The Differential Behavioral Work Styles of African American High School Students With and Without Le

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The Differential Behavioral Work Styles of
African American High School Students With and
Without Learning Disabilities

• Tony D. Bright, Ph.D
• July 25th 2002

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Problem Statement

• Many CTE programs are based on research
  reflecting a white middle-class perspective
  therefore, their applicability to diverse
  populations has been called into question (McNair
  Brown, 1993).
• Programs are generically designed so to meet the
  needs of all segments of the population (Kerka,
  1998).

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Narrow Focus Programs Are Not Tailored to Meet
Unique Needs of Students

• Low-income African American Students
• Less career mature
• Little knowledge of own career interests
• Lower occupational expectations for self
• Unemployed, underemployed, and employed part time
  in greater numbers than Caucasian counterparts
  (McNair Brown, 1993 Wagner Blackorby, 1996)

• Learning Disabilities
• African Americans have the highest representation
  in special education (Bondy, 1998)
• Highest unemployment rate
• Career immature
• Greater difficulty assessing skills weaknesses
  (rely on others)
• 2 times more likely to be indecisive about career
  aspirations (Rojweski, 1996)

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Self-Knowledge Interventions
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Behavioral Work Styles(Marston, 1928 Geier,
1989)

• Based on understanding of interpersonal styles
• Styles are influenced by specific values,
  beliefs, gender, ethnicity, SES, and family
  background.
• Intent recognize personal strengths and
  limitations and how individuals from various
  behavioral patterns relate to each other on the
  job.
• Gain an understanding of themselves and the
  environment most conducive to their style.

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Purpose of the Study

• To examine behavioral work style differences
  between two groups from one population
• 17 African American high school students with
  learning disabilities (LD)
• 15 African American high school students without
  learning disabilities (NLD)

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Research Question 1Independent Variable

• What are the behavioral work styles of LD NLD
  African American high school students?
• Are there differences in behavioral work styles
  between the two groups?
• Do the behavioral work styles of LD and NLD
  African American students differ from the
  majority population?

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Research Question 22 Dependent Variables

• Do relationships exist between behavioral work
  styles and the familial factors, students
  perceptions of parental involvement and
  socioeconomic status?
• Do relationships exist between behavioral work
  styles and level of student perceptions of
  parental involvement in career related
  activities?
• Do relationships exist between behavioral work
  styles and level of SES?

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Research Question 3

• Are the perceived behavioral work styles
  (students belief of their personal style)
  consistent with the realized self (observed
  styles) in a situated work context?

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Behavioral Work Styles(Marston, 1929
Operationalized by Geier, 1989)
Favorable environments provide comfort and
support feels empowered Unfavorable
environments perceived as antagonistic feels
challenged Individual responds positively or
negatively on an emotional level
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Behavioral Work Styles Dimensions

• Dominance emphasis is on shaping the
  environment by overcoming opposition. Acts on
  unfavorable environments.
• Influence emphasis is on shaping the
  environment by influencing or persuading others.
  Acts on favorable environments.
• Conscientiousness emphasis is on working with
  existing circumstances to promote quality.
  Accommodates unfavorable environments.
• Steadiness emphasis is on cooperating with
  others to carry out a task. Accommodates
  favorable environments.

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Dependent Variables Familial Factors

• Parental Involvement
• Daily barriers (Dillard, 1980)
• Social economic changes constrain time effort
  (NCRVE, 1997)
• Due to own lack of skills training believe had
  nothing to offer students (Wentling Waight,
  1999)
• Most successful students involved mothers,
  extended families, authoritative, influential
  (Luster McAdoo, 1996)

• SES
• Much of what schools know about behavior and
  career development does not apply to situational
  economic determinants that impinge African
  Americans (Dillard, 1980)
• Comprehensively related to career aspirations,
  choice, maturity (Harris, 1993)
• Associated with differing information about work,
  work experience, stereotypes

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MethodsQuantitative Qualitative

• Research Questions
• RQ 1 What are the behavioral work styles of
  African American students with and without LD
• RQ 2 Do relationships exist between behavioral
  work styles and student perceptions of parental
  involvement SES.?
• RQ 3 Are perceived behavioral work styles
  consistent with the realized self in a situated
  work context?

