Education Commons^™

Sense Of Belonging And Self-Esteem : What Are The Implications For Educational Outcomes Of Secondary School Students? : A Literature Review, Lynne Strudwicke

Theses : Honours

In this technological era a complete secondary education is more important than ever. Therefore, this review examines the issues surrounding students' at risk of dropping out of school. School factors such as the relevance of the curriculum, support. and also methods of assessment have each been associated with the dropout issue. These factors may also impact on students' sense of belonging, self-concept and self-esteem in negative or positive ways. Sense of belonging is a fundamental need. In schools it has been found to relate directly to achievement, indicating that mainly higher achieving students benefit from having this need fulfilled. Sense …

Fit To Print: A Content Analysis Of The Regent Universities' Student Papers, Ivy A. Sprague

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first comparative study conducted regarding the student publications for the three Iowa Regents' universities. The data collected shows that the three publications are not as different in terms of content as many of their readers seem to believe. As the data reflects, the Northern Iowan is significantly more campus-centered in its coverage. However, the difference is not so significant that the staff of the Northern Iowan could not increase its national and international coverage to make it more comparable to the other two newspapers. I hope this research can be of …

Understanding Equity And Oppression From A Different Perspective: Students Evaluate Their Education, Kevin Black

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In 1993, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training (MET) created a draft document on the topic of antiracism and ethnocultural equity in school boards. This document contained guidelines for anti-oppression policy and practice within schools. Many stakeholders within the education system and society debate whether or not an education for equity is being provided in schools. I chose to respond to this debate by listening to the voices of an unheard stakeholder group: students. Two methods of data collection, questionnaires and focus groups, were utilized in my study. Seventy-one students participated in the questionnaire section, and six students further …

The Effects Of Conceptual Change On The Transfer Of Established Skills, John Forbes

Theses : Honours

When people practice a task, their performance in terms of speed and accuracy normally improves in a smooth manner that follows a power function. The consistency with which the performance of a wide range of skills conforms to this power function relationship is known as the Power Law of Learning, and has been an important assumption of many of the dominant theories of skill acquisition and transfer. As such, the form of the power function that is derived from the training process has been used to predict performance when task conditions remain constant. However, Speelman and Kirsner (under review) have …

The Influence Of Gender-Role On Upper Primary School Students' Graphic Representations, Tamara Frederiks

Theses : Honours

The aim of this research was to study the effect of gender-rule on Year Six students' graphic representations completed during a visual transformation task. The influence of gender on learning has become a significant issue in primary schools and research in the area is needed to inform teachers about gender differences. The significance of the issue relates to the equality of opportunity for girls and boys in the classroom. Drawings are of significance because they provide teachers and parents with a glimpse of the developing child in terms of his or her creative and mental growth, feelings, emotions and world-view. …

Attitudes Of Lower Secondary School Students Toward Social Studies At An Independent School : A Case Study, Diane M. Hobbs

Theses : Honours

There is a dearth of research on student attitudes toward social studies, especially in Western Australian secondary schools. The purpose of this case study was twofold. Firstly it was to determine the attitudes of lower secondary school students toward social studies at one Independent high school in the Perth metropolitan area. Secondly, it was to investigate the factors that influence student attitudes toward social studies. The case study school was selected as a convenience sample. A total of 203 students from Years 8, 9, and 10 completed a questionnaire designed to determine attitudes toward social studies and to identify factors …

Year 9 Student Attitudes Toward Social Studies In A Western Australian Government High School : A Case Study, Leah Elizabeth Anne Hansberry

Theses : Honours

This study identifies the status of social studies in one metropolitan Government secondary school in Western Australia. This was achieved by investigating the attitudes of Year 9 students, at the case study school, toward the subject and by identifying the factors responsible for influencing these attitudes. A focus of the study was to explore the impact of student gender on attitudes toward the learning area. The underlying theoretical basis for the study contends that attitude toward social studies is a function of the interrelationship of student, teacher and learning environment variables. The empirical database for the study was quasi-experimental in …

