Lifelong Adaptability: A Cultural Literacy Perspective (Revised Edition)
Author: Moyer, John Thayer
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Subjects: Home Economics,Suburban Schools,Intelligence,Physical Education,Driver Education,Cultural Literacy,Second Languages,Demography,Family Structure,Predictor Variables,Statistical Analysis,Surveys,Secondary School Students,Adjustment (to Environment),Gender Differences,Computer Literacy,Intellectual Disciplines,English Instruction,Secondary School Curriculum,Family Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Outcomes of Education,General Education,Factor Analysis

This revised 1997 ex post facto study attempted to identify a lifelong adaptability curriculum from a cultural literacy perspective.  It investigated students' lifelong adaptability ratings of 15 general school subjects as predicted by family structure, parental age, parental educational level, student cultural literacy, and student gender; student intelligence was covaried with student cultural literacy.  It also incorporated four survey respondent groups in seeking to achieve consensus on a lifelong adaptability curriculum.  In a middle-class suburban school district, 215 parents, 80 teachers, 78 total students, 51 culturally literate students, and 6 secondary building administrators provided usable Lifelong Adaptability Survey ratings of 15 general school subjects.  Sixty-eight students provided valid Cultural Literacy Test, Form B data; 71 students had Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT) student intelligence proxy scores; and 53 students had parent-provided demographic data.  Student intelligence significantly predicted student cultural literacy, and student cultural literacy did not significantly predict students' lifelong adaptability ratings after controlling for student intelligence.  There was not a significant additive effect of student cultural literacy and aggregate demography in predicting students' lifelong adaptability ratings.  There was a significant main effect of student gender in predicting students' lifelong adaptability ratings in that the female student assigned a significantly higher lifelong adaptability rating to English, to health, and to home economics.  There were not any significant two-way interactive effects of student cultural literacy and demography in predicting students' lifelong adaptability ratings.  There was partial consensus across respondent groups' lifelong adaptability ratings in that parents, teachers, and students deemed English and computer technology to have the greatest value for lifelong adaptability, whereas they deemed music to have the least value for lifelong adaptability.  A Practical Factor appeared to be surfacing with varying degrees of strength in parents', all students', and culturally literate students' lifelong adaptability ratings.  Parents', teachers', and culturally literate students' lifelong adaptability ratings shared the Practical-Academic Factor Model consisting of a Practical Factor (driver education, health, home economics, and physical education) and an Academic Factor (English, foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies).  From a cultural literacy perspective, it appears that a lifelong adaptability curriculum would emphasize English, computer technology, foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies within an Academic aspect of the curriculum along with driver education, health, home economics, and physical education within a Practical aspect of the curriculum.  A bibliography is included. (Contains 60 tables, 111 figures, and 29 appendices.)