Dissertations / Theses: 'Equity and access to education'

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Townsend, Andrea D. "Equity and Access for Students with Disabilities: The Role of Implicit Bias and Oppression." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1625953250126442.

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Garrett, Galen. "Equity of access: Exploring Internet connectivity within Oklahoma public schools." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2004. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4663/.

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The purpose of this study was to ascertain if conditions or combinations of conditions existed within Oklahoma public schools that created inequities in the availability of classroom Internet connections. A stratified random sample of the 471 school districts was used to identify 300 specific schools for the purpose of data analysis. Data was gathered utilizing a database provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and a researcher developed questionnaire. The database provided data relating to four independent variables (region, district size, school type, and school size,). The dependent variable, percentage of classrooms connected to the Internet, was obtained by the researcher designed questionnaire. The state database also provided percentage information relating to students who qualify as minorities and qualify for free or reduced lunches. The data was tested using a series of ANOVAs and a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The findings of the study are as follows: (a) The analysis of variance showed that none of the independent variables had a significant effect upon the percentage of classrooms connected to the Internet; (b) The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient revealed little or no correlation between the percentage of disadvantaged or minority students and the percentage of classroom Internet connections.

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Igualada, Mirynne O'Connor. "The beliefs of advanced placement teachers regarding equity and access to advanced placement courses| A mixed-methods study." Thesis, Florida Atlantic University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10154938.

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This mixed methods study of teachers’ beliefs about Advanced Placement (AP) equity and access policies occurred in Sunshine County School District, a large south Florida school district that has received accolades for leading the nation in access and equity in AP. Drawing on social reconstructionism, this study framed AP as an acceleration mechanism with the potential to increase students’ prospects for social advancement. These policies have resulted in a more diverse classroom experience through nontraditional student participation in AP courses.

The purpose of this embedded case study was to examine the relationship between beliefs held by AP teachers in regard to the implementation of equity and access policies, as well as to what extent these beliefs may support or hinder the execution of such policies and procedures. The study occurred in three phases and consisted of document analysis, a survey, and interviews. Surveys collected from 176 AP teachers in the district yielded quantitative data on AP teachers’ beliefs regarding equity and access and the subsequent implementation of equity and access policies. Qualitative data regarding beliefs surrounding equity and access policies and the potential challenges these policies may pose were collected through open-ended survey questions, document analysis, and interviews with eight teachers at two selected high schools representing the highest and the lowest access rates to AP in the district.

The findings indicated that AP teachers support equity and access policies in AP. Despite these beliefs, there is evidence that such policies are not implemented consistently across schools and particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related content areas. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data led to the conclusion that the historic tension between elitism and equity that surrounds the AP program currently is fueled primarily through state accountability measures. Implications and suggestions for future research are related to policy changes regarding the revision of the state of Florida grading system and district-level procedural changes in relation to the design of school-based professional development and development of clear AP pathways that support access among underrepresented students.

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Pounders, Cherise. "Social Justice Leadership| Advocating Equity, Access and Opportunity for Black Students Attending Urban High-Poverty Elementary Schools." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10685504.

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The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences and perspectives of 4 elementary school principals and 4 instructional leaders committed to social justice practices who have improved and sustained grade level performance in reading with Black students for the duration of 3 consecutive years.

Four research questions guided this study and included: What strategies are used by elementary principals and instructional leaders to advance equity, access, and opportunity, to improve core teaching and curriculum, address barriers faced, and develop resilience when leading the work of social justice? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the intention of learning specific leadership strategies used to create, promote, and sustain equitable learning environments where Black students meet and exceed proficiency rates in reading.

Key findings suggest that leaders who accomplish and sustain high academic achievement at their schools hold high expectations for their students, immerse themselves in culturally responsive professional development trainings, seek community supports to enhance curricular programs, and invest in professional study and self-care practices to sustain themselves both professionally and personally. Recommendations for future policy demonstrate the need for principal preparation programs dedicated to addressing social justice leadership practices as a means to advocate equity, access, and opportunity for marginalized and oppressed students everywhere.

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Fogarty, Diane. "Universal Design for Learning| A New Clinical Practice Assessment Tool Toward Creating Access and Equity for ALL Students." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10623437.

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To examine to what extent current general education pre-service teachers within a teacher preparation program at a private institution of higher education know and understand the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), expert focus groups were conducted. General education program syllabi were examined for UDL content and found to be lacking in such content. General education pre-service teachers videotaped lessons were reviewed for UDL content and were also found to be inadequate in demonstrating knowledge and understanding of Universal Design for Learning principles. Focus groups comprised of university fieldwork instructors and teacher education experts were asked to review and give feedback on a current clinical observation tool being utilized. Feedback indicated that the current tool was insufficient for measuring pre-service teachers’ knowledge and understanding of UDL. Further, the current tool was not anchored to the UDL framework or any other teaching framework. In service to contributing to the field of teacher preparation, a new clinical practice tool grounded in Universal Design for Learning was created.

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Hall, Heather. "Sustained Education Access for Homeless Youth: Case Study of U.S. Transitional Living Programs." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3300.

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Without interventions to address homelessness among youth, the risk of homelessness for future generations is great. As a result, the federal government has invested in funding Transitional Living Programs (TLPs), though it is not clear whether these programs have achieved the intended outcomes of helping youth transition from homelessness to being able to sustain employment and avoid poverty through access to educational and workforce programs. Using the broad conceptualization of democratic governance as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to assess whether access to educational programs through TLPs benefitted homeless youth in terms of program success. Data for this study were collected through interviews with 9 administrators of TLP service providers and publicly available documents for the years 2008-2014. Interview data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis, and data from public sources were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis revealed that long term, post-TLP outcomes were difficult to track as individual TLPs tended to lose contact with youth, though self-advocacy for participants, coupled with the ability to sustain long term independence, were keys to success for program participants. Participants also noted their perception that education through TLPs provide opportunity for stable social and economic connections. Positive social change resulting from this study may be attained if TLP long-term outcomes are evaluated using metrics that are realistic for the target population, and organizational goals are refocused on improving opportunities for youth to make meaningful contributions to their communities, and thereby build the social equity necessary for long-term success.

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Demaree, Roger D. "A Quantitative Analysis of the Association between Advanced Placement Access and Equity at High Schools in a Mid-Atlantic State." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10090331.

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Advanced Placement curricula have become significant components of instruction for high school students in the United States, consuming resources and shaping education in ways that affect high school students both within and outside the AP classroom. Educational research has documented significant gaps in educational equity for some demographic groups and substantial advantages for others. Peer reviewed literature exploring the relationship between the level of educational challenge offered within a school and educational equity within the same school is quite limited. In the absence of the appropriate research, planners and policy makers cannot properly evaluate whether educational strategies emphasizing rigorous instruction, such as is found in AP curricula, would help to address the racial gap in equity, contribute to that gap, or have no effect on educational equity.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the size of a school’s program to provide college-level instruction and the racial equity of that program. Quantitative methods were used to answer this question in a single Mid-Atlantic state, using the relative size of each high school’s Advanced Placement program, per graduating senior, as an indicator of the size of the school’s program to provide college-level instruction to its students. Racial equity was measured by comparing the relative numbers of AP exams per Black or Hispanic graduating senior with the corresponding numbers for all other seniors in the school. Additional qualitative data analysis investigated trends in student choice of AP exams.

Quantitative statistical tests found no statistically significant relationship between the size of a high school’s AP program and the rate of Black or Hispanic participation in that program, or between changes in the size of a high school’s AP program and changes in the rate of Black or Hispanic participation in that program. This neutral result implies that educational leaders can deal with AP planning and with educational gaps among subgroups of students as separate issues rather than as interrelated topics. Qualitative explorations identified several trends, including an apparent general decrease in the proportion of AP exams taken in English and Mathematics as the size of a school’s AP program increases and an apparent changes in the proportions of certain exams, including an increase in the proportion of Science exams taken in Environmental Science, an increase in the proportion of Mathematics exams taken in Statistics, and a decrease in the proportion of Science exams taken in Biology for schools with larger AP programs.