The Feasibility Of A Flexibly Delivered Professional Development Program For Teachers In Road Safety Education, Vanessa Hille

Theses : Honours

School-based prevention education programs can contribute to a reduction in childhood road trauma by increasing students' knowledge, attitudes and skills. Professional development (PO) for teachers is needed to ensure effective implementation of health curricula. Access to conventional workshop PD is restricted by obstacles such as time, cost and lack of resources. A flexibly delivered PD program would allow teachers to study when, where and how they prefer. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a flexibly delivered PD program for teachers in road safety education. The target population was teachers from Western Australian primary schools. A …

Case Studies Of Children's Social And Emotional Adjustment At School After The Permanent Separation Of Their Parents, Gillian Kirk

Theses : Honours

The number of children who have experienced the separation of their parents is constantly rising. An increasing amount of children arc entering classrooms contending with their day-to-day stressors as well as the stress originating from then home lives. Many of these children are not prepared with the knowledge or understanding of their stressor, nor are they equipped with strategies that would help them deal with stress. Observations and interviews were conducted with four children who had experienced the separation and divorce of their parents over a period of six months. As the data for this study needed to be rich …

Resident Assistant Training Programs At Member Schools Of The Council Of Christian Colleges And Universities, Richard T. Gwaltney

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examined resident assistant training programs at member schools of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. Training content, methods, personnel, timing, duration, budgetary issues and evaluation reports were analyzed in order to gain clearer understanding of what is being done to train RAs at this sampling of institutions. Data were collected electronically by e-mail where respondents were able to access an online survey. The following six research questions were the focus of this study: Research question 1 - What are the institutional demographics of the sample institutions? Research question 2 - How much is being budgeted for training …

The Effect Of Conceptual Context Changes On Skill Transfer Performance, Kris Giesen

Theses : Honours

The effect of changing the conceptual context on task performance was examined. The aim was to evaluate whether power functions that describe improvement on old skills during practice can be used to predict further improvement on these skills when they are presented in a novel environment. This research was designed to extend Speelman and Kirsner's (under review) study, which involved testing the assumption made by many skill theories: that performance should continue to improve as if a change in task conditions had no effect. Eighty participants were randomly allocated to one of four distractor conditions: Operand Change (e.g., 2 x …

An Investigation Of Social Skill Group Counseling Intervention With At-Risk Students, Kathy A. Bennett

Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of teaching social skills to a group of 14 at-risk kindergarten students that were identified by their classroom teachers as exhibiting social skills deficits. A pre-test and post-test experimental design was devised using the Social Skills Direct Observation by Sheridan (1997). Students participated in a group social ski11s training program for five weeks. A statistical comparison between the pre and post test data was then performed by means of a nonparametric procedure. Results of the Wilcoxon's Matched Pairs-Signed-Ranks Test were indicative of positive gains in the students' acquisition of social …

Exploring The Attitudes Of Parents And Students Toward Homework, Pearl A. Jackson

Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes of parents and students toward homework. Since homework can be an effective learning experience for students and can involve parents in their children's education, the researcher sought to gain an insight into the area of homework as seen from the perspective of these individuals. The study examined the attitudes of 30 parents and 30 students in a Sixth Grade Center in St. Louis County. Data for the study was collected by having each of the study's participants complete an attitude survey related to the subject of homework. The results were …

Using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy With Problem Students, Karen Y. Boyle

Theses

The traditional approaches of spending hours of time addressing each student's problems is no longer feasible today due to the large caseloads of students school counselors and teachers often face. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is an approach which may be used for typical student concerns to achieve rapid observable change. School administrators and leachers will also benefit since each component of the approach may be used independently in a variety of situations. This thesis describes an outcome study of solution-oriented strategy in working with middle school students identified by teachers as having behavioral difficulties in the classroom. Subjects involved were a …

