Date of Award
12-1970
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Edward F. De Roche
Second Advisor
Adrian M. Dupuis
Third Advisor
Alton L. Raygor
Fourth Advisor
Frank L. Steeves
Fifth Advisor
Esther Zaret
Abstract
No history of this nineteen year old National Reading Conference has ever been written. The very fact that no measure of the influence and impact that this organization has had on reading and learning behavior, and reading pedagogy and theory development at the college level has ever been attempted, is an important reason for this study. The history and development of the National Reading Conference reflects the history and development of college reading instruction in the United States. Its eighteen yearbooks have reported the research in the field.
One objective of this study is a trend (content) analysis of the research contributions of the members of the National Reading Conference, in order to determine what changes have taken place within the organization. This study also proposes to examine the origins and development of the National Reading Conference. The study will investigate the influences this organization has had on the profession of teaching reading. The main purposes of this study will be an attempt to answer the following four questions:
1. What changes have taken place within the National Reading Conference from its inception to April, 1970?
2. What influences has the National Reading Conference had on the profession of teaching reading?
3. What is the status of the National Reading Conference at this time?
4. What conclusions can be drawn in order to delineate trends of the organization?
This study will attempt to answer the above questions through an analysis of the various events and meetings of the National Reading Conference and the resulting eighteen yearbooks. These events and influencing factors will be presented within the framework of the historical method of research.