Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Gomez-Estefan, Carlos Camilo
URN	etd-07302004-171533
Title	The Impact of a Work-Related Interpersonal Communication Skills Curriculum on the Work- and Social-Relationships of Ninth-Grades
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Gary W. Peterson, Ph.D. Committee Chair
Keywords	Evaluation Interpersonal Skills Curriculum
Date of Defense	2004-07-12
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The present study evaluated the impact of a work-related interpersonal skills curriculum on the classroom behavior of 114 ninth-graders at a charter school affiliated with a large southeastern university. This seven-week curriculum taught the work-related interpersonal communication skills of self-awareness and corrective feedback, empathic support, assertive responding, and conflict management. The evaluation component of this study addressed the curriculum in terms of three standards: (a) improvement in performance on critical incidents; (b) degree to which participants report having achieved the learning competencies; and (c) participant satisfaction with instruction. The result was a direct relationship between students who completed the curriculum assignments and significant (p < 0.01, B = 0.23) improvement from the pretest to the posttest on the quality of written responses to critical incidents. Seventy percent (70%) of the participants also reported achieving at least thirteen out of the fifteen learning goals and seventy-three percent (73%) reported that they felt satisfied with the instruction. The research component of this study measured changes of the in-class collegial workgroup peer ratings and out-of-class collegial socializing peer ratings over time (baseline, pretest, posttest, and follow-up periods). The changes in means of both peer ratings over time were measured with a within-subjects repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed that both peer ratings declined over time. Post-hoc analyses indicated a significant (p < 0.001; d = 0.4) mean change between the pretest and the posttest for in-class collegial workgroup peer ratings. There was also a significant (p < 0.01; d = 0.27) mean change between the baseline and the pretest, as well as a significant (p < 0.001; d = 0.26) mean change between pretest and posttest. In terms of transfer of learning into interpersonal relationships, 63% of the participants reported that the curriculum helped them improve their relationships with their friends; however, less than half reported that the curriculum helped them improve other relationships. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of the participants endorsed the whole intervention as having been worth their time. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of directions for future research and improving and implementing the curriculum.
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