THE MID-SOUTH EDUCATIONAL

RESEARCHER~~~~.,~

Number 1 .•• v ~~ ~~~ ~~ ,

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1992 CALL FOR PAPERS

MSERA MEMBER STATES:ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, TENNESSEE

Editorial Policy

The Researcher, MSERA's research journal andnewsletter, is to provide a means of communication withmembers of MSERA. Additionally, it is to encourage researchand to promote the sharing of knowledge through publicationof research studies and other articles of interest to themembership. The Researcher may include research articlesand scholarly material in four of the five issues each year. Theexception is issue number 4, the Annual Meeting Programissue.

Change of Address. Notification of a change in addressshould be made to:

Harry Bowman, MSERA Executive Secretary302 BallMemphis State UniversityMemphis, TN 38152(901) 678-2363

Submission Requirements

Manuscript Preparation. The Publication Manual of theAmerican Psychological Association lAPA) is the acceptedstyle manual. Contributors are to submit four paper copies ofthe manuscript and a copy on a computer disk. Include authorname and any other identifying information on the title pageonly. Submissions in WordPerfect are preferred, thoughtranslations from Mac and DOS can usually be made. Indicate

your word processing program and, on your computer file, limitformatting to paragraph breaks, bold, tabs, underline, and othersimple procedures. Do not change font or size. Tables are tobe camera-ready or easy to edit.

Title Page. The tiUe of the manuscript should appear on aseparate page along with the following information on eachauthor: name, position, institution, address, fax number, andphone number. If the manuscript is based on thesis ordissertation research, also include: the name of the majorprofessor or dissertation advisor, institutional affiliation, degreeawarded, and date of degree.

Review Process. Manuscripts meeting submissionrequirements will be· acknowledged when received. Eachmanuscript will undergo blind review by a minimum of twomembers of the Publications/Communication Committee.Notification of the results of the review will take apprOXimatelysix to eight weeks. The Researcher editorial staff reserves theright to make editorial changes in accepted manuscripts toimprove clarity, to conform to the style manual of the APA, andto fit available space.

Editorial Address. Send the four copies and computer diskto:

Dwight HareMSERA ResearcherPO Box 6331Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS 39762

Co-EditorsDwight HareJann JamesPO Box 6331Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS 39762-6331(601) 325-3750FAX: (601) 325-8784Internet: rdh1@RAMSSTATE.EDU

Editorial assistantsLouise DavisJack RaleyJoan WestChuck DonlinHongxiang WangCarysle Meek

Published byDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction

College of EducationMississippi State University

Judith A. BoserMSERA President

According to Rob Kennedy who was in chargeof registration at the Annual Meeting in Lexington lastNovember, 328 people registered, with 169 of thosepreregistering for the meeting. Attendance was so goodthat there was a possibility of running out of copies ofthe Proceedings. (The best way to insure that there willbe a copy of the Proceedings waiting for you at the1992 Annual Meeting is to preregister.)

There is one other comment regardingregistration that I would like to share. The lady fromthe Lexington convention bureau complimented MSERAon its registration procedures and said our registrationwas the smoothest she had ever seen. Coming fromsomeone who probably has been involved in assisting alot of organizations with the convention registrationactivities, I consider that high praise. The credit goes toRob Kennedy and his helpers, along with those in pastyears who have helped develop our current procedures.

I would like to welcome the officers anddirectors who were elected at the business meeting:vice president/president-elect, Robert Kennedy;secretary/treasurer, Diana Lancaster; director for localeducation agencies, Arlene Amos; director for statedepartments of education, Robert Cheeseman; directorsat-large: E. Dean Butler, James Flaitz, GlennelleHalpin, and Dorothy D. Reed. Many have served onthe Board of Directors before, and all are well qualifiedfor their positions.

Those who registered for the Annual Meetinghave already renewed their membership for 1992, as itis included in the registration fee. For those of you whodid not register for the Annual Meeting or use themembership renewal blank in the December issue of theMSERA Researcher, let me encourage you to do sonow, using the form in this issue. The next issue of theResearcher will be the annual membership directory. Ifyour 1992 dues have not been paid, your name will notbe included, nor will you receive that issue (orsubsequent ones) of the Researcher.

MSERA has always been a special organizationfor me. Unlike some of the other professionalorganizations to which I belong, there is not anatmosphere of competition among the members.

MSERA members are supportive and encourage goodresearch, regardless of whether it was conducted by agraduate student or a professional. Active participationof the members is also welcome. You do not have to"be someone" or "know someone" to take an active role.I would like to take a few minutes to talk about howMSERA works and ways in which the members cantake part in the organization.

