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Nesengani, Ralintho Isaac. "Father-absence and the academic achievement of high school students." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18319.
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Father-absence, whether it be in the context of short duration or total absence, tends to provide inadequacies in the child's interaction with his/her father, leading to accompanying debilitating effects on cognitive functioning (Sutton-Smith et al, 1986). In view of the South African context father-absence economically sanctioned through migrant labour amongst Africans, manifests itself during the formative years of children's lives. For this reason this study investigates the association between migrant father-absence and children's levels of high school academic achievement. The sample of matched father-absent and -present working class children was acquired from 39 schools under the Venda State department of Education. HSRC's standardised Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) biology, English second language, and mathematics were used as data gathering instruments. 276 father-absent and -present high school (Std 10) students data was analysed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to establish how academic achievement among students varies by family patterns and gender. Differences established between family patterns and gender on SAT raw scores of the Total Battery, mathematics, English second language and biology are reported separately. The results of the study seem to suggest that father-absence has some remarkable deleterious effects upon scholastic achievement, apparently depending upon the type of skill tested. Furthermore, another significant finding indicated among these working class African children is that father-presence tends to benefit males more than females, while father-absence detrimentally affects females more than their male counterparts.
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Nigg, Catherine Michele. "Understanding conditions leading to high school success as identified by urban Georgia at risk students." Click here to access dissertation, 2008. http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/archive/spring2007/catherine_m_nigg/Nigg_Catherine_M_200808_Edd.pdf.
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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Georgia Southern University, 2008."A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education." Directed by Mary Jackson. ETD. Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-88) and appendices.
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Brown, Kevin L. "A comparison of social competencies among high school students referred for disciplinary action and nonreferred peers." Virtual Press, 2006. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1344197.
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Early identification of high school students at-risk for antisocial behavior and school failure is critical to reducing the number punitive consequences they may experience, as well as for lowering referral rates to special education. The identification of characteristics that are common to students accumulating disciplinary referrals for chronic or acute behavior problems can be valuable for targeting the needs of these students and developing proactive intervention strategies. Typical approaches employ deficit-based measures which describe behaviors that are regarded as problems to be eliminated or reduced, but which seldom provide guidance to teachers on how to achieve that result. This study used the Behavioral Objective Sequence (BOS) (Braaten, 1998) a strength-based instrument, to examine the attributes of students in an urban high school who had been referred the Character Development Center (CDC), an out-of-classroom disciplinary intervention.The BOS provides a criterion referenced assessment of behavioral competencies which can subsequently be used by educators to develop instructional interventions that are directly related to skill deficiencies. A Likert type rating scale method was used to assess students' demonstration the BOS skills or behavioral/social competencies.Data were collected on 99 students who had been referred to CDC one or more times and 37 randomly selected peers who had never been referred. BOS scores were obtained from the classroom teachers who had made the student referrals to CDC and the nonreferred students. One-way ANOVAs and independent t-tests were computed to test for differences in the mean scores on the six BOS subscales. Students who were referred for disciplinary intervention scored significantly lower on all subscales. ANOVA tests for significant interactions between rater and student demographic attributes were all non significant indicating that the results were not influenced by characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, or social economic status.The results support the findings of previous studies that indicate use of skill-based BOS scores can identify students who are a high risk for disciplinary intervention. This approach offers educators an assessment instrument that can assist with early identification by proactively targeting skills that need to be taught and reinforced rather than reliance on consequences for misconduct.Department of Special Education
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MERCADO, CANDIDO ANTONIO. "EDUCATIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND ATTAINMENTS OF PUERTO RICAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN THE UNITED STATES (SOCIAL MOBILITY, PATH ANALYSIS)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/183898.