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Stone, Catherine. "The Second Chance Journey... or... "How did these oldies get to be uni students?"." University of Sydney, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5324.

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Doctor of Social Work
This doctoral thesis presents the findings of a qualitative research project which examines the impact of university study on a group of twenty female and male mature-age students at the University of Newcastle, Australia, who have entered university via a non-traditional pathway. The students who are the subject of this thesis are in the second to final years of their undergraduate degree programs and have all faced significant hurdles in gaining university entrance and persevering with their studies. The majority have come from lower socio-economic backgrounds with little, if any, family history of higher education and little positive experience of prior study. Postmodern feminist theory has primarily informed this research, using a narrative method to gather the data, analyse the results and present the findings. This thesis describes the experiences of the twenty individuals, derived from their individual narratives. As such, it gives voice to their stories: their triumphs and achievements as well as their struggles. It examines the gender issues that are at work in the shaping of their experiences, including the ways in which gender affected the type and extent of help and support on which they could rely. It highlights the transformative nature of these experiences for each of the students in this cohort, as well as potentially the next generation, and makes some tentative connections between these individual experiences and the experiences of the wider mature-age university student population. The narratives that individuals tell are socially and culturally located. Hence it is likely that the experiences of these twenty students may reflect, at least to some extent, the experiences of other mature-age students within a similar culture. The findings of this research also highlight the important role that higher education institutions can play, not only in widening access to higher education, but also in encouraging and assisting students, from a diverse range of backgrounds, to participate fully in higher education and achieve their goals.

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Short, Myriah J. "Equality of Opportunity: Equal Access to Higher Education." Ohio : Ohio University, 2009. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1229624814.

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Mims, Pamela J., and Carol Stanger. "Grade Aligned Language Arts: Access through an iPad App." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/197.

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This presentation will inform participants on a study targeting teaching Middle School ELA skills via an App to students with significant disabilities. Based on results of a single subject study, participants will learn about apps to make accessing the general curriculum motivating and easy to use while promoting best practices. Learner outcomes: • This presentation will provide an interactive session on the use of the iPad app for use in grade aligned ELA instruction for students with significant disabilities from diverse backgrounds; • Participants will learn about the results of the single subject study conducted on the app with students with significant intellectual disabilities including autism; and • Participants will gain information about the scripted lesson, which promotes best practices in teaching ELA.

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Lorenzo, Sarah-Jane Lasek. "Planning Postsecondary Pathways: An Exploration ofCollege and Career Access through Solutions-Based Reporting." Ohio University Honors Tutorial College / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1502999397675549.

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Jimenez, Bree, and Pamela J. Mims. "Assuming Competence: Philosophical Basis for Research in Access to the General Curriculum." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/186.

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Using best-practices and supports that apply the least dangerous assumption (LDA) is a powerful tool for increasing overall student quality of life and keeping alive a vision of high achievement for all students. This presentation will focus on research and evidence based strategies to promote the LDA for students with significant disabilities regarding accessing personally relevant academic instruction with meaningful student centered outcomes. OBJECTIVES: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: a) identify four criteria to promote Least Dangerous Assumption b) discuss ways to successfully implement the four criteria in their classroom to meet the needs of a wide range of diverse students with significant disabilities c) identify resources that incorporate these four criteria and are applicable to students from diverse backgrounds

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Muyombano, Emmanuel. "The Geography of Primary and Secondary Education in Rwanda." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2008. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_7773_1263508586.

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The study focuses on primary and secondary education rather than tertiary education as primary schools enrol the largest number of Rwandan students and absorb the major share of public spending on education.

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Moss, Sidney. "Teachers' Perceptions of Actions to Achieve Equity and Access to Excellence in a Large School District." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2013. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/5679.

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The purpose of this mixed-method, descriptive study was to determine the teachers' perceptions who were employed in the target school district from 2003 to 2011, regarding school district second-order change leadership decisions, events, and challenges, and the extent to which equity and access to excellence for all students were achieved. Also investigated was the relationship, if any, that existed in achieving equity and access to excellence based on school district second-order change leadership from 2003 to 2011. Teacher perception data were analyzed from a survey presented to teachers in over 16 schools who had been consecutively employed in the target school district from 2003 to 2011. The findings of this research suggest that teachers' perceptions of specific school district leadership decisions, events, and challenges contributed to improving opportunities for students who historically were not provided equitable opportunities for academic achievement and post high school career advancement. Beginning in 2003, the target school district underwent a leadership transition period in which a new superintendent established history-making goals and objectives for the school district. The findings suggest that based on teachers' perceptions, school district efforts provided for greater access to technology, high quality instruction, specific programs of study such as the implementation of magnet programs, and college preparation courses. The greater access provided the opportunity for equity and access to excellence for all students, especially those who historically lacked access and investment with respect to their demographics (race, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity). There were limitations to this study. Objectivity may be questioned since the participants were employees of the school district. It was assumed that participants in the study responded accurately and honestly to the questions asked in the interviews and survey. Future research is recommended that would include a larger and more diverse sample. Further recommendations include separate studies to examine the differences between student achievement as a result of school district leadership efforts to attain access to equity and excellence based on college readiness assessment exam scores such as the SAT and/or the ACT, and college or technical school entrance and completion, with regard to student subgroups such as race, ethnicity, and family income.
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership; Executive

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Greer, Carolyn Anne Harris Melton. "The History of a Model Program for Urban Underrepresented Students to Access Higher Education, 1990-1995." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278206/.

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This study traced the development of the Equity 2000 Program in the Fort Worth Independent School District from its inception in 1990 to its sixth and final year as an exemplary program for equal access to higher education for minority and underserved youth. Program components included mathematics, counseling, staff development, academic enrichment activities, parent education and higher education linkages. Both primary and secondary sources were evaluated from the perspectives of internal and external criticism. The following conclusions were reached: 1) District policy must change if minority students are going to access algebra and geometry. 2) The lack of involvement of other curriculum areas created primarily a mathematics inservice program. 3) Required inservice was necessary to provide improved and more effective campus and district results. 4) The precollege guidance and counseling component needed integration with the mathematics component. 5) Lack of principals' involvement in the early development of the program contributed to uneven administrative support. 6) There was no definitive strategy for parental inclusion. 7) Funding sources were inadequate to fully implement all parts of the program. 8) There was limited participation of local institutions of higher education. 9) There was a lack of an ongoing, structured evaluation process to document the program's effectiveness. 10) Attitudes and perceptions of minority students and their parents about success in higher level mathematics courses can change over time. 11) The program was costly with limited documentation of the results. 12) Much of the training provided mathematics teachers and guidance counselors should be preservice instruction. The researcher made the following recommendations: conduct a historical study at each Equity site; continue the Summer Mathematics and Guidance Institutes; continue the Saturday Academy and the Algebra/Geometry Readiness Academies; provide outreach efforts to parents; provide precollege information to students and their parents; and provide related teacher and counselor preservice training.

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Mensah, Mary Afi. "Higher education access and participation for persons with disability in Ghanaian public universities." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2364.

