Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Karen D. Bowser
Committee Member
Don Busché
Committee Member
Deo E. Nellis
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
application of chaos theory, chaos theory, curriculum, current and former students, development methodology, education programs, ex post facto research methodology, findings, four-year degrees, human service delivery, human service education, Human Services Department, human services, methodologies, professional practice, recommendations, research, service delivery, standards review, student surveys, summative evaluation methodology, United States, usefulness, Western Washington University, workforce preparation
Abstract
The study evaluates the utilization and usefulness of chaos theory in human service education and professional practice. One purpose of this study was to determine if current and former students in the Human Services Department at Western Washington University use the concepts outlined in chaos theory in the delivery of human services. A second purpose was to discover if chaos theory is being incorporated into the curriculum of other human service education programs that grant four-year degrees.
Methodologies used in this study included the summative evaluation methodology, the development methodology, and the ex post facto research methodology. Surveys were sent to 576 current and former students inquired about usefulness of chaos theory concepts in service delivery. In addition, surveys were sent to human service education programs that grant four-year degrees requesting information about the inclusion of chaos theory in their curriculum.
Conclusions made, based on the findings, were that human services students find the concepts in chaos theory useful in human service delivery, and that chaos theory is not currently being included in the curricula of human service education programs across the United States.
Recommendations included the need for further research in the application of chaos theory in the delivery of human services, and that the Council for Standards in Human Service Education review the findings of this study.