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The study was concerned with the testing of a modified causal model of college anticipation and attendance for a nationwide sample of Puerto-Rican and Mexican-American high-school seniors. The key problem of this study was defined on the basis of two fundamental criteria. The first states that social-structural and social-psychological components of sociological theory can provide basic information needed to comprehend the educational aspirations and achievement behaviors of Hispanic youth in the United States. The second theoretical tenet of this study was that the logic of the modified Wisconsin Model of status attainment can be understood as a common process that applies to all sectors of the American system of stratification and mobility. The data used in this study were extracted from the High School and Beyond: A National Longitudinal Study for the 1980s (HSB) and its First Follow-Up. Path coefficients associated with the direct and indirect effects were used in attempting to explain the variance in postsecondary educational plans and attainments of the subjects. A summary of the most significant findings, using the aforementioned data follows. The analysis of the educational attainments for the two ethnic group subsamples shows no statistically significant difference when the two samples are classified by gender. The recursive causal model used in this analysis is not completely successful in explaining the variance in the dependent variables (postsecondary educational plans and attainments) of both Mexican-American and Puerto-Rican high-school seniors. As a result, only about one-fourth of the degree of change in postsecondary educational plans and less than one-half of the variability in the level of educational attainments are accounted for by the antecedent variables. Present results reduce the impact of some of the social-psychological intervening variables on the level of educational plans of Hispanic adolescents. On the other hand, the role of objective variables (academic achievement and socioeconomic status is magnified. The influence of some of the objective variables on the process of educational attainment is also noticeable.
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Netolicky, Cecilia. "Improving provision for disaffected students: Toward a new educational model." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1448.
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The purpose of this study is to develop and review strategies and policies to drive retentive teaching-learning environments for disaffected students, modifying their modus operandi sufficiently for them to qualify and retain a tertiary place or position in the workforce, or sustain a return to mainstream schooling. I employed action research methods to examine Strike Four. an educational model servicing students with severe social and/ or emotional difficulties and behavioural disorders. I tested the Strike Four model during an intensive study period on two programs. Part 1 of the thesis comprises three Chapters. An introduction to the issue of the marginalisation and exclusion of troublesome students in mainstream education is presented in Chapter 1. The review of associated literature, which follows in Chapter 2, examines: early attitudes to crime and deviant behaviour; some modem sociological and psychological attempts to diagnose, categorise, or "cure" deviance; school-based behaviour modification •strategies; and various Australian states' attempts to service disaffected students with education. The theoretical framework presented in Chapter 3 includes the rationale for my choice of qualitative methods, discussion and selection of an action research model, and the position taken on the issues of anonymity and authenticity. Part 2 of the thesis, "The Study", comprises four chapters, and a concluding chapter. A grounded autobiography that clarifies my personal position, whilst demonstrating how my modus operandi was transformed through personal critical moments, is offered in Chapter 4. This provides a base from which to consider the potential for personal critical moments, texts, and mentors to transform an individual's ideology and modus operandi. The educational theory and ideological underpinnings held to underlie the Strike Four model are presented in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 comprises a critical examination of the evolution of Strike Four policy, in particular:, how and if the educational theory and ideological underpinnings claimed to underlie the model are apparent in model policy. Chapter 7 deals with three program strategies: harnessing golden teaching moments; using curriculum as a tool to shape behaviour; and the use of positive contracting to encourage behaviour self-management skills in troublesome students. In this chapter I critically examine how and if policy and ideology is reflected in practice on the programs, and if the various policies, and the three key strategies, are proving successful in modifying the modus operandi of the young people sufficiently to facilitate their functioning in mainstream society. An end piece to the fieldwork is included to fill in "gaps" resulting from the reporting of selected case studies. Chapter 8 includes the findings and recommendations for future research. The model's success in modifying students' modus operandi is demonstrated through the individual case studies and tables. Almost 100% of the students (on entry classified severely alienated) maintained their placement in work, technical college, or mainstream schooling for the three month post support period.
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Andriot, Angie L. "Adolescent crowd affiliations and the perceived ingroup homogeneity effect." Virtual Press, 2006. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1337186.
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The social structure of high schools is characterized by a hierarchy of various groups to which adolescents can identify. These crowds provide reputation-based identities which are particularly salient among adolescents. Although research has provided information regarding crowd structure, less is known about effects of membership. An adolescent's crowd membership can be an important source of social identity and positive self-esteem. Social identity theory is useful in explaining this process by describing how people's psychological motivations interact with their understanding of a social situation to influence cognition. For members of low-status groups, affiliation does not readily provide a source of positive social identity. Therefore, individuals use identity-maintenance strategies to maintain self-image. In this study, I explore perceptions of ingroup homogeneity as an identity-maintenance strategy within adolescent crowds. I also examine whether membership in the more stable racial and gender categories influence the use of homogeneity perceptions in identity management. My findings indicate that membership in one group influences cognition regarding membership in a group with an entirely different social structure.Department of Sociology
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Mackin, Freeman Daniel. "An Investigation of the Impact of High School Student Fine Arts Course Accumulation on Mathematics Course Achievement." PDXScholar, 2019. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/5041.