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Globally, there is a growing interest in widening access and supporting participation for persons with disability in higher education. This situation is stimulated in part by major international treaties and protocols. Ghana has demonstrated its commitment to this global trend to formulate and implement national legislation on inclusive education across the country’s educational system. However, in Ghana, access to and participation in the higher education system by persons with disability remains poor despite national legislation and policies to address this issue. It appears that national policies have not fully translated into institutional policies and provisions dedicated to supporting persons with disability. This study investigated how the Inclusive Education (IE) Policy (2015) in Ghana has been reflected in institutional policies and provisions that focus on students with disability in Ghanaian public universities. The aim of the study was to explore the extent to which institutional policies, arrangements, and practices in Ghanaian public universities aligned with the IE policy and addressed disability issues to increase access and participation for persons with disability. A qualitative approach and interpretivist paradigm were adopted using a multi-case study design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 36 participants: seven policy architects from the National Steering Committee on Inclusive Education; three pro-vice chancellors; three deans of students; seven deans of school and heads of department; two heads and two staff from disability support units; as well as 12 students with disability. These participants represented architects of the IE policy and members of the three public universities in Ghana that were studied. Other data were collected from document analysis and observations and, together with data from the interviews, were used to establish how and to what extent institutional policies and provisions support access and full participation of persons with disability in Ghanaian public universities. Data from the interviews, observations, and documents were analysed thematically and presented in a narrative form. It was evident from the findings that awareness of the IE policy and the knowledge of its contents were limited in the case study universities. Although participants’ understanding of the objectives of the IE policy was consistent with the intentions of the policy, this knowledge was based on the participants’ experience rather than their knowledge of the policy content. Findings showed that the context of each case university reflected the extent of resourcing for policy implementation. This study also revealed that although the case study universities have provisions and a range of support services available for students with disability, these did not meet the students’ expectations. Further, it became evident from the data that attitudes towards students with disability were mainly negative, impacting university experiences of persons with disability. In addition, although the public universities in this research did admit some categories of students with disability, the universities tended to provide adjustments rather than inclusion due, in part, to financial constraints. This study has highlighted that knowledge of national legislation and policy on the inclusion of people with disability, resourcing, and attitudes at all levels of the university community have implications for widening access and supporting the participation of students with disability in public universities in Ghana. Finally, this study provides recommendations that may improve access and participation for persons with disability in Ghanaian public universities.

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Wilhite, Paul. "Superintendent second-order change leadership to achieve equity and access to excellence in a large Florida school district." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2012. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/5572.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of 244 school- and district-based administrators who were employed in a Florida school district from 2003-2011 regarding superintendent second-order change leadership decisions and events to achieve equity and access to excellence for all students in the school district. Interviews were also conducted with 11 active and retired school-based and district-based administrators to specifically address any factors that led to equity and access to excellence as well as any challenges the school district faced when implementing those actions and decisions. Quantitative data were used for a historical comparison of the targeted school district prior to and after 2003 to further understand the impact of equity and access to excellence within the school district. Two superintendent decisions were believed to be extremely educationally significant by respondents: High school reading centerpiece and International Baccalaureate program launch at Seminole High School. Respondents were least familiar with Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition established and Established Principal Forum. Three events were largely believed to be extremely educationally significant by respondents: District rated A each year of accountability, District designated academically high- performing, and Unitary status achieved. Respondents were least familiar with Florida Center for Reading Research project in high schools and Superintendent Leadership transition. Responses to open-ended questions indicated that equity and access to excellence were achieved in the school district between 2003 to 2011. The decision to attain unitary status led to other actions and decisions to achieve equity and access to excellence, e.g., the creation of magnet schools, the introduction of open access to Advanced Placement courses. The superintendent's greatest challenge was perceived by respondents as lack of funding. Interviewees cited poverty as a limiting factor in achievement of equity and excellence. All respondents agreed that working with the lowest achieving 25% of students to improve performance on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test was key to achieving equity and excellence in the school district. Most of the interviewees believed that all students have access to equity and excellence. In offering advice to other districts, most of the interviewees stressed the importance of focusing on data, demographics, and academic programs, stating that leaders should be committed to achieving equity and excellence and there needs to be total buy-in from the whole district. Further, superintendent success depended on a clear focus, a set of core values and the willingness and courage to implement second-order change.?
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Educational and Human Sciences
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership

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Dadzie, Dominic S. "Cost Sharing and Equity in Higher Education: Experiences of Selected Ghanaian Students." View abstract, 2009. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3371486.

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Taylor, Ashley Rae. "The Change: A Narrative-Informed Case Study Exploring the Tension between Structures and Agency in the Educational Trajectories of Engineering Students from Underserved Backgrounds." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96732.

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In the United States context, there is a particularly prevalent dialogue about the transformative power of an engineering degree for underserved students. Long positioned as a mechanism for moving up the social ladder, engineering education is often discussed as a mechanism for upward mobility, promising underserved students the opportunity to climb. However, a critical examination of who enrolls and persists in engineering degree programs suggests not everyone can equitably leverage the transformative power of an engineering degree, with persistent inequities for underserved students. Though literature highlights systemic barriers faced by underserved engineering students, much less is known about how underserved students navigate barriers to pursue an engineering bachelor's degree. Accordingly, the purpose of my study was to explore how students from underserved backgrounds navigate their educational trajectories, focusing on the interplay between structures and agency. Using a Bourdieusian lens, my study was guided by the overarching research question: In their narratives, how do students from underserved backgrounds describe navigating their educational trajectories towards a bachelor's engineering degree? I used a single case study methodology with embedded units of analysis to explore this research question. My primary data sources included narrative interviews with 32 underserved engineering students and geospatial community-level data extrapolated from students' home zip codes. My results indicate that underserved engineering students describe a variety of strategies to enact agency by planning, optimizing, and, at times, redirecting their educational trajectories. This study also highlights the influence of family, community, economic, and political environments on the educational journeys of underserved engineering students, as students described navigating and adapting to these various social environments. Students also describe their environments as dynamic, with trajectories changing based on critical incidents such as a parent illness or loss of work. Lastly, students' narratives highlight a diverse range of reasons for pursuing engineering, which often extended beyond private goods approaches to engineering education. My results present implications for engineering education, the most notable of which is that underserved students are not a monolithic group and represent a diverse range of lived experiences. My results also highlight agency as a collective endeavor, challenging popular notions that agency is operationalized at the level of a single individual. Lastly, students' lived experiences with material hardship highlight the dynamic and multidimensional nature of economic disadvantage. Such insights compel engineering educators to reexamine how we conceptualize and measure economic disadvantage in higher education. Ultimately, this research highlights opportunities to increase access and equity in engineering education for underserved students.
Doctor of Philosophy
In the United States, engineering is often viewed as a transformative career for underserved students. Long positioned as a mechanism for moving up the social ladder, engineering education is positioned to underserved students as an opportunity to climb. However, inequities in engineering education persist, with low income and first generation students underrepresented in engineering. The purpose of my study was to explore how students from underserved backgrounds navigate their educational trajectories, focusing on the interplay between societal forces (i.e., structures) and individual decision-making (i.e., agency). My study was guided by the overarching research question: In their narratives, how do students from underserved backgrounds describe navigating their educational trajectories towards a bachelor's engineering degree? My primary data sources included narrative interviews with 32 underserved engineering students and geospatial community-level data. My results indicate that underserved engineering students describe a variety of strategies to plan, optimize, and, at times, redirect their educational trajectories. This study highlights the influence of family, community, economic, and political environments on the educational journeys of underserved engineering students. Additionally, students describe their environments as dynamic, with trajectories changing based on critical incidents such as a parent illness or loss of work. Lastly, students' narratives highlight a diverse range of reasons for pursuing engineering, which often extended beyond private goods approaches to engineering education. My results highlight agency as a collective family endeavor, challenging popular notions that agency is operationalized at the level of a single individual. Lastly, students' lived experiences with material hardship highlight the dynamic and multidimensional nature of economic disadvantage. Such insights compel engineering educators to reexamine how we conceptualize and measure economic disadvantage in higher education. Ultimately, this research highlights opportunities to increase access and equity in engineering education for underserved students.

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Varley, Anna. "At the Gateway to Higher Education: Tracing Latino/a Pathways Toward First-Year Composition." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195038.

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This dissertation is a critical ethnographic study of institutional, ideological, and cultural factors influencing the educational pathways of low-income Latino/a students. The study lasted for nine months, and research was conducted in two field sites: a public high school and a public university in the Southwest. There were eighteen research participants--seventeen students and one teacher. A funds of knowledge approach combined with a Latino/a Critical Theory lens and best practices in college access allow a consideration of these factors in public schooling. I balanced institutional data with interviews, writing samples, and class discussions, and I found that factors hindering students' persistence included material conditions such as overcrowding, ideological constraints such as low expectations, and a cultural disconnect between students' values and the values embedded in school curricula and policies. Although these Latino/a students demonstrate experiential critical literacy, the students are not given an opportunity to connect their lived experiences to theory in school, which can hinder college-going attitudes. To foster critical democracy, practitioners of First-Year Composition have an opportunity to rethink our purpose and goals to make sure that what we advocate in theory--college persistence for all students--matches up with our practice. This study suggests remedies to ensure that in a system in which social, economic, and political inequities are fed by and feed our inequitable educational system, we can take an active role in reshaping the educational pipeline by working in partnership with public schools and communities to bring equity to college access and retention efforts.

