NCJ Number
230300
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 61 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2010 Pages: 9-22
Date Published
March 2010
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether orientation before placement in a mandatory GED class while incarcerated improved readiness in self-perception of mood state, teacher perception of mood state, and teacher perception of classroom behavior.
Abstract
The findings indicate that the orientation had little initial effect on student inmate readiness for GED classes, however, teachers did perceive oriented students as being more active in the classroom. These findings could be explained by limitations with the environment as well as the fact that adults unaccustomed to being given responsibility for learning could become disoriented. Previous research has shown that more than one-quarter of inmates committed to the Federal Bureau of Prisons has not attained a high school diploma or a general equivalency degree (GED). This study was conducted to determine if an orientation class conducted before the start of GED classes improved the inmate classroom experience by triggering an internal mood motivational mechanism. The sample population was a group of 24 male inmates entering the GED classroom at the Federal Correctional Institution in Manchester, KY, from January 21, 2007, through March 30, 2007. The sample was divided into two groups, those who received a one-week orientation treatment and those placed in a control group. The goal was to see if those placed in the orientation program showed significant improvement in emotional readiness for GED classes. The study found mixed results for the orientation treatment received by the inmates. Implications for future research are discussed. References and tables