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Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational achievement is vital to economic competitiveness in the United States and abroad. Despite a concerted effort, the US lags well behind many similarly developed nations. Research suggests that the integration of fine arts education into traditional STEM curriculum (STEAM) boosts academic achievement in STEM subjects and closes gaps between low- and high-socioeconomic status students. Justifications for STEAM programs are based, however, on the unexamined assumption, for one, that fine arts courses instill creative and critical thinking skills that can be transferred to STEM subjects. The present study explores the impact of taking fine arts courses on mathematics achievement in high school. Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and multi-level regression modeling, this study provides evidence that credit accumulation in fine arts courses relates positively to advancing past Algebra II in high school. Additionally, this estimated impact is much greater in magnitude for low-SES students than for their high-SES peers.
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Koalepe, Leshodu James. "Determinants of school success in the disadvantaged communities : managerial implications for principals of high poverty schools." Thesis, Welkom: University of Technology, Free State, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/227.
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Thesis (M. Ed. (Education Management)) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013The study focuses on the challenges facing principals of high-poverty schools in the Lejweleputswa Education District in the Free State. This study moreover deals with the strategies employed by principals of high-poverty school in addressing these challenges. It further profiles the leadership qualities as exhibited by the principals of high-performing, high-poverty schools. An in-depth literature review which covered typical problems faced by such schools and the leadership styles generally employed when managing them, was conducted. An empirical investigation using a qualitative research design was conducted and data was gathered through interviews with the principals and focus group discussions with teachers of the five selected schools. In the final analysis, findings and recommendations were made to officials in the Department of Education, teachers and the principals of high-poverty schools on how to confront challenges in the disadvantaged communities while at the same time moving towards maintaining academic excellence.
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黃素琴 and So-Kam Sally Wong. "An investigation of the relationship between socio-economic status andparental influence towards physical activity patterns in Hong Kongsecondary school students." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31963286.
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Mo, Kit-ling Pauline, and 毛潔玲. "Socio-economic status, schooling experience and academic performance: a study of students of low socio-economicstatus in six local schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1987. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31208332.
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Gibson, Greg. "School Resource Allocation in Texas Public Schools: Study of High-Poverty, High Performing Schools and High-Poverty, Low Performing Schools." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2009. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9927/.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between resource allocation practices in specific categorical functions and student performance in reading and math. This study utilized quantitative research methods to study the effects of spending and performance over four years of analysis. Quantitative data was acquired utilizing information from the Texas Education Agency. The data was collected from 81 campuses and represented over 1,500 students. The study's outcomes reported that little or no correlation could be found between inputs (dollars spent in three categories) and outputs (student results in reading and math). However, subgroup analysis revealed that students from non- low socioeconomic (SES) households started out higher than their low SES counterparts, and low SES students performed worse over time in both reading and math. Math results decreased more dramatically than reading indicating a need for school-level training in data analysis to ensure that limited dollars are spent appropriately. The study recommends that principals and school administrators be especially knowledgeable in critical data analysis skills. The study further recommends that state policy-makers invest more heavily in early math instruction. In addition, the current study found that student achievement, in low-SES students, especially in mathematics is very alarming. Low SES students are starting out behind the non low-SES counterparts and perform progressively worse over time. State policy makers must address these concerns.
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龔仁崇 and Ronnel Bornasal King. "Studying for the sake of others : the role of social goals on engagement and well-being." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/193013.
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Students pursue different goals in school, which have been shown to influence a variety of educational outcomes. The achievement goal framework which focuses on mastery and performance goals is currently the most dominant paradigm for the examination of students‘ goals in the school setting. Numerous studies have shown the different consequences associated with the pursuit of mastery and performance goals. However, a limitation of achievement goal theory is its neglect of social goals which pertain to social reasons for studying. This is surprising given the importance of interpersonal relationships for adolescent students. Moreover, from a cross-cultural perspective, social goals seem to be even more salient for students from collectivist cultures due to the greater importance of the relational fabric in such societies. Therefore, the general aim of this study was to investigate the types, the structure, and the consequences of social goals in a collectivist cultural context.