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Emley, Elizabeth A. "Empowerment Education to Promote Youth and Community Health." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1598277140759782.

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Carboni, Cindy. "Teachers’ perspectives on digital access and factors impacting student ICT capability: Equity in national online assessments (NAPLAN) in Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2022. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2588.

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Digital technology is an increasingly integral component of teaching and learning within schools and, with Australia’s National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) moving to an online assessment, students now require a level of ICT capability to undertake this national measure of achievement. Substantial research exists around the presence of a digital divide, indicating that students from lower socioeconomic status households typically have less access to digital hardware and schools with low socio-educational advantage (SEA) are less likely to offer the same opportunities to engage with digital hardware as high SEA schools. This research examined classroom teacher perspectives on their students’ digital access and ICT capability and its impact on their ability to undertake online assessments. The research used a convergent mixed methods design to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The participants consisted of 107 self-selecting Australian teachers who completed an online survey. The participants worked in different school sectors representing a range of low to high socio-educational advantage schools. The findings of this research indicated that teachers identified inequity in digital access in students’ school and home learning environments. Students with access to their own devices, compared to students who share a device, were perceived by teachers to have significantly higher levels of ICT capabilities in both learning environments. Students accessed their own devices more prevalently in non-government schools, higher socio-educational advantaged schools, than in government schools and lower socio-educational advantaged schools, where students were more likely to share devices. The implications are important as the results identify that teachers perceive inequity in the level of digital ability students possess when undertaking online assessments like NAPLAN. The participants highlighted that the type of support schools provide to teachers and students to develop ICT capability influences the development of students’ digital abilities, with significant differences highlighted between school sectors. It is, therefore, critical for school stakeholders and state and federal governments to acknowledge how access to devices influences the ‘success’ of a student participating in online assessments. In order to support students’ development of ICT skills, teachers in government and lower SEA schools require specific and ongoing support to progress their ICT capabilities. Addressing the inequity in digital access and ICT capability is imperative to ensure that the introduction of online national assessments does not further disadvantage students from low SEA learning environments.

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Diez-Amigo, Sandro. "Essays on equality of opportunity and the access to higher education." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93808.

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Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Economics, 2014.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 131-134).
This dissertation examines the question of how to improve the access to higher education for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, in order to promote equality of opportunity. In order to do so, experimental evaluation methodology is used to address relevant research questions and draw actionable policy lessons in the context of the Chilean higher education system. The first chapter of this dissertation studies the impact of college peers on academic performance with the help of a natural experiment in Chile, which allows for exogenous classroom composition. In particular, first year students at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, one of the leading Chilean universities, are randomly assigned to their first semester college class groups. I take advantage of this feature in order to robustly estimate the impact of peer characteristics on undergraduate academic performance. The research hypothesis is that being assigned as a freshman to a group with more or less students from a same school, or from a given socioeconomic background, may result in very different patterns of adaptation, potentially impacting academic performance. Significant evidence is found that suggests that, contrary to the results found in most of the existing literature, the average college admission score of first semester classmates not only has no positive impact on the academic performance of undergraduate students, but may actually be negatively affecting their grades. Also, although there are some differences across degrees and secondary school types, in general undergraduate students are more likely to be dismissed, and have lower grades, when they share their first semester college class with a secondary schoolmate. Moreover, students assigned to first semester college classrooms with a higher concentration of classmates who attended the same secondary school(s) generally have significantly lower grades, and are less likely to graduate. Finally, students sharing their first semester college classroom with students from public or subsidized secondary schools are more likely to be dismissed due to poor academic performance. The fact that these peer effects are persistent In time points to the existence of a path dependence pattern, suggesting that this initial period in college is key for student adaptation. These findings have important implications for the design of policies intended to improve the adaptation of freshman college students and the access to higher education, suggesting that students would benefit from targeted first semester college class group assignment policies, as well as from additional transitional aid tailored to their profiles. The second chapter addresses the question of how to distinguish "knowledge" from "ability", in the context of improving the access to higher education. In particular, according to the existing evidence some higher education admission tests may be screening out students who, despite a relative lack of specific knowledge, possess as much intellectual ability as their peers. If this is the case, students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are likely to be disproportionately affected, since they generally receive a primary and secondary education of worse quality than their better-off peers, often resulting in significant knowledge gaps. Also, although in some cases these formative shortcomings might be too large to be feasibly addressed at the time of enrollment in higher education, it is plausible to think that in some cases they may perhaps be relatively easy to remedy. In view of all this, in this chapter I present a diagnostics experiment, aimed at helping to better understand this issue. In particular, I custom-designed a multiple-choice test, intended to measure an individual's mathematical ability, while minimizing the reliance on previously acquired knowledge. Also, I put together a two page "cheat sheet", which outlined all the necessary concepts to successfully complete the exam, without providing any explicit answers. This test was subsequently used to evaluate the candidates applying for admission into a special access program at one of the leading Chilean universities. A staged randomized control trial was used to measure the difference in academic performance (i.e. number of correctly answered questions) across the three parts of the exam between students who received a "cheat sheet" after the first or second parts of the test, respectively. As expected, "cheat sheets" improved the average performance of candidates on the exam, but their impact varied considerably across individuals. Most importantly, "cheat sheets" proved significantly more beneficial (in terms of improved test performance) to those students who were more likely to have had a secondary education of lower quality. This result has important implications for educational policies in Chile and elsewhere, suggesting that a transition to ability-focused admission tests would facilitate the access to higher education for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The third and final chapter of this dissertation presents a higher education special access program for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, custom-designed by the author for one of the leading Chilean universities, and implemented as a pilot during the 2013 and 2014 admission periods. A non-experimental comparison of the academic performance of special and ordinary admission students after enrollment finds evidence that, consistent with Arcidiacono et al (2011), although on average special admission students have comparable final grades than their ordinary admission peers, they tend to perform comparatively worse in "hard" subjects (i.e. those with a strong mathematical component). However, although special admission students seem more likely to decide to withdraw earlier, no significant differences in voluntary withdrawal or dismissal rates are observed between the latter and their ordinary admission peers. Moreover, an initial gap in GPA between special and ordinary admission students is closed by the end of the third semester of enrollment. All this suggests that, with some nuances, students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds can successfully catch up with their peers when provided with adequate support, and that special admission programs can therefore be an effective tool to improve the access to higher education. Nonetheless, the fact that the program was undersubscribed suggests that, apart from potential information diffusion problems, the minimum requirements set forth for special admission may have been too stringent, and/or that the demand for special admission among the targeted student population may not be as large as predicted.
by Sandro Diez-Amigo.
Ph. D.

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Mullan, Deirdre. "#The feminization of poverty' : education - the inequality of access and opportunity." Thesis, University of Ulster, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.242010.

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Childs, Davinah Sharnese. "EFFECTS OF MATH IDENTITY AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ON RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN MATH ENGAGEMENT, ADVANCED COURSE-TAKING, AND STEM ASPIRATION." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2017. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/426029.

