A survey and analysis of the attitudes and experience of the high school debaters attending the Baylor Debaters' Workshop - August, 1975.
This study is a survey of the attitudes and experience of the high school debaters participating in the second session of the Baylor University summer debate institute in August of 1975. An investigation revealed that no similar study has been made concerning summer institutes. A questionnaire inquiring into the debaters' personal characteristics, methods of financing workshop participation, attitudes toward summer workshops, ethics of debate, effective communication, and competition was administered to the 208 participants in the workshop. Of these surveys, 195 were considered usable. Chapter One explains the significance and purpose of the study, presents a review of previous studies, discusses the methodology used, and includes the limitations of the study. Chapter Two discusses the debaters' characteristics by examining the educational levels and occupations of the debaters' parents. The debater himself is then examined in reference to career goals, travel, religious preference, extra-curricular activities other than debate, hobbies, and school size. Chapter Three discusses the importance of cost in choosing a summer institute, and shows the various ways students finance institute attendance. Tables show student's responses to these questions according to their experience level, squad size, and school size to determine if these three factors have an effect on the student's responses. Chapter Four reveals the debaters' reasons for attending this institute, and their attitudes toward ethics in debate, effective communication and competition. Tables show the students' responses to these questions, according to their experience level, squad size, and school size to determine if these three factors have an effect on the student's responses.
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