This dissertation consists of two chapters on topics in Industrial Organization. In Chapter 1, I discuss a central question of the policy debate on public education: how to get more for less. Charter schools have been a tool in this arena to pressure traditional public schools to improve or lose students to them. Moreover, charter schools…

While focus group discussions have become popular across the communication research field, some researchers have pointed out the importance of studying group interactions within focus groups. However, most researchers used a qualitative approach and mostly explored the interaction between participants or between participants and the moderator.…

Agricultural communicators and extension educators need to make scientific information about global warming, a critical component of climate change, more salient to the general public to increase knowledge and to encourage people to take action to mitigate its effect; however, views on global warming are diverse. Scientists have repeatedly shown…

Experimental and observational research often involves asking consumers to self-report the impact of some proposed option. Because self-reported responses involve no consequence to the respondent for falsely revealing how he or she feels about an issue, self-reports may be subject to social desirability and other influences that bias responses in…

Geographic analysis has been adopted by businesses, especially the retail sector, since the early 1990s (Thrall, 2002). Institutional research can receive the same benefits businesses have by adopting geographic analysis and technology. The commonalities between businesses and higher education institutions include the existence of trade areas, the…

Relates the ways in which the various vocational programs and student organizations are making free enterprise/consumer/economic concepts an integral part of classroom, laboratory, and community activities. Lists activities for eight vocational education program areas in Florida. (LRA)

Borg, Mason, and Shapiro in "The Economic Consequences of State Lotteries" (Praeger, 1991) argue that the Florida lottery creates an implicit tax that is inequitable and inefficient. These conclusions are unconvincing. Are lotteries really responsible for 35% reductions in pupil spending in lottery states? Additional work by Borg and…

Economics and energy are topics of interest to students and teachers alike. They both affect our daily lives, influence how we live and have significant impacts on how our children will live. Since economic education was mandated by the Florida legislature, many attempts have been made to integrate the free enterprise and consumer education…

The course outlined in this curriculum guide, modified to fit the quinmester organization of schools, focuses on the role of the individual as a consumer. The aim of this elective, grades 7-9 course is to help the student develop sound decision-making habits for functioning more effectively in the marketplace and best fulfilling his role as a…

A study examined the life-styles of South Florida upscale "yuppie/yucca" (young, up-and-coming Cuban-American) Hispanics by exploring their consumption habits and such demographic variables as recreational activity, credit card ownership, housing, investments, language preference, marital status, education level, and income. The…

This guide, one of a series in the Quinmester Program, is intended to aid teachers in grades 10 through 12 as they prepare instructional programs dealing with current environmental crisis issues. The aim of this course of study is to help students understand political and economic ramifications of environmental problems and to motivate and provide…

This unit of instruction on attitudes, habits, and behaviors toward energy usage was designed for use by home economics teachers in Florida high schools and by home economics extension agents as they work with their clientele. It is one of a series of 11 instructional units (see note) written to help teachers and agents to educate their students…

THE CHIEF PURPOSE OF ADULT MIGRANT EDUCATION, AS DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT, IS TO ELIMINATE POVERTY BY PREPARING THE MIGRANT FOR PROFITABLE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY. THE FLORIDA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATES THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE IMMOKALEE MIGRANT ADULT EDUCATION PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND PRE-VOCATIONAL EXPERIENCES…

This document contains vocational education program courses standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs in home economics education offered at the secondary or postsecondary level as a part of Florida's comprehensive vocational education program.…

This document, consisting of six modules, was designed to help home economics teachers integrate the teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics skills into homemaking and consumer economics courses. The modules were developed to help students meet the minimum standards for these skills in Florida secondary schools. Preceding the modules in the…