• Data Sources
• Behavioral Analysis Assessment
• (I-Sight)
• Questionnaire regarding student perceptions of
  parental involvement.
• Hollingshead Two-Factor Index of Social Status
  (included on questionnaire)
• One-on-one interviews and observations with eight
  randomly selected students (video and audio
  taped).
• Review of student records
• Triangulation of Data sources

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Research Question 1A Are there differences in
behavioral work styles between LD and NLD African
American students?
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Results RQ1Differences in predominant style and
dispersion

• LD
• Majority (53) Steadiness Dimension.
• Dominance (24) second highest classification
• Less powerful than the environment and believed
  the best way to accomplish goals was to cooperate
  with others (Geier, 1989)
• External Locus of Control

• NLD
• Dimensions more dispersed between Dominance (40)
  Steadiness (33)
• More powerful than the environment and believed
  the best way to accomplish goals was by taking
  control of environment based on their views
  (Geier, 1989)
• Internal Locus of Control

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Research Question 1 B Do the behavioral work
styles of LD and NLD African American students
differ from the majority population?
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Results RQ1 BDifferences in predominant style
and dispersion

• Caucasian dispersion was broad with no one style
  being predominant.
• Caucasian LD highest classified dimensions
  Steadiness (35) Influence (29)
• Caucasian NLD highest classified dimensions
  Conscientiousness (35) Dominance (30). In
  other words, they perceive the environment as
  non-supportive filled with challenges.
• African American Caucasian LD highest
  classified dimension was Steadiness.

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Results RQ1 Bby variables ethnicity group

• Dispersion by Ethnicity only
• Two highest classified dimensions of both groups
  were Steadiness and Dominance
• African American 75
• Caucasian 54
• Dispersion by Group only
• Again, two highest classified dimension of both
  groups were Steadiness and Dominance
• LD 67 - Predominant - Steadiness
• NLD 60 - Predominant - Dominance

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Research Question 2 A Do relationships exist
between behavioral work styles and student
perceptions of parental involvement (PPI)?

• BWS PPI Dominance highest PPI
  Steadiness lowest PPI
• PPI Group NLD highest PPI
  LD lowest PPI
• PPI Educational level of Father Mother
• Father College educated related to highest
  PPI, 11th grade or less education related to
  lowest PPI
• Mother College educated related to highest
  PPI, high school graduate related to lowest PPI
• Interaction Effect (PPI, Group, and Educational
  Level of Mother)
• LD NLD Highest PPI, college educated
  mothers
• LD Lowest PPI, high school graduate mothers
• NLD Lowest PPI, high school dropouts (11th
  grade or less)

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Research Question 2 B Do relationships exist
between behavioral work styles and levels of SES?

• Two Levels of SES
• (SES 1 low to low-middle)
• (SES 2 middle to high)
• Statistically Significant Relationships were
  found -
• 1) Behavioral Work Styles and SES levels
• SES 1 63 of respondents classified in
  Steadiness
• SES 2 54 of respondents classified in
  Dominance
• 2) Behavioral Work Styles, SES and male
  respondents
• 79 of males in SES 1 were classified in
  Steadiness
• No relationships among behavioral work
  styles, SES, and females

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Research Question 3 Are perceived behavioral
work styles consistent with the realized self in
a situated work context?

• I-Sight used as the standard against which other
  data sources (Interview Observation) were
  compared
• Consistency Criteria
• No discrepancy between perceived and realized
• styles score of 0 (consistent)
• One discrepancy between perceived and realized
  styles score of 1 (somewhat consistent)
• Two discrepancies between perceived and realized
  
• styles score of 2 (inconsistent)

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Consistency Results
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Results RQ3

• 80 of the eight students were consistent or
  somewhat consistent across perceived and
  realized styles.
• 75 of LD students were consistent compared to
  25 of NLD.
• 75 of NLD were somewhat consistent across the
  three data measures.
• One LD student was inconsistent across the
  three measures.
• Four case studies were written to explore
  perceived and realized consistencies (3 LD 1
  NLD).