Five inter-related studies were conducted with Filipino secondary school students. Study 1 was a qualitative study which aimed to assess the different types of goals that students pursued. Results indicated that most of the goals pertained to social goals, and only a minority of these referred to the more commonly-researched achievement goals. Studies 2 and 3 aimed to examine the cross-cultural applicability of the 2 x 2 achievement goal model and the hierarchical and multidimensional model of social goals respectively in the Philippine setting. The 2 x 2 achievement goal model posits a distinction between four types of achievement goals: mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance avoidance, while the hierarchical and multidimensional model of social goals construes social goals as a higher-order construct underpinned by five specific types of social goals: social affiliation, social approval, social concern, social responsibility, and social status. Results of these two studies indicated that these models were both applicable to Filipino students. As such, they were used in the subsequent studies. The aim of Study 4 was to test the relationships among achievement goals, social goals, academic engagement, and achievement. A longitudinal design was adopted and results indicated that social goals were the most salient positive predictors of academic engagement. They were also negative predictors of academic disengagement. Engagement and disengagement, in turn, mediated the impact of goals on subsequent academic achievement. Study 5 examined the relationships among achievement goals, social goals, and well-being. A longitudinal design was adopted, and results showed that mastery-approach and social goals were the most beneficial for well-being.
Taken together, these studies showed the importance of investigating social goals alongside the oft-examined achievement goals given their greater salience and their causal dominance over achievement goals in predicting both achievement-related and broader well-being outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research are discussed.published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy
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Kurup, Premnadh M. "Secondary students beliefs about, understandings of, and intentions to act regarding the greenhouse effect." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1324.
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The greenhouse effect (GHE) is a concern to everyone on this planet. To understand the GHE, students and citizens need an understanding of the chemical processes underlying this environmental phenomenon. Citizens need to be scientifically literate in relation to this phenomenon in order to participate in democratic decision-making and to take appropriate actions in their daily lives. As the GHE is a global issue it will require collective and individual actions to prepare for the likely climatic changes and to reduce the further impact of the GHE. This study focused on high school students' beliefs about, understandings of the GHE and their intentions to act in ways that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Aspects of the GHE that are taught in high school science were also investigated. The study was conducted in five schools each in Western Australia (Australia) and Kerala (India) and data were collected from 438 Year 10 and 12 students representing compulsory and post-compulsory stages of education in both states. Two hundred and thirteen students from Western Australia and 225 students from Kerala completed a questionnaire and a sample of students and heads of science were interviewed. A Propositional Knowledge Statement (PKS) was developed, which is a set of propositions that outline science concepts necessary for an understanding of the GHE in terms of its causes, effects, mechanism and actions that can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emission. In this study the PKS is considered to be the essential knowledge necessary to interpret the GHE, to take appropriate environmental action, and to make informed decisions as a scientifically literate member of society. The questionnaire and interviews were based on the PKS. The study revealed that high school students strongly believe that the GHE is real and affecting the climate at present and will also affect it in the future. They consider that the GHE is a relatively important social issue and they believe that governments should conduct programmes to raise community awareness and enact strict laws to reduce the release of greenhouse gases. Students' understanding of the GHE is inadequate to make informed decisions and take appropriate environmental actions as a scientifically literate member of society. The majority of students and their families are already taking or are considering taking 10 accepted actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by household activities. The majority of students are not prepared to sacrifice their personal comforts or conveniences to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and they have strong reasons for that, however, they believe that governments should enact strict laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and should sign the Kyoto protocol. The GHE is not adequately represented in Western Australian and Kerala science and chemistry curricula. The heads of school science departments in Western Australia and Kerala consider that school science should do more to teach the GHE, as it is an important aspect of scientific literacy. An ideal scenario for students’ beliefs about, understanding of the GHE and commitments to take action that would enable individuals and communities to reduce greenhouse gas emission was developed based on the PKS and reports such as lPCC (2001), UNEP (2001), AGO (1999; 2000) and UN (1992). The actual scenario was based on the data from this study. The differences between ideal and actual scenarios were discussed and implications for improving education about the OHE were developed. Information about the curriculum and students' sources of information about the GHE, students' beliefs, understandings and intentions to act were mapped against the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980).
