ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS' ABILITY TO USE EVIDENCE FROM SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS WAS DETERMINED. THE 320 PUPILS FROM GRADES ONE THROUGH SIX WERE PLACED IN DECISION-MAKING SITUATIONS REQUIRING THEM TO USE EVIDENCE FROM A PLATFORM BALANCE OR GRADUATED CYLINDER. PUPILS WERE REQUIRED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN MASSES OR VOLUMES OF PAIRS OF OBJECTS. THE…

Problem solving techniques were used by a Long Beach (California) Unified School District team that was charged with the responsibility of designing and implementing a course in black culture for certified employees of the district. The team used a four phase approach. First they defined the problem faced by the school district: that no course in…

This paper defines and discuss a number of basic concepts relevant to educational administration that form the basis for the Educational Management Project, a comprehensive inservice program for educational administrators that was developed by the Tucson Public Schools. Major topics discussed include educational management, the difference between…

This skill laboratory provides a technique for problem definition and alternative methods to gather pertinent data that surrounds a given situation. Seven skills are discussed including Kaufman's tri-level needs assessment model, intergroup building, organizational slice, force field analysis, brainstorming, problem definition, and conflict…

This paper discusses some of the central issues involved in philosophizing about rhetoric by raising two primary questions within the context of three traditional branches of philosophy: ontology, axiology, and epistemology. The two questions raised are: What are dialectical tensions in a philosophy of rhetoric? and How does a person try to cope…

In order to help students to be more efficient decision makers, it is essential to consider individual differences in the decision making process. The problem of this study was to determine the influence of specific internal and situational factors on the amount of information demanded prior to making risky decisions. Factors studied were category…

The report studies the effects that the achieved status of the principal (power figure) has on the productivity of a heierarchically differenitiated group (participants have unequal ascribed status relationships) when all of the group members have an equal share in making decisions. The study tests two hypotheses: (1) as leader achieved status…

The term "risky shift" is used to describe the tendency of groups to make a collective decision that is less conservative than the members might make as individuals. Previous research on this subject has been based on three analytical categories: demographic makeup of groups, group familiarity with the task and information, or individual…

The authors propose that a principal, instead of making all decisions himself, should convene faculty, staff, and student groups to help bring conflict into the open and to work on organizational problems systematically. This "team-leader" role assumes that team members are intelligent, competent, and want to perform well; and that an open…

Noting that mathematical modeling is a relatively new phenomenon in higher education and that much can be learned from the misdirections and mistakes that characterize modeling in general, the author describes major criticisms of modeling and suggests improvements, particularly in communication between modelers and potential model users. (JT)

Describes an effort now underway to develop and implement an experimental future studies program designed to provide opportunities for students to supplement the basic skills with specific survival skills for the future. Emphasis of the program is on planning skills, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, and communication skills. (JG)

This paper reports on the relationships between group composition, leadership and decisions through a study of small groups engaged in preferential bargaining about problems with open solution sets. The relationships were analyzed and can be compared best against the background of traditional approaches. (Author)

This theory takes in concepts of a "decision" and the decision-making process. The process model has three parts: (1) personal and situational variables, (2) decision behavior modes, and (3) decision procedures. Emphasis is placed on the influence of personal values in decision making. Implications for adult education research are drawn.…

SYNCON is a tool to examine future options; it is a process that begins with small groups, merges to larger composite groups, and finally one total group so that all members of a group can contribute towards the solution of a complex problem. (Author)

This model of consultation is a process of highly structured consensus for decision making. The consultant provides a framework for generating plans and solutions. The weakest link in consultation appears to be research and evaluation. Infusing consulting interns and university professors into internal operations will result in better evaluation…