MSERA is an organization that provides manyopportunities for participation. The invitation toparticipate that was distributed at the Annual Meeting inLexington and in the MSERA Researcher was acceptedby many individuals, as shown by the lists of committeemembers. Some individuals volunteered to serve inmore than one capacity. Everyone indicating awillingness to become involved has been included insome way. If you returned the invitation to participatebut do not find your name listed, please call me (615-974-2272). (Yes, Virginia, the U.S. postal service stillloses mail!)

Serving on committees and presenting papersat the Annual Meeting are important contributions to theassociation. MSERA members also have otheropportunities to actively participate. The Decemberissue of the MSERA Researcher included a call forproposals by those interested in publishing the researchjournal authorized by the MSERA Board of Directorsfollowing a survey of members last year. I wouldencourage each of you to support the journal inwhatever way is most appropriate for you.

In this issue of the Researcher, there isinformation about how you can provide input to thenominations and future site selection committees.Submission of papers for the outstanding paper and theHandley dissertation awards is open to all MSERAmembers. The winners are not chosen from a fewselect nominees.

MSERA serves its members in a variety ofways: recognizing exemplary research through theresearch paper awards, facilitating submission ofMSERA papers to ERIC, and providing access to papersin the MSERA Archives, to name a few. The winner ofour Outstanding Paper Award, Rob Kennedy in 1991,

automatically is accepted for presentation at AERAbecause of our participation in the Special InterestGroup for State and Regional Research Associations.

To sum it all up, MSERA works, and it worksfor and through its members and elected officers andrepresentatives. In other words, the people in theorganization are a large part of the reason why it works.It must work pretty well, because in 1991 ourorganization was the largest of the state and regionalresearch associations in the nation.

As we begin our third decade, I am appointingan ad hoc committee to review our policies andprocedures so that MSERA will continue to functionefficiently and effectively while promoting growth anddevelopment consistent with our organizational purpose.

I feel very honored to have been elected by themembers of MSERA to serve as their President, and Ifeel extremely fortunate in having such a sincerededicated group of individuals to work with this year a~members of the MSERA Board of Directors andcommittee chairs. I take pride in this organization andwhat it stands for. Nothing reinforces my feelings aboutMSERA more than having colleagues who haveattended an Annual Meeting for the first time tell mehow enjoyable the experience was and that they plan toreturn.

Membership is an on-going concern inMSERA, as in many organizations. As some membersleave the area or their careers take on a different focuswe need to help others become aware of th~organiza~on. If you have found MSERA membershipworthwhIle, do something nice for a colleague and~ncourage him or her to join. If you are teaching,mform your graduate students about MSERA. Let mechallenge each member to help spread the word about~SERA by sharing your experiences and perceptionsWIthat least one person who has not been that fortunatein the past.

The Board of Directors will meet March 201.992in Nashville. If there are matters that you wouldlike to have brought to the attention of the Board at thattime, please feel free to contact me or your respectiverepresentatives. I am looking forward to an excitingyear in MSERA. I hope to see many of you at theAnnual Meeting in November. Thank you for yourinterest and your involvement in MSERA.

The MSERA Nominations Committee will beseeking and accepting nominations for VicePresident/President Elect, Secretary/freasurer, and oneDirector for each of the six member states. Members ofthe ~ommittee include: Chair Gypsy Abbott Clayton,D~VIdBell (AR), Dean Butler (TN), James Craig (KY),BIn Eamst (AL), Vern Gifford (MS), and SusanKappleman (LA).

This year, as instituted in 1989, the staterepresentatives will be elected only by members fromtheir respective states. This is the result of a change inthe Constitution and Bylaws which was finalized at theAnnual Meeting in 1987 in Mobile.

Also, this year the Secretary/freasurer will beelected to a two-year term, not the one-year term as inthe past. Directors are also elected to a two-year term.

. Nominations may be made to the committee byany actIve member of the Association, provided that themember making the nomination secures (1) the writtenpermission of the nominee, and (2) the signatures offour other active members endorsing the nomination.Individuals whose names are submitted to the committeethrough this process will be considered by thenominations committee.

Names of individuals being submitted forconsideration for nomination, along with their writtenpermission and necessary signatures of four activemembers, are to be sent to the chair of the NominationsCommittee at the following address:

Gypsy Abbott Clayton1709 Woodbine DriveBirmingham, AL 35209(205) 934-1800

Judith A Boser, MSERA President, has appointedmembers to the following committees.

