University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A comparison of interpersonal communication, work motivation and conflict management between high school students in internship programs and traditional academic classrooms

Lyles, Judith Williams

This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19899

Description

Title
A comparison of interpersonal communication, work motivation and conflict management between high school students in internship programs and traditional academic classrooms
Author(s)
Lyles, Judith Williams
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Nelson, Robert E.
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Library Science
  • Education, Business
  • Education, Vocational
Language
eng
Abstract
  • This study measured preference ratings regarding interpersonal communication, work motivation and conflict management of high school students enrolled in internship programs and a comparison group of students attending traditional academic high school programs. Variables measured included sex, age and geographic location of school districts.
  • The survey instruments included: (a) an Interpersonal Communication's Inventory (ICI) which measured the process of communication as an element of social interaction, (b) Work Motivation Inventory (WMI) which assessed the strengths of five different needs systems as they affect performance in work situations, and (c) a Conflict Management Survey (CMS) which provided information about the manner in which students react to, and attempt to manage differences among themselves and others.
  • The data were analyzed utilizing frequency percentages, t-Tests and Analysis of Variance. A probability of $P < .05$ was set as the acceptable significance level for each statistical test.
  • Findings of the study included: (1) Intern students were more certain of their career choice following the internship experience than prior to the experiment. (2) The internship proved to be more beneficial to high school students whose parents had fewer years of education compared to intern students whose parents held college degrees. (3) Students in the internship programs maintained higher gain scores in conflict management skills than students in the traditional classrooms. (4) Male interns acclimated to the business internship environment better than female interns. Male interns seemingly produced harmonious relationships with business organizations and females did not feel appreciated or accepted by business organizations to the extent that male interns did.
  • Recommendations include further research of internships on the secondary level of education to include written material such as intern journals, daily log entries and case studies. A longitudinal study should be conducted to determine impact of internships on career choice and change.
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/19899
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 1990 Lyles, Judith Williams

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Education
Dissertations and Theses from the College of Education