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Ngqela, Nozuko. "Exploring learners' experiences of violence in a township high school." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5165.
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Thesis (MEdPsych))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.Bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: School violence is a reality in South African township schools contaminating the school environment and jeopardizing the educational process. The aim of this study is to explore adolescent learners' experience of school violence in township high schools in order to develop and recommend a school prevention intervention programme/strategy. The study is explained in the theoretical framework of the bio-ecosystemic theory where violence is discussed as a reaction and as an action that occurs through reciprocal interaction between systems and the social environment. Through this interaction, adolescent learners are exposed to individual, family, school and community risk factors which place them at risk. Literature shows that schools in the township are sites of widespread violence; and these impacts on learners‟ emotional well-being. School violence also reflects the relationship that exists between what occurs in schools and what happens in learners' homes and communities. The specific design selected for this study is a case study and is qualitative and explorative in nature. Unstructured interviews were conducted with individual learners and focus groups to gather information regarding adolescents' experiences of school violence. The data was analysed with three main themes emerging during the participants' interviews. The findings revealed that a significant number of adolescent learners in the township school have experienced some form of gender-related violence at school, and that boys are more often the perpetrators of this school violence. The findings further showed that lack of safety and class management is another cause of violence and the violent activities within the school are a symptom of the social ills of the community within which the school is situated. Conclusions drawn from the study are that school violence is a multifaceted phenomenon and, based on these findings, it is recommended that a 'whole school' and an integrated approach be taken when dealing with violence in schools.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toenemende geweld in skole in Suid-Afrikaanse townships bederf die skoolomgewing en belemmer die opvoedkundige proses. Die doel van hierdie studie is om leerders se ervarings van geweld in hoërskole in townships te verken, ten einde 'n voorkomingsprogram/-strategie vir skole te ontwikkel en aan te beveel. Die studie gebruik die teoretiese raamwerk van die bio-ekosistemiese teorie waarbinne geweld bespreek word as 'n aksie en 'n reaksie wat plaasvind deur wedersydse interaksie tussen die sisteme en die sosiale omgewing. Hierdie interaksie kan adolessente leerders aan individuele, gesinsverwante, skool- en gemeenskapsrisikofaktore blootstel. Die studie wys dat skole in townships die ligging is van wydverspreide geweld wat 'n uitwerking het op leerders se akademiese prestasie. Dit wys ook dat geweld in skole 'n weerspieëling is van die verhouding wat bestaan tussen gebeure in die skool en gebeure in die leerders se huise en gemeenskappe. Die navorsingsontwerp vir hierdie studie is dié van 'n gevallestudie. Dit is kwalitatief en verkennend van aard. Ongestruktureerde onderhoude is met leerders en fokusgroepe gevoer om inligting rakende hulle ervarings van geweld in skole in te win. Die data is ontleed na aanleiding van drie temas wat tydens die onderhoude na vore gekom het. Die bevindinge het gewys dat 'n noemenswaardige aantal adolessente leerders in townshipskole een of ander vorm van geweld ervaar het, en dat seuns gewoonlik die aanrigters van die geweld is. Die studie het voorts gevind dat akademiese prestasie ernstig beïnvloed word deur geweld wat binne en buite die skoolgronde plaasvind, en ook dat geweld binne die skole 'n simptoom is van die sosiale euwels van die gemeenskap waarbinne die skole geleë is. Die studie se gevolgtrekking is dat geweld in skole 'n veelvlakkige fenomeen is. Die aanbeveling wat op hierdie gevolgtrekking berus is dat 'n "heel skool" geïntegreerde benadering gevolg moet word wanneer daar met geweld in skole gewerk word.
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Ho, Tin Lai. "A study of the relationship of family structure, students' social-economic status, and grade retention to the educational and occupational expectations of secondary school students in Macao." Thesis, University of Macau, 2008. http://umaclib3.umac.mo/record=b1880480.
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Tsang, Chi-ming, University of Hong Kong, and 曾志明. "An investigation of the relationship between the socio-economic status and the parental choice of secondary schools in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31960480.
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Chan, Siu-wah, and 陳少華. "Explaining education success with special reference to Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31959994.
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Lawson, Elizabeth J. "Adolescent coping styles and response to stress: A study of the relationship between the preferred coping styles of female senior high school students and their levels of anxiety and self-confidence when facing a major academic stressor." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1993. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1154.