Constitution and Bylaws: Harry Bowman, Chair, JohnBurns, Bill Deaton, J. Linward Doak, Warren Land, RonPartridge, Carolyn Reeves-KazelskisAnnual Meeting Evaluation: James Flaitz, Chair,Kevin Hughes, Co-Chair, Arlene Amos, BeatriceBaldwin, Kenneth Clawson, Effie Clay, Donald Grigsby1992 Local Arrangements (Knoxville): Patricia Davis-Wiley, Chair, Kathleen WardenNominations: Gypsy Clayton, Chair, William Ernest,AL; David Bell, AR; James Craig, KY; SusanKappelman, LA; Vernon Gifford, MS; Dean Butler, TNOutstanding Paper and Handley DissertationAwards: Robert L. Kennedy, Chair, Beatrice Baldwin,Robert Byrne, Bill Deaton, Charles Faires, GeraldHalpin, Kevin Hughes, Nancy Martin, David Morse, LeeNapier, Ernest Rakow, John Slate, Linda WessonPublications and Communications: James McLean,Chair, Sheldon Clark, John Enger, James Flaitz,Glennelle Halpin, Dwight Hare, Samuel Hinton, JohnPetry, Carolyn Reeves- KazelskisProgram: Nan Lintz, Chair, David Bell, Co-Chair,Lola Aagard, Anisa AI-Khatab, Arlene Amos, CollinBallance, Vickie Ballance, Jack Barnette, John Brown,Bette Burruss, William Butefish, Dean Butler, RobertByrne, Shirley Byrne, Nola Christenberry, LindaChristian, Sheldon Clark, Larry Daniel, J. LinwardDoak, Cordelia Douzenis, John Enger, Dan Fasko, GeneFranks, Russell French, James Gardiner, William Gilley,Harold Griffin, Samuel Hinton, Clifford Hofwolt, DonKellogg, Mildred (Betty) Kersh, Esther Leung, GeorgeMann, Nancy Martin, Patricia McClam, GeorgeMcCormick, Lonnie McIntyre, Janet Melancon, NormaMertz, Carolyn Minder, Arnold J. Moore, David Morse,Lee Napier, John Price, Ava Pugh, Ernest Rakow, L.Nan Restine, Janet Richards, Mike Richardson, JuliaRogers, Edward Shaw, John Slate, William Spencer,George Thomas, Anne Tishler, E. M. VanDevender,Dwillis Wallman, Kathleen Warden, Olga Welch, LindaWesson.

ArchiveslPaper Repository: Vernon Gifford, Chair,Wayne SheltonERIC Liaison: Walter Emanuel, Jr.1993 Local Arrangements (New Orleans): Rita Zerr1994 Local Arrangements (Nashville): Ann Neely

Membership: Jeffrey Gorrell, Chair, John Brown,Bette Burruss, Joan Butler, Bill Deaton, Gene Franks,Harold Griffin, Lonnie McIntyre, Tom Mize, DwillisWallmanGraduate Student Advisory: Glennelle Halpin, Chair,Jack Barnette, Walter Emanuel, Gerald Halpin.Future Site Selection 1995: Robert Calvery, Chair,Larry Daniel, Dan Fasko, Clifford Hofwolt, JamesMainord, Vincent McGrath, Ron Partridge, Ava Pugh,William SpencerSpecial Interest Groups: Dorothy D. ReedMSERA Foundation: Robert Rasmussen, Chair,Ronald Adams, Harry Bowman, Robert Kennedy, JudithBoserPolicy and Procedure Review: Ronald Adams, Chair,Harry Bowman, John Bums, Vernon Gifford, DianaLancaster, Robert Rasmussen, Anne Tishler, RobertKennedy, Judith Boser

Proposals Requested From Cities inMississippi

According to the rotation system used byMSERA in selecting the host city for the AnnualMeeting, the Future Site Selection Committee willrecommend to the Board of Directors a host city inMississippi for the 1995 MSERA Annual Meeting. Themeeting usually takes place the second week inNovember with approximately 350 members attending.A recommendation will be formulated by the committeeand presented to the Board of Directors at the 1992Annual Meeting in Knoxville. Proposals from the hostcity should include the following information:

1. Letter of invitation2. Name of a MSERA member who will be

serving as chair of local arrangements3. Hotel information (number of rooms, rates, in-

house equipment, meeting space, restaurants,parking, transportation, additional services andamenities)

4. Airport and airlines information5. Activities and attractions

Number of copies of proposal needed: 9Deadline: August 1, 1992Send proposals to: Robert Calvery

Southside School District70 Scott DriveBatesville, AR 72501(50l) 251-2341

CALL FOR PAPERS

1992 MSERA ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting of MSERA will be November 11-13,1992, in Knoxville, Tennessee. All members of MSERA areinvited to submit proposals for possible inclusion in theprogram. Proposals for 1) Discussion Sessions, 2) DisplaySessions, 3) Symposia, and 4) Training Sessions will beconsidered if they are postmarked by JUly 15, 1992. Proposalsare to be submitted in the form of an abstract.

