An historical analysis of dissertation topics in the Department of Elementary Education, East Texas State University, 1964-1989

The purpose of this study was to examine the doctoral dissertations written in the Department of Elementary Education of East Texas State University between May 1964 and May 1989 in order to ascertain trends in topic and to compare those trends with national trends in education. The study served to facilitate continued reflection on the dissertation requirement and the manner in which it was addressed in the department. The focus was on three general questions: (1) What were the topics of the dissertations? (2) What were the trends in those topics over or within the period? (3) How did those trends compare with national trends in education during the same period?;The 137 dissertations were read to determine their topics and subjected to multiple sortings into categorical groupings determined by the data. Interpretative and comparative analyses were made to discern patterns which described trends. Identified trends were compared with national trends, which were determined in part through analyses of the Gallup polls of attitudes toward the public schools (1969-1989), special topics in Phi Delta Kappan (1963-1989), yearbooks of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (1964-1989), professional and governmental studies, and federal legislation and court rulings. Findings were reported in a narrative that merged data and analyses.;The dissertations were written under a highly experienced group of chairs, with 60% of them guiding five or more studies and 20% guiding 20 or more. The dissertations as a group exhibited a holistic quality in terms of broad areas of education. This was most obvious in the review of literature each contained, but was also evident through difficulty in fitting them into narrowly defined categories.;Issues addressed to a high degree on a national level and within the dissertations were teachers and teacher education, reading, early childhood education, and compensatory education. A strong national concern given notably little attention as a dissertation topic was desegregation. There was a trend within the set toward greater emphasis on cognitive concerns as opposed to affective. A high degree (80%) of public school involvement in the research phase of the studies indicated topic practicality.