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Urban Education
Ph.D.
Increasing the number of students of color in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields is critical for America’s economic, technological and scientific advancement, yet many are less likely to enter or persist. National efforts to decrease racial differences in STEM have been ongoing but their outcomes have not markedly broadened participation. Under-examined is the role of students’ STEM-specific identities, such as their math identity, on their STEM outcomes. Qualitative findings suggest learning mathematics is a racialized form of experience where students’ math identities and educational opportunities are shaped by race-based narratives of math ability. However, this hypothesis has not been tested with rigorous empirical evidence. Moreover, the role of students’ learning opportunities on actual outcomes is unclear. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS: 09), this study examines the role of math identity and other math attitudes in racial differences in four STEM-related outcomes: advanced math course enrollment, math behavioral and emotional engagement, and STEM career aspiration. Guided by a sociological perspective, I also examine the degree to which students’ school-contexts effect their outcomes and experiences. Lastly, drawing from intersectionality theory, I offer insight into how the inclusion of race and gender interactions change model results. The findings suggest that there are racial differences in mathematics identity, behavioral and emotional engagement, and school characteristics. However, math identity was not a significant predictor of math course enrollment and had little impact on the other outcome variables when student background and school characteristics are considered. The findings also illustrate how learning opportunities are allocated in ways that mirror the race-based hierarchy of math ability. I conclude by describing the study’s implications for policy and future research.
Temple University--Theses

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de, Gayardon de Fenoyl Ariane. "Access in free-tuition systems: A comparative perspective of the socio-economic background of students in countries with different tuition policies." Thesis, Boston College, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:107316.

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Thesis advisor: Hans de Wit
As higher education enters the 21st century, funding issues have evolved with continued massification and limited government funding (Johnstone & Marcucci, 2010). Increased reliance on students and their families to cover the cost of higher education have led to student demonstrations across the globe, their main demand being free tertiary education to improve equitable access (Bernasconi, 2012; Cloete, 2015; Taylor, 2014). This international comparative quantitative international study explores the relationship between tuition fees policies, and more specifically tuition-free policies, and equitable access in three Latin American countries. Participation, college choice, and attrition decisions are analyzed through the lens of the financial and cultural capitals of students, using 2011 and 2013 data from socio-economic surveys in Chile – a high tuition fees country, and Brazil and Argentina – two countries with free public higher education. The findings suggest that tuition fees policies do not carry the importance students think it does. Countries with tuition-free public higher education seem to have similar issues, if not worse, than tuition-charging countries in ensuring equitable access and success for students from low socio-economic backgrounds
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education

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Umeh, Ngozi Chuma. "Realising access to inclusive education for the hearing-impaired learner in Nigerian primary schools." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/64639.

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The hearing-impaired learner as part of a historically segregated and disadvantaged group experiences discrimination within Nigeria’s general education system and the socio-political environment. In this study, the focus is on how hearing-impaired learners can access inclusive education, using normative ideas of equality that could inform the understanding and interpretation of the non-discriminatory clause in the Nigerian constitution. Emphasis is on advancing thoughts that are normatively open to the inclusive equality needs of the hearing-impaired in accessing primary education, in order to inspire and be capable of altering existing discriminatory conditions prevalent within Nigeria’s general education system. The study uses a range of analytical skills to probe the inclusiveness of existing arrangements regarding inclusive equality in education for hearing-impaired learners in Nigeria. More broadly, the study makes use of qualitative analysis. However, the study also employs a reasonable part of fieldwork which necessitated the use of quantitative data analysis in order to determine the number of semi-structured questionnaires to be distributed to schools. More generally, the study utilises the social model approach to disability and neo-natural law perspectives as qualitative interpretive tools for appraising understandings of inclusivity in education for hearing-impaired learners. From ideas inspired from the social model and neo-natural law, the study adopts the prescriptive and directive approach as a directing element in the evaluation of the responsiveness of law, policy and practice towards securing inclusive equality in education for hearing-impaired learners. Additionally, the study employs some aspects of comparative analysis. The purpose was not so much to compare, but to create awareness regarding the equality and non-discrimination agenda in other jurisdictions. Against this backdrop, the Canadian and South African jurisdictions were used. The study contemplates that positive lessons could be learnt from these jurisdictions and mistakes can be avoided. Throughout, the study highlights the hidden nature of law, policy and practice in relation to hearing-impaired learners, which consequently demand the application of practical reasonableness and ideas of substantive justice in the making and implementation of rules and policy. The study situates inclusivity as a flexible approach that should present each learner with an opportunity to access and make choices regarding placement options as a matter of self determination. In the final analysis, the study argues for the establishment of a non-discriminatory educational system, where hearing-impaired learners are taught in a language that is accessible and comprehensible and with which the learner is familiar right from home at the early age of schooling. The study considers the utilisation of accessible and comprehensible language an operative part of achieving substantive equality in education for hearing-impaired learners.
Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Centre for Human Rights
LLD
Unrestricted

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White, Michelle Ann. "An Investigation of Gender, Prior Access to Athletics, and Interest Levels in Intercollegiate Sports of First-Time-in-College Freshmen." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2012. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/5570.

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The focus of this research was to investigate the effects of gender and level of prior access to athletic programs sponsored by school, community, church, student or civic groups, and informal programs on level of first-time-in-college (FTIC) freshmen's interest in participating in intercollegiate athletics. To this end, 1,196 respondents (682 females and 514 males) who were admitted to the University of Central Florida and attended freshman orientation sessions in May and June of 2007 at the UCF-Orlando campus completed the face-to-face survey. Participants ranged in age from 18 years of age to 25 years of age, representing varied racial/ethnic backgrounds, with a majority being registered as full-time students at time of the survey. The FTIC freshmen anonymously and voluntarily completed a modified version of The Student Interests in Athletics, Sports, and Fitness Survey (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1995). Quantitative data gathered through analysis of closed-response questions provided information on their demographics, general interest in athletics, prior access to school and non-school sponsored sports, and interest in participating in college athletics. Survey responses suggested that a gender difference exists in FTIC freshmen when taking into account prior access to school and non-school sponsored athletics in predicting level of interest in participating in intercollegiate sports. FTIC freshmen males reported having more access to athletics than did FTIC freshmen females prior to attending freshmen orientation sessions in May and June of 2007. In addition, more FTIC freshmen males than females reported being interested in participating in intercollegiate athletics. Lower interest and participation rates by females in intercollegiate sports may, therefore, be an artifact of less access to opportunities to participate in sports during high school. Although almost four decades have passed with the expectation of gender equity within school settings in effect, most educational institutions are not in compliance with Title IX legislation. Females have not been afforded the same opportunities to participate in sports as males, and this appears to have influenced their interest in participating in sports. The findings of this study demonstrate the need for increased enforcement of Title IX legislation at all levels of education for true gender equity and athletic interest to be realized.
ID: 031001407; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Adviser: Rosemarye Taylor.; Title from PDF title page (viewed June 12, 2013).; Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2012.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 170-193).
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Educational and Human Sciences
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership

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Sugimoto, Amanda Tori. "A Qualitative Study of the Positioning of Emergent Bilinguals during Formal and Informal School-Based Interactions." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/612433.

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The education of emergent bilinguals in the United States is overtly and covertly shaped by social, political, and institutional ideologies about languages and speakers of languages other than English. Using a multiple case study design, this study sought to explicate the often-complicated intersection of outsider institutional and societal ideologies with the insider lived experiences of emergent bilinguals in schools. The population of the school under study uniquely positioned emergent bilinguals as not only the linguistic minority but also the numeric minority, a population dynamic notably underrepresented in the literature. Using a positioning theory framework that focused on the normative constraints that support meaning making during social interactions, this study explored how primarily monolingual English-speaking teachers and peers interactionally positioned three fourth grade emergent bilinguals, as well as how these emergent bilinguals reflexively positioned themselves. Data collection efforts consisted of multiphase observations of classrooms including the creating of sociograms and fieldnotes, interviews with emergent bilinguals, teachers, and key peers, as well as a localized artifact analysis. Findings suggested that the emergent bilinguals unique backgrounds contributed to their variable reflexive positioning, as well as teachers' variable interactional positioning. Additionally, peer positioning and institutional norms contributed to emergent bilinguals having limited access to academic language development opportunities.

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au, marnev@cygnus uwa edu, and Neville James Green. "Access, equality and opportunity? : the education of Aboriginal children in Western Australia 1840-1978." Murdoch University, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20071218.141027.