1. Discussion sessions: Paper presentations are arrangedaround a general topic. Each participant will make a 10-12minute presentation. A general discussion will follow thepresentation. Papers may be one of three types:

(a) research, evaluation, or program results;(b) position papers; or(c) review of the literature.

An abstract for a paper presenting research, evaluation,or program results should include the following:

(1) a statement of the problem;(2) a summary of the methods which includes a

description of the data collection, instrumentation,analysis, and subjects;

(3) results; and(4) conclusionslimplications of the study.

Evaluation criteria will include the four areas listed above.Abstracts not including this information in sufficient detail toenable reviewers to adequately evaluate the study are likely tobe rejected.

An abstract for a position paper should contain the basictenets of the position and supporting evidence.

An abstract for a review of literature should include astatement of the problem, basic findings, and implications.

2. Display Sessions: Displays are to be organized topermit informal discussion of research projects, innovativeinstructional or administrative techniques, or new types ofinstrumentation. Displayers will have at least one hour for asession. Abstracts for displays should include what will bedisplayed, the significance of the topic, and methods used withthe topic.

3. Symposia: The extended presentation of a single topiccontains several research papers. Symposia are 50 minutesin length. Abstracts for a symposium should include anoverview, summaries of individual papers, and suggestions foraudience participation. The cover sheet for a symposiumshould list the organizer as the senior author and shouldinclude the title and presenter of each of the papers in thesymposium as "Co-Authors." If the organizer presents a paper,s/he should be listed among the co-authors in addition to thelisting as organizer.

4. Training Sessions: Offered on pertinent and populartopics, these sessions last one to three hours. Registrationfees are optional and set by the trainer. Abstracts shouldinclude scope of the session, objectives to be covered, andsummary of the activities. An abbreviated vita for each trainershould be included with the abstract.

What to Submit. Members submitting a proposal should sendthe following:

-3 completed cover sheets (each stapled to one of the fullabstracts)

-3 copies of the full abstract (with the name[s] andaffiliation[s] of the author[s])

-3 copies of the review abstract (without the name[s] andaffiliations of the author[s])

-2 self-addressed stamped envelopes-1 self-addressed stamped postcard (with proposal title

typed on the blank side)-2 Proposal Acknowledgement forms (with upper portion

typed in)-1 Acceptance and Assignment form (with upper portion

typed in)

How to Prepare the Full Abstract. Guidelines include thefollowing (see sample abstract on page XX).

The abstract should be typed, single space spaced, on8 1/2" x 11" paper with one-inch margins on all sides. Doublespace between paragraphs. Type in indented paragraph form(10 space indentions for paragraphs, 20 spaces for title andauthor[s]) with no divisions or headings in the abstract.

The title should be in all capitals and in quotation marks.The author(s) and their institutions(s) should be in upper andlower case letters.

The past tense should be used in describing the research.Spell numbers below 10. Use the number and percent sign(6% instead of "six percent"). Nothing should be underlinedexcept titles of books.

Proposals which are not in accordance with the statedguidelines will be returned to the author without review.

Indicate type of presentation in upper left, number ofwords in the abstract in the upper right. Abstracts forDiscussion, Display, and Training Sessions may not exceed200 words; abstracts for symposia may not exceed SOO words.

Each of the three full copies of the abstract is to includeat the top of the page the title, type of presentation,presenter(s), and institution(s), and is to be stapled behind acompleted Proposal Cover sheet.

How to Prepare the Review Abstract Delete thepresenter(s) name(s) and institution(s) from the full abstract.Do not attach to a completed cover sheet.

When to Submit: Proposals must be postmarked by July15,1992. The primary author will be notified by postcard ofreceipt of the proposal. Each proposal will undergo a blindreview process. Final notification of the disposition of eachproposal will be mailed prior to September 30, 1992.

MSERA Program ChairBureau of Educational Research and Service212 Claxton Education BuildingUniversity of TennesseeKnoxville, TN 37996

Primary authors of papers selected for the program mustpresent their papers in person. If adverse circumstancesprevent this, the primary author has the responsibility forobtaining a substitute to make the presentation. The ProgramChair must be notified of any changes.

The presenters must register for the meeting prior topresenting their papers.

Each contributor may be the primary author of no morethan a total of two discussion, display, or symposia papers.Contributors may participate as a second, etc., author on asmany other papers as desired.

Participants must bring at least 26 copies of theircompleted papers. One copy is for the MSERA Archives, 2Scopies are for distribution. Participants who wish to submittheir papers to ERIC should bring an additional two copies.

