Repertory grid adaptations in detecting connotative trends and social behaviour problems in education

Please consult the paper edition of this thesis to read. It is available on the 5th Floor of the Library at Call Number: Z 9999 E38 K66 1983

This thesis adapts George Kelly's (1955) Role Construct Repertory Test as a method of detecting connotative trends and social behaviour problems in education. In order to reflect the needs of changing educational environments, Kelly's Repertory Grid was selected as being a versatile and perceptually flexible instrument that would allow educators to better understand and recognize the diverse nature and consequences of the learning process, as perceived by students of different levels. Two forms of the Repertory Grid, A for individual assessment and B for group administration, were adapted from Kelly's original Repertory Grid and presented to three samples spanning different educational levels. Constructs and role figures were supplied and extremity ratings were used to allow detection of the intensity of the subject's perceptions. These extremity ratings added to the interpretative quality of the Grid as an individual measure. The further advantage of extremity ratings is illustrated by the manner in which the data can be considered to represent the perceptions of groups of similar persons, thereby producing a relative, normative measure. Analysis of the lications of the Osgood Semantic Differential show that ratings of adjective pairs based on evaluation and activity tend to increase with age and education, and that adjective pairs based on the potency dimension remain fairly constant. Also the overall extremity used to rate these adjectives increases most significantly between the ages of 12.65 and 22 years. The instruments (Repgrids A and B) also show a high degree of face validity and can allow educators to look at the perceptions students have of themselves and important others. This interpretation can be done simply with few instructions. This device, properly used, could open new avenues of educational relationships and their implications. Kelly's design allows one to not only look at another's perceptions through his own eyes, but also to look with new perspective at one's own position on relational and behavioural issues.