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This thesis is a history of schooling for Indigenous children in Western Australia between the commencement of the first Aboriginal school in Perth in 1840 and 1978. The thesis represents the view that, for most of this period, and regardless of policy, education for Indigenous children was directed towards changing their beliefs and behaviours from being distinctly Aboriginal to recognizably European. Four major policies for Aborigines provide the framework for the thesis, these being amalgamation (1840-1852), protection (1886-1951), assimilation (1951-1972) and self-determination (1973- ). The amalgamation of the Indigenous popuIation with the small colonial society in Western Australia was a short-lived policy adopted by the British Colonial Office. Protection, a policy formalised by Western Australian legislation in 1886, 1905 and 1936, dominated Aboriginal affairs for the first half of the 2ofh century. Under this policy the Indigenous population was regarded as two distinct groups - a diminishing traditional population to be segregated and protected and an increasing part-Aboriginal population that was to be trained and made 'useful'. In 1951 Western Australia accepted a policy of assimilation, coordinated by the Commonwealth government, which anticipated that all people of Aboriginal descent would eventually be assimilated into the mainstream Australian society. This policy was replaced in 1973 by one of Aboriginal community self-determination, an initiative of the Commonwealth government and adopted throughout Australia. The attempts at directed cultural change were evident in the 'Native' schools that opened in Perth, Fremantle and Guildford in the 1840s where it was assumed that the separation of children from their families and a Christian education would achieve the transition from a 'savage to civilized' state. For another century the education of Indigenous children on missions and in government settlements was founded upon similar assumptions. The thesis acknowledges that the principal change agents, such as the Chief Protectors of Aborigines, mission administrators and the teachers in direct contact with the children, seriously underestimated both the enduring nature of Indigenous culture and the prejudice in Australian society. Between 1912 and 1941 a few government schools in the southern districts of Western Australia refused to admit Aboriginal children. The exclusion of these children is examined against a background of impoverished living conditions, restrictive legislation and mounting public pressure on the State and Commonwealth governments for a change in policy. The change did not begin to occur until 1951 when the Commonwealth and States agreed to a policy of assimilation. In Western Australia this policy extended education to all Aboriginal children. The thesis explores the provision of government teachers to Aboriginal schools in remote areas of Western Australia between 1951 and 1978. The final chapter examines Indigenous perceptions of independent community schools within the fust five years of the policy of self-determination and contrasts the objectives and management of two schools, Strelley in the Pilbara and Oombulguni in the Kimberley.

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Green, Neville J. "Access, equality and opportunity? The education of Aboriginal children in Western Australia 1840-1978." Thesis, Green, Neville, J. (2004) Access, equality and opportunity? The education of Aboriginal children in Western Australia 1840-1978. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/51383/.

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This thesis is a history of schooling for Indigenous children in Western Australia between the commencement of the first Aboriginal school in Perth in 1840 and 1978. The thesis represents the view that, for most of this period, and regardless of policy, education for Indigenous children was directed towards changing their beliefs and behaviours from being distinctly Aboriginal to recognizably European. Four major policies for Aborigines provide the framework for the thesis, these being amalgamation (1840-1852), protection (1886-1951), assimilation (1951-1972) and self-determination (1973-). The amalgamation of the Indigenous population with the small colonial society in Western Australia was a short-lived policy adopted by the British Colonial Office. Protection, a policy formalised by Western Australian legislation in 1886, 1905 and 1936, dominated Aboriginal affairs for the first half of the 20th century. Under this policy the Indigenous population was regarded as two distinct groups - a diminishing traditional population to be segregated and protected and an increasing part-Aboriginal population that was to be trained and made ‘useful’. In 1951 Western Australia accepted a policy of assimilation, coordinated by the Commonwealth government, which anticipated that all people of Aboriginal descent would eventually be assimilated into the mainstream Australian society. This policy was replaced in 1973 by one of Aboriginal community self-determination, an initiative of the Commonwealth government and adopted throughout Australia. The attempts at directed cultural change were evident in the ‘Native’ schools that opened in Perth, Fremantle and Guildford in the 1840s where it was assumed that the separation of children from their families and a Christian education would achieve the transition from a ‘savage to civilized’ state. For another century the education of Indigenous children on missions and in government settlements was founded upon similar assumptions. The thesis acknowledges that the principal change agents, such as the Chief Protectors of Aborigines, mission administrators and the teachers in direct contact with the children, seriously underestimated both the enduring nature of Indigenous culture and the prejudice in Australian society. Between 1912 and 1941 a few government schools in the southern districts of Western Australia refused to admit Aboriginal children. The exclusion of these children is examined against a background of impoverished living conditions, restrictive legislation and mounting public pressure on the State and Commonwealth governments for a change in policy. The change did not begin to occur until 1951 when the Commonwealth and States agreed to a policy of assimilation. In Western Australia this policy extended education to all Aboriginal children. The thesis explores the provision of government teachers to Aboriginal schools in remote areas of Western Australia between 1951 and 1978. The final chapter examines Indigenous perceptions of independent community schools within the first five years of the policy of self-determination and contrasts the objectives and management of two schools, Strelley in the Pilbara and Oombulgurri in the Kimberley.

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Gray, Paul Gray. "Enrollment Patterns in Advanced Middle School Mathematics Classes." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2823.

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The problem investigated in this study is that U.S. minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) student participation in advanced academic classes continues to lag behind that of Caucasian and economically advantaged students. The purpose of this project study was to investigate the participation gaps between minority and low SES students compared with non-minority and high SES students in advanced mathematics courses in the study district's middle school. The theoretical framework for the study was gap-analysis theory. A quantitative gap analysis of existing student test score data was conducted, utilizing a secondary analysis of existing Iowa Test of Basic Skills data from 347 middle school students, with 196 students classified as low SES and 129 as minority. Descriptive statistics and 2 one-sample chi square tests were used to examine differences by ethnicity and SES subgroups and to test whether the distributions of students who met the district's 70th-percentile cut-score were different than the hypothesized distribution of equal proportions. The results demonstrated significant enrollment gaps between minority and low SES students versus non-minority and high SES students. The study findings informed a policy recommendation project that offered suggestions for the current mathematics testing and enrollment program at the study site. Implications for social change include providing research-based findings to the administration at the local site on the enrollment gaps for minority and low SES students which may inform future decisions about enrollment policies for advanced mathematics courses.

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Wilson, Patrice C. "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ LEVELS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND THE NOMINATION/REFERRAL PROCESS FOR GIFTED IDENTIFICATION OF CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS." VCU Scholars Compass, 2014. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3428.

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This study examined the extent to which teachers’ levels of cultural competence is a factor in the nomination/referral process for gifted identification of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Specifically, this study compared the self-assessed perceptions of second and third grade elementary teachers’ cultural competence to the various factors included in the gifted referral process. A quasi-experimental quantitative study was used. However, this study superficially included some qualitative exploration due to the nature of the open-ended survey questions and secondary data set analysis. Quantitative data were collected via an adapted version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment for Teachers survey created by Lindsey, Robins, & Terrell (2009). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, and correlation analysis were conducted. Results revealed that there were no significantly statistical differences in the relationship between teachers’ levels of cultural competence and nomination/referral patterns for gifted identification. Yet, the results also indicated that the district’s second and third grade teachers were generally high on the cultural competence continuum. An overwhelming majority of the teachers believed themselves to be culturally competent however, cultural competence sub-scale scores in institutionalizing cultural knowledge and interacting with CLD students were lower percentages when compared to the other sub-scale scores. In general, this study may have important practical implications for the ongoing process of becoming culturally competent, gifted education practices and policy, teacher preparation, and professional practice.

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Wawro, Patrick Richard. "Gendered Distances: A Methodological Inquiry into Spatial Analysis as an Instrument for Assessing Gender Equality in Access to Secondary Schools in Mukono District, Uganda." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2010. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2320.