An overhead projector and a screen will be available ineach meeting room. Other audio-visual needs will be theresponsibility of the presenter.

Authors are requested to be consistent in how they listthemselves so that the name appears in the same form eachtime it is listed in the program. For example, Joan A. Smithshould be listed as Joan A. Smith throughout the program (ineach proposal containing the same name). Alternate listingsfor the same individual (Joan A. Smith, J. A. Smith, J. AliceSmith) lead to confusion and are to be avoided. This may alsoresult in the same individual being scheduled in two places atthe same time.

Any member interested in serving as a Session Chairshould send his/her name and address on a 3" x S" index cardand a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Program Chair.A Session Chair introduces each session participant, informshim/her of time limits, and may facilitate discussion in thesession. This is another opportunity to participate in theAnnual Meeting. Graduate student members are especiallyencouraged to submit their names to serve in this capacity.

Proposal Cover Sheet1992 MSERA Annual Meeting

MAILING ADDRESS OF SENIOR AUTHOR/SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZER. Please abbreviate your name (last name first) andaddress (including zip code) to 65 characters (including blanks or spaces) for the program address directory.

Type of presentation (check one)_Discussion - Research, Evaluation, Program Results_Discussion - Position Paper_Discussion - Review of Literature_Symposium

_Display_Training - Time Requested:

_1 hour _2 hours_3 hours

1. _Abilities CurriculumAdministration DevelopmentAdult Education Drug EducationArts Early Childhood EducationAt-Risk Students English EducationAttitudes EvaluationBlack Education FamilyBusiness Education FinanceCareer Education Gifted StudentsCommunication GrantsComputer Education HandicappedCounseling Health EducationCulture InserviceEducation

InstructionLanguageLearningLearningStylesMathematicsMedicineMicrocomputersMicro-TeachingOccupationsParent EducationPreschool EducationPreserviceSchoolsPrivateSchools

PsychologyPublic RelationsRace RelationsReadingResearch MethodologySchoolsSchool ImprovementScienceSocial SCiencesTeacher EducationTeaching & Library MaterialsTestsVocational Education

ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt11111tttt11tt1tttttt111t1t11To be completed by program chair:

Your proposal has been assigned ID# . Please refer to this ID number in any future correspondence.

_ Your proposal lacks one or more of the following which must be submitted as soon as possible. Please include theproposal ID# with the materials to avoid being considered as a separate submission.

_ 3 copies (or and original and two copies) of the full abstract including title, author(s) name(s) andaffiliation(s), and type of presentation

All proposals will be sent to at least two reviewers who will be unaware of author identification.You will be advised of the disposition of your proposal prior to October 1, 1992.In case of questions, contact Program Chair Nan Lintz, 1410 Old Shiloh Road, Greenville, TN 37743 (615) 638-5525tt t t tt t t t t t t tt t t t t t t tt t t tt t t tt t t tt t t t t t t t 1111111t 1111111111111111111111111111t 11111111111t t t t t t 1 t tt 11tt t 1 tt 1111111111tt 11tt 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

To be completed (typed) by presenter/organizer:Title of presentationtsymposium _

Primary presenter/organizer _tt tt t tt tt tt tt tt tt tt t tt 1 t tt 1 tt tt t tt 1111111111tt tt tt tt 1 tt 11tt 1111111tt 111111tt 111111tt tt tt 1To be completed by program chair:

The proposal listed above has been accepted for presentation at the MSERA Annual Meeting.

"EFFECTS OF STUDENT TEACHING ONTEACHING CONCERNS AND EFFICACY"

Richard Kazelskis, CarolynReeves-Kazelskis, and M. E.Kersh, University of SouthernMississippi

The purpose of the study was to determinethe effects of student teaching on preserviceteachers' sense of teaching efficacy and concernsabout teaching. Measures of concern and efficacywere obtained from a sample of 251 preserviceteachers immediately prior to student teaching and atthe end of each of two separate six-week studentteaching experiences. Teaching concerns weremeasured along seven dimensions, including concernabout: Impact Task, Self, Instructional Materials,School Climate, Classroom Behavior, and Acceptance byStudents. Efficacy was measured along twodimensions: Personal Efficacy and Teaching Efficacy.

A multivariate comparison of mean levels ofconcern and efficacy was significant (£ ~ .001),indicating changes in mean efficacy and concernscores across the three measurement periods. Concernabout Impact, Self, and Acceptance by Students andPersonal Efficacy were the main contributors to thesignificant multivariate result.

Significant reductions in mean levels ofconcern were found for each of the seven concerndimensions, and significant increases in meanefficacy scores were found from pre-student teachingto the end of the first student teaching experiencefor both efficacy measures.