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A growing body of research indicates the importance of coping strategies when an individual responds to environmental demands. Community concern about the maladaptive responses of some adolescents, limited research with this age group, and the development of a new Australian measure of adolescent coping provided the impetus for this study. The study was conducted with 141 female students in their final year of High School. They completed the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS) in March, and measures of anxiety and self-confidence in November, just before major external examinations. Behavioural rating scales were completed by parents and teachers. The adolescent group reported frequent use of coping strategies which research indicates are likely to be effective, and relatively little use of ineffective strategies. When facing a severe academic stressor, they were self-confident but reported very high levels of anxiety, which was cognitive rather than somatic in focus. The few students whose ACS scores showed relatively high use of ineffective and low use of effective coping strategies were identified as "At risk". When compared with a contrasting sub-group, the "At-risk" students were significantly more anxious and less self-confident. There was no evidence that parents or teachers were aware of the adolescents' high levels of anxiety. The findings provide support for the predictive validity of the ACS, and have implications for helping adolescents cope with stress and developmental demands. Further research directions are suggested.
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Sanzila, Keith Mumba. "Environmental factors influencing learner absenteeism in six schools in the Kavango Region, Namibia." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003398.
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This study on learner absenteeism takes place in the Namibian context with a focus on the Kavango region, located in Northern Namibia, where absenteeism has been identified as a problem. The intention of the study is to find out the relationship between learner absenteeism and environmental factors. The research question was framed as: How do environmental factors influence learner absenteeism in schools, conceptualised as human activity systems in the Kavango Region (Namibia)? The wider intention of this study is to inform processes that can be put in place to reduce the impact of environmental factors on learner absenteeism, with the ultimate view of improving the quality of education. The literature review provides insight into learner absenteeism in developing and developed nations. It outlines the Namibian policies developed for improving learner attendance and retention of learners in schools, with the view of improving access to school. The study is located within the broader goals of education of Namibia. The research adopts a qualitative interpretive approach, and focuses on environmental factors influencing learner absenteeism in six case studies, which are selected schools in the Kavango province. The study uses a variety of tools such as questionnaires, focus group interviews, observations and interviews as well as document analysis. It uses a combination of inductive and abductive modes of inference in the data analysis. It draws on systems thinking to develop a model that theorises the interrelated roles of different stakeholders, namely, learners, teachers, parents, educational officials (including the regional office and the Ministry of Education). It proposes possible strategies for reduction of learner absenteeism that could contribute towards the improvement of the quality of education. It also mentions the benefits of reducing learner absenteeism in the schools involved in the case study. The findings clearly show that poverty is the main environmental factor that influences learner attendance. The impact of poverty does not, however, occur in isolation; it interacts and has influence over other environmental factors such as alcohol abuse, sickness, lack of parental involvement, lack of motivation from stakeholders and household work. The study also found certain educational factors influenced learner absenteeism, such as teacher attitude, pedagogical styles, and lack of security. The study ends with recommendations to reduce learner absenteeism and recommendations for further research.
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"Understanding Transformative Leadership Among High School Students: Creating Conditions to Lead." Doctoral diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.38497.
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abstract: High schools throughout the country posit leadership as one of the characteristics they develop while students are with them. All too often though, this leadership development is limited to those in title positions of leadership or is only accomplished through informal training mechanisms. The challenge for educators is to develop leadership that can critically address community problems, a challenge that is made more difficult in a broader social environment that is becoming politically, economically, and racially more polarized. This action research study investigated how high school students understand transformative leadership as one way to address this problem.
Using a hermeneutic orientation, this qualitative study investigated high school students’ (N = 8) understanding of transformative leadership. Situated within a leadership class open to any 11th or 12th grader, participants engaged with a community-based, service-learning project as a method to enact their leadership in a meaningful way. The use of Catholic Social Teaching as a way to frame the service-learning project allowed for a direct connection with the school’s Catholic identity and mission. Data sources included reflection journals, interviews, focus groups, and a researcher observation journal.
Findings from the study suggest that high school students understand and enact transformative leadership through participation in a service-learning project. Participants understood transformative leadership to different extents, indicating that transformative leadership develops in different stages. These results, along with implications for future research, are discussed.Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2016
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"Social relations and school life satisfaction in South Korea." 2011. http://library.cuhk.edu.hk/record=b5894532.