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This study focused on how accessibility to secondary schools in the Mukono District of Uganda is related to the sex and gender of the student and the distance that separates the student's home from the school they attend. This research is methodological inquiry exploring the use of spatial analysis, specifically how cognitive and metric distances can be used as alternatives to gross enrollment rates (GER) and net enrollment rates (NER) for assessing gender equality in realized accessibility to secondary schools. Student home locations were collected for 756 secondary students, including 437 boarding students and 319 day students from 8 different secondary schools in Mukono District of Uganda. A school accessibility model is presented that suggests that educational policy and delivery efforts to provide school access are mediated by the distances, real and perceived, between students' home locations and available schools. In addition, the relationship between distance and accessibility is moderated by certain characteristics of the schools and the students. Male boarding students were found to travel significantly further than female boarding students indicating that distance more acutely limits their school choices. However, the Ordinal Linear Regression analyses comparing cognitive distance perception with Euclidean, travel and time distances did not find evidence that male and female students perceive the distances they travel to school differently. These findings suggest that building additional quality government schools in urban areas would be an efficient strategy for improving school accessibility in Uganda in general. However, given the particularly restrictive range of travel of many rural female students, additional female-only schools in rural areas would be needed to improve school accessibility for female students living in rural areas.

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Aregbesola, Temi. "Nigerian Women's Empowerment Status and its Influence on Access to Reproductive Health Services." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2308.

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Nigeria is a patriarchal society, which puts women in subordinate positions that may prompt gender-based discrimination. While evidence of this phenomenon has been investigated in Nigeria and other African countries, no such investigation has been conducted with immigrant and first-generation Nigerian women in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a Nigerian woman's perceived empowerment and status on her willingness to access reproductive health services. The research questions examined views of Nigerian traditional beliefs' influence on status and how attitudes around traditional beliefs relate to access to reproductive health services and/or knowledge. Data were gathered through semi structured interviews with 9 Nigerian women in the Washington DC-Maryland-Virginia area. The women were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using the ecological systems theory as a framework, which theorizes that a woman's status is related to her ability to access services or information; empowerment increases that access of services/information, and that traditional Nigerian beliefs have mostly positive effects on their status. However, the findings revealed that, among these 9 women, traditional beliefs did not have an overwhelming direct effect to access to services or information. Empowering women is vital for social growth, no matter what the place of origin. This study contributes to positive social change by providing a resource that demonstrates the importance of these women's contributions to society, thus helping to move society forward.

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Bethel, Bambi. "The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the amended 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), and promoting the american democratic ideals of equity and access a critical enquiry based on the work of Michel Foucault and Jean-François Lyotard /." Diss., St. Louis, Mo. : University of Missouri--St. Louis, 2008. http://etd.umsl.edu/r2861.

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Call, Melissa Jewell. "Examination of Exceptional Student Educators’ Personal Practical Theories and the Implications for Practice." UNF Digital Commons, 2015. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/595.

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This study examined exceptional student educators’ (ESE) personal practical theories (PPTs) and how they impact complex decision-making when it comes to students with disabilities and their families. A case study methodology was selected to explore how four ESE teachers and leaders developed their PPTs as well as how they planned, interacted, and reflected upon decisions made during one workweek. The guiding questions of this study were: what are the PPTs of ESE leaders and teachers, what factors influence the development of PPTs, and how do PPTs impact special educators’ work with students with disabilities? To address these questions, four participants were selected based on their role within the district, their experiences working with students with disabilities, and their reputation for being high quality educators. Data were collected using a PPT workbook as well as in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The results of this study included five PPTs for each participant and eight common themes. These themes included: care for students and families, safety of students, administration and teacher professional development, ensuring high expectations for students, personal and professional advocacy, mentoring and collaboration, reflection and problem solving, and problems with inclusion. These results are presented in this dissertation in support of an argument for the need for increased pre-service and in-service for ESE educators, increased professional development for administrators, and increased training for inclusion teachers working with students with disabilities. Engaging in a practice of exploring and refining teacher and leader beliefs and assumptions using the PPT process may increase the reflective practice of teachers and perhaps result in a more appropriate form of evaluation for educators.

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Browder, Diane M., Bree A. Jimenez, Pamela J. Mims, Victoria F. Knight, Fred Spooner, Angel Lee, and Claudia Flowers. "The Effects of a “Tell-Show-Try-Apply” Professional Development Package on Teachers of Students With Severe Developmental Disabilities." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/300.

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The What Works Clearinghouse guidelines for high-quality professional development were used to develop a Tell, Show, Try, and Apply (TSTA) method of training. This method was used to train teachers to align instruction to grade-level content for students with severe developmental disabilities. A total of 193 teachers of students who participate in alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards from three states participated in the first 2 days of training. A subset of 37 teachers participated in a 3rd day of training and submitted products from classroom applications. The impact of the TSTA training was evaluated to determine its effect on teachers instructional fidelity across three content areas (e.g., English language arts [ELA], mathematics, science) with their own students. In addition, generalization to new academic content aligned to grade-aligned standards developed by the teachers was taken. Results indicated that the professional development was effective not only in increasing teachers knowledge of alignment but also grade-aligned instruction with generalization across content. Future research questions and practical application also are discussed.

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Tjabane, Masebala. "Education policy and social justice in higher education : a South African case study." Thesis, Pretoria : [s.n.], 2010. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-04242010-194940.

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Jordan, Rachel. "Transit Access Equity in Richmond, VA." VCU Scholars Compass, 2019. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5772.

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The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the extent of public transit access equity issues in Richmond, VA. The City of Richmond has an established public transportation network system, and the thesis explores the level of access for urban residents to use existing public transportation services. Technologies and programs have begun to emerge across the United States to help solve transit accessibility challenges. The thesis assesses the level of transit access equity that exists in Richmond and introduces technologies and services that could help improve accessibility and equity. The thesis uses a mixed methods approach that will consist of accessibility and equity measures, Geographic Information System (GIS), and key informant interviews.

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Cheung, Yam-man, and 張任文. "Privatization and access to housing: implications on equity." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2000. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31260226.

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Cheung, Yam-man. "Privatization and access to housing : implications on equity /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2000. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B22284874.

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Mokoena, Masilo Daniel. "Implementation of no-fee schools policy : a case study in Bolobedu Cluster Circuits of Mopani District." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1412.

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Thesis (Ph.D. (Curriculum Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2013
After the establishment of the first democratic government in South Africa in 1994, the Education Ministry started transforming the apartheid education system into the democratic education system aimed at achieving equity, redress and access to education. Amongst the policies developed, were South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996), National Norms and Standards for School Funding, Exemption of Parents from Payment of School Fees Regulations, Education Laws Amendment Act (Act No. 24 of 2005), Amended National Norms and Standards For School Funding, and No- Fee School Policy. In this study, I analysed how schools in Bolobedu cluster circuits of Mopani District implemented the No-Fee School policy regarding the use and management of school finances. Qualitative case study was used. Four schools, two primary and two secondary schools, were sampled. Three methods of data collection were used: interviews, document analysis (school records such as SGB minutes, finance policy, School Business Plan/School Development Plan, budgets, auditors’ reports, etc.) and observation. Interviews were conducted with school principals, teachers, parents and learners. The research findings indicate that the three SGBs have the capacity to practise good financial management in relation to the No-Fee school policy, although they still need to improve on some areas of responsibility. These SGBs demonstrated sound and good practice in the use and management of school finances. However, one SGB was struggling to practice good financial management responsibility. This school has the potential to improve its capacity to execute its financial responsibility if provided with support. Key words: South African Schools Act (SASA), National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF), Amended National Norms and Standards For School Funding (ANNSSF), No-Fee School Policy, Equity, Access and Redress, Use and management of school finances.

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Mabuza, Joy. "The entrepreneur's perspective on crowdfunding as an equity access mechanism." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59858.

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Until recently equity funding access has been exclusively available to a select few. Among those excluded are entrepreneurs who have the potential of impacting the growth of an economy. This study explores the emerging equity crowdfunding phenomenon using mechanism design theory to understand if and how it can be used to fill the funding gap experienced by entrepreneurs. The study is both exploratory and descriptive in nature. A mixed research design method was followed. In particular, a convergent parallel design, where qualitative and quantitative samples collected independently were merged during the results and analysis stages. Findings reveal that equity crowdfunding improves the fund raising component of investments in private markets. A more diverse number of participants are engaging in these platforms than initially envisaged and using them for purposes other than what they were initially designed. Automated screening, performance reporting, mentorship, mergers and acquisitions, funding companies in developing countries are some of the different uses emerging. Strong headways are being made on accounting support and administration and communication for increased value add that investors can make, supporting the developments on the legal front as well.
Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
pa2017
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
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Lumbala, Malasa. "Private Equity Financing in Zambia: Determinants and Constraints." Master's thesis, Faculty of Commerce, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30577.