Note that the abstract includes the following: Purpose/problem statement,number and type of subjects, data collection procedures and instruments, typeof analysis, results of analysis, and the study.

Any current member ofthe Mid-South Educational Research Association who submits anabstract for a proposed paper to be presented at the Annual meeting may enter the competitionfor the outstanding Paper Award. The MSERAmember who is the award recipient will receive a$200 cash award. have the paper published in the Mid-South Educational Researcher. and havethe opportunity to present the paper at the 1992 AERAAnnual Meeting. Please note that theaward competition is open only to MSERA members. Membership applications are included inthe MSERAResearcher and are available from: Diana Lancaster, LSU School of Dentistry. 1100Florida Avenue. Box 140, New Orleans, LA 70119-2799, (504) 948-8683.

2. The paper must be submitted to the Program Chair for review for presentation at theMSERAAnnual Meeting.

3. The author must submit six (6)copies of the paper to the Chair of the Selection Committeeby July 15. 1992. Eligible papers may be one of three types: (1) research, evaluation. orprogram results; (2) position paper. or (3) review of literature. Dissertations. theses, andcondensations thereof are not eligible for this award. Submissions to the OutstandingPaper Award competition are limited to 25 double-spaced, type-written pages, includingnarrative. tables. and bibliography. Papers not adhering to this limitation will be removedfrom consideration.

1. The Selection Committee will review and evaluate the papers to identifY the mostoutstanding papers among those submitted. The Chair of the Selection Committee willensure that each paper submitted will receive a minimum of three (3) blind reviews bymembers of the Selection Committee.

2. The five (5) papers receiving the highest composite reviews (or all papers if fewer than fiveare submitted) will then be reviewed by members of the Selection Committee based uponall possible pair-Wise comparisons. The paper judged to be most outstanding at theconclusion of the two-stage review process will be declared winner of the MSERAOutstanding Paper Award Competition.

The Chair of the Selection Committee will announce the winner at the MSERA AnnualMeeting. The winning paper will be published in the Mid-South Educational Researcher, arefereed. copyrighted publication of the Mid-South Educational Research Association.

Members who desire to place their papers in competition for the award and the opportunityto represent MSERA at the 1992 AERA Annual Meeting are invited to indicate their intent bysending an abstract of their paper. and subsequently six (6) copies of the paper. to the Chair ofthe Outstanding Paper and Distinguished Thesis/Dissertation Committee: Rob Kennedy425C Tate Page Hall. Westem Kentucky University. Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576.

DEADLINEfor Paper Submission: July 15, 1992

MSERA 1992 DISTINGillSHEDTHESIS/DISSERTATION AWARD

Any current member ofthe Mid-South Educational Research Association who submits anabstract for a proposed paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting may enter the competitionfor the MSERADistinguished Thesis/Dissertation Award. The award recipient will have the paperpublished in the Mid-South Educational Researcher and receive a certificate and a $200 cashaward at the MSERAAnnual Meeting in November.

2. The paper must be a condensation of a thesis or dissertation submitted as partialfulfillment of degree requirements at a college or university within the member states of MSERA.

3. The thesis or dissertation must have been completed during the previous two years.That is. papers submitted for the 1992 Award must have been completed dUring or after theSummer term of 1990.

4. The paper must be submitted to the Program Chair for review for presentation at theMSERAAnnual Meeting.

5. The author must submit six (6) copies of the paper to the Chair of the SelectionCommittee by July 15. 1992. Submissions to the distinguished Thesis/Dissertation Awardcompetition are limited to 25 double-spaced. typed pages. including narrative. tables. andbibliography. Papers not adhering to this limitation will be removed from consideration.

1. The Selection Committee will review and evaluate the papers to identifY the mostdistingUished papers among those submitted. The Chair of the Selection Committee will ensurethat each paper submitted will receive a minimum of three (3) blind reviews by members of theSelection Committee.

2. The five (5) papers receiving the highest composite review (or all papers if fewer thanfive (5) are submitted) will then be reviewed by members of the Selection Committee based uponall pair-wise comparisons. The paper judged to be most distingUished at the conclusion of thetwo-stage review process will be declared the winner of the MSERA DistingUishedThesis/Dissertation Award.

The Chair of the Selection Committee will announce the winner at the MSERA AnnualMeeting. The winning paper will be published in the Mid-South Educational Researcher. arefereed. copyrighted publication of the Mid-South Educational Research Association.

Members who desire to place their papers in competition for the award for 1992 are invitedto indicate their intent by sending six (6)copies of the paper to the Chair of the Outstanding Paperand DistingUished Thesis/Dissertation Selection Committee: Rob Kennedy. Tate Page Hall 425C.Western Kentucky University. Bowling Green. KY 42101-3576.