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Discussion/ConclusionsRQ1

• LD
• Predominant classification of Steadiness
• More likely to exhibit an external locus of
  control
• Typical behaviors reflection of Steadiness
• Behaviors apparent in transition
• Steadiness behaviors may be linked to high rates
  of career immaturity
• Environmental success requires flexibility which
  may be difficult for LD. To accomplish their
  goals they rely on others (hallmark of Steadiness)

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Discussion/ConclusionsRQ1

• NLD
• Predominate classification of Dominance
• More powerful than the environment, internal
  locus of control
• Directly influenced by characteristics and
  environmental constraints
• Exhibiting Dominance behaviors can be viewed two
  ways 1) need to overcome opposition
  (strong-willed, impatient, quick-tempered, free
  from controls and restraints) and 2) result of
  environmental influences such as home and church.
  
• Dominance behaviors could be seen as problematic
  in the workplace.

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Discussion/ConclusionsRQ1(B)

• Steadiness predominant classification of LD
  African American Caucasian. Again supports
  external locus of control (Short
  Weissberg-Benchell, 1989).
• It appears that ethnicity did not play a role in
  predominant dimension of LD.
• Bingham (1980) LD are more likely to be viewed by
  themselves and others as ineffective, therefore
  they incorporate these perceptions in all aspects
  of life.
• Second highest classified dimensions were -
  African American LD (Dominance) and Caucasian LD
  (Influence).

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Discussion/ConclusionsRQ2

• Connection between Behavioral work styles, PPI,
  and SES levels.
• Highest PPI (Dominance) 54 of SES 2
• Supported by Luster and McAdoo (1999) who found
  that the most successful students had parents who
  were authoritative, influential, and had high
  expectations.
• Lowest PPI (Steadiness) 63 of SES 1
• Supported by McAdoo (1999), NCRVE (1997) Rank
  (1994) lower placement in the stratification
  hierarchy impinge modes of family interactions
  (including career related) and child rearing
  practices.

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Discussion/ConclusionsRQ3

• Consistency of Perceived and realized styles by
  the LD group is considered uncharacteristic for
  this group. LD have been shown to exhibit lower
  levels of psychological and developmental
  maturity, both of which are based on experience
  and knowledge about ones environment (Rojewski,
  1996).
• Consistency levels of each case based on several
  factors based on individual and environmental
  influences.

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Recommendations/ImplicationsEducational Research

• Provides the groundwork for future studies
• Types of LD IQ Are they reflected in certain
  style classifications?
• Studies that explore classifications in gender
  only
• Additional use of studys triangulation research
  design with other populations would add
  generalizability to findings.
• Link (prevalence) between student styles and
  educational level of parent, compare parents and
  students style, and examine notion of extended
  families. Could yield information specifically
  for parents.

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Recommendations/ImplicationsCTE Special
Education

• Predominant classifications have implications for
  tailoring programs
• Self-knowledge interventions for understanding
  specific style. Understanding of how their
  behaviors affect school, job, and peer relations.
  
• Interventions to help students think outside
  their style. Implications for accommodation and
  flexibility in work environments.
• Teacher In-service (prior to interventions)
• Authenticate style in work-based learning
  activities. Assist students in exploring
  environments conducive to their style.
• Heuristic tool for problem-solving and
  collaborative exercises.
• Target lower PPI students. Provide additional
  mentoring in career related activities (targeting
  career aspirations link aspirations and
  abilities, work-based learning in environment
  conducive to style provide a realistic picture
  between interests, skills, and training).

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Limitations

• Study took place in one CTE setting
• Small sample size
• Categorical (nominal) design of I-Sight
  dimensions (strength of association)
• Student perceptions of parental involvement in
  career related activities
• Situated work context would behaviors be
  different in different environments?
• Unable to review IEPs and CA-60s