Regular Teachers' Attitudes To The Need For Additional Classroom Support For Integrated Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Rory Mcnally

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to examine regular classroom teachers' attitudes to additional classroom support, both physical and personnel, for students with mild and severe intellectual disabilities who may be integrated into regular classrooms. The concerns of the regular classroom teachers with regard to the successful inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities are certainly merit addressing. As the regular classroom teachers are largely responsible for the education of these integrated students, it is worthwhile to examine their perceived support levels in relation to integrated students with intellectual disabilities. It is anticipated that the results of this study will prove …

The Professional Development Of Beginning Teachers Of Primary Mathematics, Robert Leonard Sparrow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Recent documents have recommended a style of teaching for primary classrooms that favours a constructivist viewpoint of learning. The actuality of mathematics classrooms is different from this vision. Newly trained teachers while exposed to, and expounding, a constructivist philosophy are, in many cases, implementing a more traditional, teacher-centred approach to classroom practice. The purpose of this study was twofold: to investigate factors which influence the pedagogical practices and beliefs of beginning teachers of mathematics in primary classrooms and secondly to evaluate a professional development support model for beginning primary mathematics teachers. A model for professional development and support of beginning …

The Effects Of Use Of A Metacognitive Strategy On The Language Anxiety Of Missionaries At The Missionary Training Center, Laura Millet Bichon

Theses and Dissertations

Language anxiety is a form of anxiety that can negatively affect language learners by disrupting their cognitive processing, by rendering their learning experience unpleasant, and by reducing the quantity and quality of their language production. The language anxiety research contains many suggestions for anxiety reduction, one of these being the use of metacognitive language learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-monitoring, metacognitive strategy called ASWE on the language anxiety levels of young male and female missionaries in the intensive language learning program at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. The ASWE …

Parental Perceptions Of Their Child's Speech And Language Development, Jana M. Keasler

Honors Theses

This thesis discusses parental knowledge of their child's speech and language development. To assess this topic, a survey was administered to 104 parents of preschool children in Arkadelphia, AR. The survey asked general questions concerning speech and language development in children . Results revealed that parents, regardless of income level or education level, have minimal knowledge of speech and language development in their children. Parents with four or more children scored higher on the survey than parents with three fewer children. Implications for further studies are discussed.

The Relationship Between Burnout Among Secondary School Counselors And Selected Personal And School Variables, Paula P. Johnson

Theses

The purpose of the study was to: (1) assess the level of burnout and stress of public school counselors, (2) detem1ine if public school counselors differed in the reported level of burnout based on selected personal variables, and selected school variables. A convenient, volunteer sample was used from 42 public school counselors in a suburban area of St. Louis, Missouri. The instruments used for the study were the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Form Educational) and a demographic questionnaire.

The findings suggested that that level of burnout in the sample was in the moderate range on the Emotional Exhaustion subscale and in …

Elaboration And Validation Of The Educational Material Used In Nutritional Education In The Communities Of Copalacaya, Choquenaira, Callisaya, And Muruamaya, Of The Providence Ingavi Of The Department Of La Paz 1998, Maria Isabel Mercado Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This work had the objective to elaborate and validate educational, graphic material to give Nutritional Education in the communities of Copalapaya, Choquenaira, Callisaya, and Muruamaya belonging to the Ingavi province. With exclusive material for the rural area and with themes directed toward women, men, and children, such material was elaborated with the participation of all the community, where each one of them they put its abilities and gave ideas to improve the material and on all requested that the drawings be as close to reality as possible. The development of the study proceeded by the following: It started with a …

The Impact Of Environmental Issues And Stakeholder Expectations On U.S. Institutional And Programmatic Accreditation, Barbara L. Tedesco