1991 Annual Meeting Evaluation Report

Each year the membership of the Mid-SouthEducational Research Association is given theopportunity to evaluate the Annual Meeting and to offertheir input into selected issues important to .theorganization. This evaluation takes place primarilyduring the Business Session, during which time surveyforms are circulated, responses are recorded, and thesurvey forms are collected. This year a total of 90survey forms were returned with some informationprovided (not all forms were completed). This responserate represents a substantial decline from last year(n=138), but was more in line with other previous years(1989, n=113; 1988, n=102). What is perhaps ofsomewhat greater concern is that this number representsonly a fraction of the total membership in attendance atthe Annual Meeting.

The first section of the survey form wasdevoted to basic demographic information. From it welearned that the male respondents outnumbered thefemale respondents slightly (M=47; F=35) and that thelargest percentage of respondents identified themselvesas higher education faculty members (Table 1). Therepresentation by state was relatively evenly divided(Table 2), with the one interesting observation that theleast well-represented MSERA state was Kentucky.

Category No.K-12 teacher 2K-12 administrator 6Department of Ed. 1Higher Education-student 7Higher Education-faculty 55Higher Education-administrator 13Othcr 6

Percentage2.226.67l.ll7.78

61.1014.446.67

StateAlabamaArkansasKentuckyLouisianaMississippiTennesseeOther

Number18148

1320116

Percentage20%15.56%8.89%

14.44%22.22%12.22%6.67%

Members were also posed a series of itemsrelated to registration and travel. A majority ofrespondents indicated that they had preregistered for themeeting (n=50, 58%), but a sizable number had not(n=36, 42%). Fewer than a third of the respondentsreported that they had traveled by air to attend themeeting (n=25, 30%), while approximately half of allrespondents (n=39, 49%) indicated that they were awareof the special air travel discount arranged through Delta.Only nine respondents (11 %) reported using the Deltadiscount

The other items on the survey addressedperceptions of the quality of various facets of theAnnual Meeting. When asked to rate the AnnualMeeting overall, 48% (n=40) rated it as excellent, 47%(n=39) rated it as good, and only 5% (n=4) rated it asfair. No one rated the meeting as poor Or very poor.When asked to judge the quality of the several types ofsessions scheduled, the responses tended to be positivefor each session type (Table 3). There continues to bea trend, at least among evaluation respondents, for asubstantial percentage to report not having attendedcertain types of sessions (e.g., display session- 60%,symposium- 35%, training session- 74%). This patternmay be due to the fewer number of such sessions, or tothe scheduling, or to some other factors.

Session Did notType Attend Poor Mixed Good Fx

Discussion 2 0 7 46 28 13Display 40 I 3 15 10Symposium 26 0 4 28 16Training 51 0 2 9 7Business 6 0 3 42 16New Members 4 22 0 9 6Keynote Address 25 1 11 18 22Presidential

Address 15 11 25 22

Members were also asked to assess severalfactors that can affect the quality of presentationsessions (Table 4). Here, again, the general pattern ofresponses was quite positive, although in two areas

(quality of presentations and number of papers persession) the number of individuals rating the factor asexcellent dropped off, relative to other factors.

Table 4 - Program Quality Ratings

Factor Poor Ac Good ExEffectiveness of session

format 0 8 37 38Scheduiing of

sessions 1 8 41 34Quality of

presentations 0 12 50 23Grouping of

papers 1 9 37 37Number of papers/

session 2 11 44 28

(Ac=Acceptable)(Ex-Excellent)

Several aspects of the meeting accommodationsand site were also rated (Table 5). All items receivedgenerally favorable marks (least favorably rated wererestaurants and night life).

NoItem Opinion Poor Ac Good ExSite of meeting 1 4 20 27 31Hotel Guest

Rooms 3 1 11 19 49Hotel Meeting

Rooms 1 0 6 20 54Local Restaurants 8 4 14 34 23Local Nightlife 21 6 12 20 19MSERA Socials 8 1 10 29 33

(Ac=Acceptable)(Ex=Excellent)

A final set of items dealt with ways in whichthe meeting may have been of benefit to members(Table 6). The most favorable ratings in this category

. were "made useful professional contacts" and "had theopportunity to renew professional acquaintances," whilethe least favorable responses were "got ideas forinstructional activity" and "got ideas for administrativepractice."

Item Poor Just Ok Good Be.

