Table Of ContentA CLASS ANALYSIS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
IDENTIFYING PUPIL MALADJUSTMENTS
A Project
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Education
by
Martin I* Wang
June, 1950
UMI Number: EP46123
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
UMI
Dissattatfon Publishing
UMI EP46123
Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author.
Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC.
All rights reserved. This work is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346
/«ro u / a v t
This project report, written under the direction
of the candidate’s adviser and approved by him,
has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty
of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science in Education.
Adviser
Dean
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .................. 1
Need for the project ............ 1
General description of the class used in this
project................. 2
Organization of the project. • • • • . . • • » • 2
II. METHOD OF PROCEDURE IN ORGANIZING DATA.......... b
Sources of data..........• • • • • • ......... *f
Tabulation of class marks. .............. b
Tabulation of standardized test data • • • • • • 6
Organization of data .................... 8
Limitations of the seattergram technique • • • • 8
Scattergram of 7A mathematics class marks. . . . 9
Seattergram of 7B mathematics class marks. . . . 11
Scattergram of 7B average class marks......... 13
Scattergram of standardized mathematics achieve
ment test score's ........................13
Scattergram of standardized reading achievement
test scores. 16
Sociogram showing class friendship pattern . . . 16
Sociogram showing class rejection pattern. . . . 19
III. THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA .............22
The use of the data. • • • • • • • • • . • • • • 22
ii
iii
CHAPTER PAGE
Tentative identification of overachievers and
underachievers . . . . . . . . ............. 22
Summary of accumulated data relating to each
pupil selected for further study • • • • . • • 23
Modified case study method used in individual
pupil investigation. • • • • • • • . . . . . . 25
IV. SPECIALS TUDY OF GERALD T., AN OVERACHIEVER. . . . 26
V. SPECIALS TUDY OF MARGARET W., AN OVERACHIEVER. . . 31
VI. SPECIAL STUDY OF CATHERINE H. , AN OVERACHIEVER . . 3?
VII. SPECIAL STUDY OF ROBERT F., AN UNDERACHIEVER . . . ^-2
VIII. SPECIAL STUDY OF EVA G., AN UNDERACHIEVER.......... 1+8
IX. SPECIAL STUDY OF BEVERLY S., AN UNDERACHIEVER. . . 53
X. SUMMARY. ............... 59
BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................... 62
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
I. Class Marks . ..................... • • . . . . • • 5
II, Standardized Test Data. . ................... 7
iv
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1. Scattergram of ?A Math Class Marks • • • • • . • • 10
2. Scattergram of 7B Math Class Marks • • • • • • • • 12
3. Scattergram of 7B Average Class Marks, . . . . . . l*f
*+. Scattergram of Standardized Math Achievement Test
Scores ., 15
5* Scattergram of Standardized Reading Achievement
Test Scores. ............. 17
6. Sociogram Showing Class Friendship Pattern • • . • 18
7* Sociogram Showing Class Rejection Pattern. . . . . 20
v
CHAPTER X
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The purpose of this project is to identify pupil mal
adjustments in a specific classroom situation by means of a
class analysis and to make special studies of those pupils
not making satisfactory academic adjustments.
Need for the project. Every teacher who is conscien
tious about his job spends a great amount of time attempting
to solve the problems of his maladjusted pupils. Quite often
the efforts of the teacher in learning about the maladjust
ments of his pupils and in dealing with them are confined to
the classroom. Much can be learned by observing the pupil
and by holding interviews with the pupil and his friends, but
all too often the vital facts concerning the pupil's malad
justment can be learned only by a thorough investigation of
his permanent records followed by some sort of special case
study. The teacher who fails to go beyond the classroom in
studying maladjustments usually does not see the maladjust
ments of those quiet, ultracooperative pupils who exhibit
none of the overt signs of maladjustment disturbing to the
class.
This project presents a systematic method of identify
ing maladjustments* There can be many ways of attacking the
problem and of identifying pupil maladjustments. This project
1
uses the point of view of the teacher of a 7A mathematics
class and makes a careful class analysis to identify the
overachievers and underachievers* The quantitative data used
in making a class analysis gives information about academic
adjustment only* However, the academically maladjusted pupils
often have psychological disorders as the cause of their
academic maladjustments* In order to help the other salad-
justed pupils in the class, other methods of attack must be
used, such as observation, followed by special case studies*
General description of the class used in this pro.iect*
The class for which this project is undertaken is a regular
7A mathematics class consisting of seventeen boys and seven
teen girls. These pupils range in age from eleven to fourteen
years, and their I.Q.*s vary from 66 to 138, as measured by
the California Test of Mental Maturity. The school has an
enrollment of 1,350 and is situated in a middle-class neighbor
hood of a large city* The counseling staff includes a full
time counselor, two vice-principals, three part-time grade
counselors, and home-room teachers.
Organization of this pro.iect. Chapter II presents the
sources of data and the techniques and devices used in organ
izing this information* The devices are presented as figures
of tables, seattergrams,.and sociograms, based on pupil class
marks, test scores in mathematics and reading, I*Q.*s, and
pupil questionnaires.
In Chapter III, a discussion of the interpretation and
use of the data, as well as an identification of overachievers
and underachievers. Also included in this chapter is a sum
mary of accumulated data relating to each academically malad
justed pupil and a suggested method for determining the causes
for this maladjustment.
Chapters IV-IX are devoted to special studies of individ
ual pupils selected from the scattergrams as academically mal
adjusted* Included in each special study are recommendations
for possible corrections of the pupil*s maladjustments,
A summary is given in Chapter X of the class analysis,
interpretation of the data, and conclusions drawn from individ
ual special studies*
