Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Guide groups : an evaluation of educational innovation in a secondary school

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  • Purpose of the Study: This study was undertaken as a result of interest in the introduction of guide groups into the operation of secondary schools. Particularly when viewed from the historical perspective of the times in which it was initiated, the guide group concept offers an opportunity to examine the process of innovation and the forces which affect new programs. The purpose for this investigation was to explore the significance of a secondary school's guide group program as a case study of innovation and educational practice. Furthermore, this study included an investigation into the political and economic forces which affected this particular innovation and the decisions made regarding it. Design of the Study: Initiated largely on the assumption that this innovation would accomplish humanistic goals, the guide group program examined in this study was introduced into a school district as part of the operation of a new high school in the community. For purposes of this case study, the school received the pseudonym "Westridge High School." The techniques frequently associated with the activities of a journalist or of an historian were used for the primary data collection. Materials and documents, including records, memoranda, speech transcripts, letters, articles, editorials, and minutes from meetings were collected. An additional source of information was supplied by the use of personal interviews, conducted under the promise of anonymity. Utilizing a collection of documents, materials, and personal interviews, this study evaluated the Westridge guide group program as an example of educational innovation. The resulting analysis and conclusions were intended to offer further contributions to the improvement of educational practices. Findings of the Study: The study of the Westridge guide group program included investigation into the history of the program's operation, the forces which affected it, and the educational and political issues which concerned it. The findings from this study included: 1. The guide group program changed from its original purposes. 2. Known innovation practices received inadequate attention. 3. The guide group program evaluation was politically motivated. 4. The original program intents were ignored. 5. Educational decisions were controlled by economic and political considerations. Conclusions and Implications of the Study This study showed that the destiny of the Westridge guide group program depended less upon its educational contribution, than upon the success of the Westridge supporters in respect to the political intrigues operating within the school system and its community. It is particularly in this regard that this study was offered, both as testimony to what happened, and to what might be learned for future educational practice about the subtle workings of an educational system and the political pressures associated with it.
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