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Growth and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the key drivers of economic growth and development in Africa. While this has become a widely accepted idea, access to financing for growth remains a stumbling block for many enterprises in Zambia. Traditional lenders (i.e. banks) are risk averse because they may not understand the SME market and have been negatively impacted by information asymmetry that is often associated with these ventures. As a result, they tend to charge exorbitant interest rates that are unsustainable for long-term growth. The existing focus of many microfinance institutions in Zambia is typically directed towards salaried employees which crowds out lending to SMEs. Private equity financing, on the other hand, presents an alternative solution to the long-term financing dilemma faced by enterprises. The Zambian private equity market is itself in a nascent space but shows much potential. This dissertation seeks to determine what drives private equity financing in Zambia and what constrains it. The dissertation adopts a qualitative research approach relying on the interviews of various Fund Managers who are familiar with investing in Zambia. The paper finds that private equity investment in Zambia is determined and catalysed broadly by business attractiveness and the business environment. Business attractiveness is underpinned by management capacity, the business track record, exits and returns, impact potential and business scalability. The business environment is driven by political stability, GDP growth and population growth. The sector is however, constrained by a less developed private equity culture, limited opportunities to invest and currency risk.

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Dingle, A. "Equity of access to reproductive and maternal health services in Cambodia : equity trends, poverty targeting and demand-side financing." Thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (University of London), 2016. http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/2572537/.

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Health inequities are a serious public health concern. Achievements in health equity are particularly challenging to attain in reproductive and maternal health in developing countries. Research exploring this issue is of great relevance, given the extent of such disparities, and as pressure builds to include universal health coverage in the post-‐ 2015 development goals. This thesis examines equity in reproductive and maternal health services in Cambodia, and two health financing interventions aiming to improve health equity, Vouchers for Reproductive Health Services (VRHS) and Health Equity Funds (HEFs). Study objective 1 was to estimate equity in reproductive and maternal health services in Cambodia over the last decade. Analysis was conducted with Demographic and Health Survey data for six health services between 2000 and 2010, revealing that dramatic improvements have been made in reproductive and maternal health equity since 2000, however inequity remains in use of facility-‐based deliveries and skilled birth attendance. Objective 2 was to qualitatively explore Cambodia’s poverty identification programme, the ID Poor. Semi-‐structured interviews were conducted with women, service providers and programme implementers. Extensive targeting errors within the programme were found, with implications for the targeting effectiveness of VRHS and HEFs. Objective 3 was to qualitatively explore low uptake of vouchers in the VRHS project, also using interview data. It was found that vouchers were positively received by beneficiaries and had the potential to influence health-‐seeking behaviour. However several factors were found to improve future voucher performance. Objective 4 assessed the impact of HEFs on financial protection, service utilisation and health outcomes, using difference-‐in-‐differences analysis. Evidence of a financially protective effect of HEFs was found; no effect was found for service use or health outcomes. The thesis contributes to knowledge gaps in the health equity, poverty targeting and demand-‐side financing literature, and provides practical policy implications based on empirical findings.

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Pawlick, Margaret T. "Disability, park access and quality of life, an examination of recreational equity." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ39866.pdf.

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Wood, David Justin. "Equity of geographic access to specialist patient hospices within the United Kingdom." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.553780.

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Aim: As adult specialist inpatient hospice provision in the United Kingdom has matured, interest in the question of 'access' to care has grown. The evidence base on geographic accessibility is limited. This study examines whether geographic and socio-demographic accessibility to, and utilisation of, specialist inpatient hospices is equitable. Methods: A selective literature review critically examines the evidence on access to specialist inpatient hospices and specialist palliative care services. Inequalities in the availability of specialist inpatient hospices across the United Kingdom are summarised, analysed and mapped using a geographic information system. The geographic supply of, and demand for, adult specialist inpatient hospices across England and Wales are mapped by small area, and related to levels of deprivation. Specialist inpatient hospice accessibility scores are derived using a Newtonian distance decay model that analyses drive times between 189 inpatient hospices and 34,378 small areas. Inequities in access to specialist inpatient hospices are mapped. The utilisation of specialist inpatient hospices, across England, is examined for a variety of patient groups. A multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, undertaken on 378,482 adult cancer death records, models whether access, deprivation, age, gender and region influence the likelihood of dying in a specialist inpatient hospice. Results: A complex interaction of geographic, socio-demographic, healthcare system, clinical need, personal, cultural, societal and political factors impacts on the accessibility and utilisation of specialist inpatient hospices. Widespread regional variations in the geographic availability of specialist inpatient hospices are revealed. The highest levels of geographic access to adult specialist inpatient hospices are found within major urban conurbations, where cancer patients may potentially access alternative hospices with high bed numbers. Local examples of inequitable access are observed within neighbourhoods of many cities and towns, and across rural fringe counties. Over 6% of adults live at least 30 minutes from a specialist inpatient hospice. Once effects attributable to other variables are accounted for, significant gradients are shown, nationally, by decile of accessibility, relative level of affluence or deprivation, and age, in the likelihood of dying in a specialist inpatient hospice. Notable geographical 'distance decay' effects are clear within the most inaccessible and accessible areas. For 80% of patients, a gradual gradient in utilisation, by decile of accessibility, is shown, though patients from the most accessible decile of areas are 2.79 times more likely to die in a specialist inpatient hospice than are those from least accessible areas. There is evidence of 'inverse care' effects, whereby patients with potentially greater levels of need, show lower utilisation ratios. Patients from the most affluent decile of areas are 1.38 times more likely to die in a specialist inpatient hospice than are those from the poorest areas. The youngest decile banding of patients are 3.86 times more likely to die in a specialist inpatient hospice than the most elderly banding. Implications: Inequitable geographic access has implications for the establishment of future specialist inpatient hospices and integrated models of specialist palliative care.

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Bevan, Kimberly J. "Surface Equity: A Case Study of Gender Equity and Inequity in Elementary Classrooms." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2007. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/547.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching practices and perceptions of teachers, and how those perceptions and practices contributed to or perpetuated gender equity and inequity in elementary classrooms. Data for this study were collected in three elementary classrooms (third, fourth, and fifth grade) in an urban public school in southern Los Angeles. All three teacher participants were female and were self-identified feminists. The data collected for this study showed coeducational settings to be biased in favor of boys in classroom interactions, students calling-out, teachers calling on students, gender geography, negative student behavior, teacher discipline, early finishers, teacher feedback, the reinforcement of gender roles and stereotypes, classroom climate, lack of feminist pedagogy, classroom practice, gendered language, textbooks, and the use of color in the classroom. The gender-equitable practices the teachers in this study were implementing in their classrooms such as calling on male and female students equally, seating children in coed groups, and making sure that classrooms were gender-balanced was gender-equitable teaching practice, but it only scratched the surface of gender equity. The bias in favor of boys observed in these classrooms was at odds with the teachers' beliefs that they were creating a gender-equitable environment by providing only surface interventions which led to the finding surface equity. Although these teachers were implementing some gender-equitable teaching practices, they were not implementing any revolutionary pedagogy, like feminist pedagogy, which could negate inequity and provide for more than just surface equity. It is recommended that changes be made to policy in teacher education requirements and programs. Ongoing professional development must also be provided to classroom practitioners and educational leaders in order to move beyond surface equity. There must be continued research on gender and the creation of equity to create gender-equitable learning environments that move beyond surface equity to create social change.

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Wipert, Cheryl A. "Promoting Gender Equity Through Art Education." The Ohio State University, 1990. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1391770302.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Equity and access to education'

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