintain a good balance between respecting them as adult learners and giving them the freedom that they need as well as providing some structure. ......Any high school teacher that I had would be doing most of the output and students receiving input. It's not that way in my classroom because I spend very little time up at the board lecturing. (Instructor B) We do some lecturing, but not very much, i t 1s nothing like going to college, its nothing like high school. Because i t 's an individualized thing. You start off with some lecture, you get everybody going, and then i t's just walking around helping as they need, they ask questions you answer. .......More individualized here though. ........Even though I was trained in elementary (level) ... . I think I like working with the student and I try not to lump them in categories, I treat them as an individual and I feel like I normally, most of the time, have patience and respect for them and then they show respect and patience back to me and I respect them even if they haven't done anything in their lives, even if they have had problems, even if they haven91 succeeded, and I think that's what I like the most. (Instructor C) M y teaching style, I'm very flexible with the students. I tend to be more of a person that stands back and watches them work and monitor themselves, making sure that they are doing it the right way and guide them that way. I don't like to hang over their backs and I mean I do some instruction together, pull the group together as a whole. But I think that they work better on their own and with each other, through their peers. I think they teach each other very well. (Instructor D) 141 APPENDIX M RELIABILITY OF PRE- AND POST- SELF-ESTEEM TESTS RELIABILITY ANALYSIS - RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS ALPHA = .5059 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS 1 RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS ALPHA = .6108 S C A L E ( P R E T E S T ) 20 ITEMS STANDARDIZED ITEM S C A L E ALPHA = (P 0 S T TE 20 ITEMS STANDARDIZED ITEM ALPHA = .5189 S T) .5876 142 APPENDIX N RELIABILITY OF THE POST QUESTIONNAIRE RELIABILITY ANALYSIS S C A L E ( P R O C E S S ) LEARNED AT MY OWN PACE 1. Q2 INSTRUCTOR PROVIDES ENCOURAGEMENT 2. Q4 DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH OR WAIT FOR 3. Q8 HAVE TIME TO PRACTICE WHILE I AM IN CLASS 4. Q14 INSTRUCTOR TREATS ME AS AN ADULT 5. 015 INSTRUCTOR PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL HELP 6. 019 RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS ALPHA = .8100 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Q1 Q6 Q13 Q17 018 S C A L E LEARNED HOW KNOW HOW TO KNOW HOW TO KNOW HOW TO KNOW HOW TO RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS ALPHA = .6979 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Q3 Q7 Q9 Qll Q20 Q22 - RELIABILITY ANALYSIS Q5 Q10 Q12 Q16 Q21 .8164 ( S K I L L ) TO USE A MICROCOMPUTER USE WORD PROCESSING USE SPREADSHEET USE DOS USE COMPUTERIZED ACCOUNTING 5 ITEMS STANDARDIZED ITEM ALPHA = S C A L E .724 3 (S E R V I C E ) LEARNED HOW TO INTERVIEW FOR A JOB OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS MY CAREER OPTIONS LEARNED HOW TO DRESS FOR A JOB LEARNED ABOUT JOBS WHICH REQUIRE MY SKILL OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING A JOB LEARNED HOW TO PREPARE MY RESUME RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS ALPHA = .8027 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 ITEMS STANDARDIZED ITEM ALPHA = - 6 ITEMS STANDARDIZED ITEM ALPHA = S C A L E .8062 (CLASS) THE CLASSROOM IS DESIGNED FOR ADULTS EASY ACCESS TO THE TEXTBOOKS/MANUALS EASY ACCESS TO COMPUTER HARDWARE EASY ACCESS TO SOFTWARE CLASSROOM IS VISUALLY APPEALING RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS ALPHA = .7053 5 ITEMS STANDARDIZED ITEM ALPHA = .7208 BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Argyris, C. (1960). Individual actualization organizations. Mental Hygiene. 44, 226-237. in complex Arman, H. & Shafer, C. 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