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Framing Of Truancy : A Study Of Non-Attendance Policy As A Form Of Social Exclusion Within Western Australia, Jan Gray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Truancy is a product of socially constructed knowledge. The final product of this knowledge provides insight into the defining features of current societal beliefs, values and fears, becoming a powerful framing influence for definitions of acceptable patterns of school attendance and behaviour. In this sense, the perceived incidence of truancy within a community has far more impact on the creation and enactment of public policy associated with young people who do not regularly attend school than the incidence itself. This does not deny the incidence of truancy, nor the empirical data indicating correlates of truancy, illiteracy, crime, poverty and unemployment. …

Conceptions Of Learning Identified By Indigenous Students Entering A University Preparation Course, Alison M. Bunker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The increase in Indigenous participation in university courses in recent years has not been matched by an increase in graduation. In the mainstream university population, student success has been linked to approaches to learning, which are linked to conceptions of learning. This study investigates what conceptions of learning Indigenous students identify at the beginning of their university career. Thirty six students completed a 'Reflections on Learning Inventory' developed by Meyer (1995). Nine of these students were interviewed in depth about what they thought learning was and how they would go about it. The interview analysis for each of the nine …

What Counts As Accountability? : Towards An Accountability Framework For The Pre-Primary, Lennie Barblett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Accountability in the pre-primary year has become a focus for attention as schools develop corporate school plans. Pre-primary teachers can no longer work in isolation and are required to implement the school development plan in order to account for their portion of the school's work. This study aimed to find out how pre-primary teachers accounted for their educational programs and what factors influenced their accountability notions and practices. The study conducted in Western Australia used an ecological theoretical framework. Data was collected using multi-modal techniques and analysed using an interpretive-constructivist approach. Three case studies, a questionnaire and focus groups of …

Developing A Post Compulsory Evidence-Based Alcohol Education Curriculum That Is Relevant To Students And Acceptable To Teachers, Fiona Farringdon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this study was to develop a post compulsory, alcohol education curriculum that would be perceived as relevant by students and acceptable to teachers. The study had its conceptual basis in harm minimisation that has considerable justification in terms of what school-based alcohol education can realistically achieve. A harm minimisation approach is supported by parental attitudes, teachers, young people and government policy. To ensure the curriculum was developed in the Western Australian education context it has been linked to the Western Australian Curriculum Framework and adheres to the principles that underpin the framework. Furthermore, this study draws on …

Aboriginal Students Perceptions Of The Effect Of Vocational Education And Training On Post School Experiences, Steven J. Florisson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Over the past decade there have been dramatic and unprecedented changes in post compulsory education, with an increase of over 40% for year 12 retention rates to 76.6% in 1992 and huge expansion of year 11 and 12 vocational education and training programs. However, for Aboriginal past compulsory age students, the picture is very different. In 1993 the year 12 Aboriginal retention rate was only 24.48% or 982 students (Australia wide), and by 1996 only 10% of the indigenous 15 and older population had any post school qualification, compared to 35% of the total population. Only 34% of West Australian …

Phantom Classmates : A Case Study Of Talented Mathematics Students Learning Via Telematics, Leanne S. Clarke

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The main advantages and disadvantages of the Telematics environment for talented mathematics students were investigated through a case study. The case study considered the interaction of, and opinions of 11 Year 9 students and the teacher/researcher. Participants were from nine schools in regional Western Australia, and were withdrawn from face-to-face classes to attend mathematics transmissions. Qualitative data were collected through student interviews, an anonymous questionnaire, tape recording of lessons, and teacher field notes. Students all agreed the main disadvantage occurred if timetabling for Telematics transmissions did not align with their local school class times for the same subject. The teacher …

The Influence Of Womanist Identity On The Development Of Eating Disorders And Depression In African American Female College Students, Theresa Ford

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Relationship Between Elementary Principal Leadership Behavior And Teacher Morale, Dennis Walker Martin

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Into The Current State Of Chinese Higher Met [Maritime Education And Training] In The Light Of New International Legislation [And] With Particular Reference To Stcw'95, Biwu Chen

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.