The effect of a reality therapy based in-service training program on the self-assessed job performance of residence hall directors

Abstract

During the 1980-81 academic year, the Housing Office at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse implemented a 30 hour in-service training program based on the principles of Reality Therapy. This study was designed to determine what effect the 30 hours of Reality Therapy based training had on the residence hall directors. Two sample groups, an experimental group drawn from the hall directors at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a control group drawn from the hall directors at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, comprised the groups for testing. The relationship between in-service training and job performance of the hall director was measured utilizing a pre/posttest and by subjecting the mean scores to t-testing to determine significance. In addition, analysis of variance was performed on any t-test results that indicated significance. Participants were asked to do an initial rating and were administered the same instrument six months later. The instrument contained 19 items related to one-to-one communication skills and was designed to have participants rate themselves utilizing a 5 point Likert scale. The results of the testing indicated that both groups were basically equal prior to the beginning of in-service training. Several individual items produced significant differences but these differences were attributed to sampling error. Significant differences were found for three of the 19 items of pre/posttest scores of the experimental group. These differences may have been the result of the treatment, but were not enough to state that the overall posttest scores were significantly different from the experimental group's pretest scores. The category pertaining to the Delivery of Services (System) had results which indicated a significance between the pre and posttest scores. However, the results for the Delivery of Services category were not enough to indicate a significant difference on the pre/posttest scores for the three categories (professional expectations (self), delivery of services (self) and the person (student/RA) with whom you are working) combined.