Gained informationon topic(s) of interest 0 9 39 30

Shared informationon topic(s) of interest 0 3 46 31

Got idea(s) fora research project 1 7 42 26

Got idea(s) forinstructional activity 3 13 29 16

Got idea(s) foradministrative practice 6 9 23 14

Made useful professionalcontacts 2 5 36 35

Renewed professionalacquaintances 0 4 20 54

(Ex=Excellent)

Members were asked if they intended to attendnext year's meeting in Knoxville. A sizable majority(n=67, 80%) indicated they would attend next year,while a smaller number (n= 17, 20%) were not sure, andno one indicated they definitely would not attend nextyear.

This year, for the first time, an effort was madeto increase participation in the meeting evaluation bymaking evaluation forms available near the registrationtable. However, relatively few of the completedevaluation forms were collected in this manner. Effortswill continue to find methods to increase participation,and suggestions for improvements are welcomed.

The results of this year's evaluation seem toconfirm what was apparent at the time: that the AnnualMeeting in Lexington was a great success. This was duein no small part to the efforts of Barbara Lewis asProgram Chair and Jim Craig, Local ArrangementsChair. While there will always be unanticipatedglitches, and there will always be room forimprovement, we are fortunate, as an organization, tohave many dedicated members who each contribute intheir own way to the success of the Annual Meeting andto the strength of the organization .

PresidentJudith A. BoserUniversity of Tennessee212 ClaxtonKnoxville, TN 37996-3400(615) 974-2272

Past PresidentGypsy Abbott ClaytonUA Birmingham1709 Woodbine DriveBirmingham, AL 35209(205) 934-1800

Vice President/President ElectRobert L. KennedyWestern Kentucky University425C Tate Page HallBowling Green, KY 42101(502) 745-4890

Secretary-TreasurerDiana LancasterLSU School of Dentistry1100 Florida Avenue, Box 140New Orleans, LA 70119-2799(504) 948-8683

~abama RepresentativeAnne TishlerUniversity of MontevalloStation 6345Montevallo, AL 35115(205) 665-6345

Arkansas RepresentativeJohn L. BurnesArkansas State212 UniversityJonesboro, AR(501) 972-3064

UniversityDrive72401

Kentucky RepresentativeKenneth ClawsonEastern Kentucky University406 CombsRichmond, KY 40475-0940(606) 622-1132

Louisiana RepresentativeAva PughNortheast Louisiana University236 Strauss HallMonroe, LA 71209(318) 342-1282

Mississippi RepresentativeDavid MorseMississippi State UniversityPO Drawer EPMississippi State, MS 39762(601) 325-3815

Tennessee RepresentativeAnn NeelyVanderbilt UniversityBox 329, Peabody CollegeNashville, TN 37209(615) 322-8260

LEA RepresentativeArlene AmosChoctaw County SchoolsPO Box 368Ackerman, MS 39735(601) 285-6287

State Department RepresentativeBob CheesemanMississippi State DepartmentPO Box 771Jackson, MS 39205(601) 359-3772

At Large RepresentativeE. Dean ButlerMemphis State University404 Ball BuildingMemphis, TN 38152(901) 678-2725

At Large RepresentativeJames FlaitzUniv of Southwestern LouisianaPO Box 40240Lafayette, LA 70504-0241(318) 231-6744

At Large RepresentativeGlennelle HalpinAuburn University5086 Haley CenterAuburn, Al 36849(205) 844-3069

At Large RepresentativeDorothy D. ReedHeadquarters Air UniversityInst Effectiveness Bldg 800Maxwell AFB, Al 36112-5001(205) 953-5159

LERA RepresentativeBeatrice BaldwinSoutheastern Louisiana UnivPO Box 782Hammond, LA 70402(504) 549-5019

Executive SecretaryHarry L. BowmanMemphis State University215 Ball BuildingMemphis, TN 38152(901) 678-2363

we .••wI.••we .••w I.••we.••we. wI. -e. wI. we. wI. we. wI. we. w1992 MSERA Membership/Renewal Form

(Please print or type)

ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS: BITNET_ INTERNET_ OTHER _MSERA MEMBERSHIP: New_ Renewal_ ARE YOU A MEMBER OF AERA? Yes No_WOULD YOU LIKE INFORMATION ON AERA MEMBERSHIP? Yes_ No_DUES: Professional $10_ Student $6_ MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO MSERASEND FORM AND CHECK TO: Diana Lancaster

Instructional Services1100 Florida Avenue, Box #140New Orleans, LA 70119

THE RESEARCHERPublished at Mississippi State Universityfor the Mid-South Educational Research AssociationDepartment of Curriculum and InstructionCollege of EducationPO Box 6331Missisippi State, Mississippi 39762-6331

NON-PROFIT ORG.U. S. Postage PaidPermit No. 90MISS. STATE, MS 39762-

6331