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Kim, Ji Hye.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-74).
ABSTRACT --- p.i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES --- p.v
Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1
Chapter 1.1 --- BACKGROUND OF STUDY --- p.1
Chapter 1.2 --- LAYOUT OF THESIS --- p.4
Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5
Chapter 2.1 --- DEFINITION OF SCHOOL LIFE SATISFACTION --- p.5
Chapter 2.2 --- STUDENTS' SOCIAL RELATIONS AND SCHOOL LIFE SATISFACTION --- p.8
Chapter 2.3 --- SOCIAL RELATIONS AND KOREAN CONTEXTS --- p.19
Chapter 2.4 --- FOCUS OF THESIS --- p.20
Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- THE EMERGENCE OF THE HIERARCHICAL SCHOOL SYSTEM IN SOUTH KOREA --- p.21
Chapter 3.1 --- EDUCATIONAL EXPANSION DURING THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT --- p.21
Chapter 3.2 --- THE EMERGENCE OF ELITE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THEIR REPID DEVELOPMENT --- p.22
Chapter 3.3 --- VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS EDGED OF THE HIERARCHY OF HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM --- p.25
Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS --- p.30
Chapter 4.1 --- HYPOTHESES --- p.30
Chapter 4.2 --- DATA AND SAMPLES --- p.30
Chapter 4.3 --- VARIABLES --- p.31
Chapter 4.4 --- METHOD AND ANALYTICAL STRATEGIES --- p.33
Chapter 4.5 --- RESULTS AND FINDINGS --- p.38
Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.51
Chapter 5.1 --- MAJOR FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.51
Chapter 5.2 --- ADDITIONAL FINDINGS --- p.56
Chapter 5.3 --- THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATION --- p.58
Chapter 5.4 --- LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH --- p.59
Chapter 5.5 --- CONCLUSION --- p.60
APPENDIX A --- p.62
APPENDIX B --- p.65
REFERENCES --- p.68
22
Wu, Angela Mei-Chen. "Tutoring as a social practice : Taiwanese high school students in Vancouver." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/15157.
Full textAbstract:
Tutoring is a rapidly increasing but under-researched component of the education
of immigrant students. This study examines one-on-one tutoring of Taiwanese high
school immigrant students in Vancouver. Viewing tutoring as a social practice rather than
an instructional tool for teaching academic content, this exploratory study attempts to
understand how participants construct tutoring in the British Columbian educational
context. Factors such as the patterning of tutorials, the participants' perspectives, and the
wider educational context have been considered in this study.
This study recruited 12 tutor-tutee pairs, 12 parents, and 10 school teachers.
Tutoring interactions were tape-recorded over a ten-month period. Combining aspects of
discourse analysis and qualitative research, this study used discourse analysis to study
tutoring interactions and qualitative interviews to explore the participants' beliefs about
tutoring and schooling. This study explored the interaction patterns of tutoring, examined
the participants' assumptions and expectations, and investigated the relationship between
the tutoring (informal learning) and the schooling (formal learning) process of immigrant
students.
The varied patterns of tutorials suggested that tutoring went beyond teaching
academic content and served multiple functions for the immigrant families. The patterns
focused on addressing the needs of parents and students to interact with their schools, and
providing emotional and cultural support. In addition, there seemed to be conflicting
voices among the participants regarding the tutorial practices. For example, participants
expressed strong and opposing views about the goals of tutoring and the quantity of homework, academic content instruction and grammar instruction in tutoring and in
schools. These different voices seemed to cause tensions which were explored and
negotiated in tutoring interactions. Lastly, the relation between tutoring and its wider
educational context was both cooperative and conflictual. For example, while tutoring
offered students homework assistance, this assistance caused the school teachers to be
concerned with tutor over-helping. Thus, there is a complex and interactive relationship
between tutoring and the educational system. To conclude, studying tutoring as a social
practice acknowledges the varied tutorial patterns, the conflicts, the dynamics, and the
complexity of tutoring interactions.
23
Molefyane, Frances. "Family and familial conditions that contribute to identity formation of secondary school students." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10910.
Full text
24
Dladla, Thamsanqa Elphas. "Poor urban learners' long walks to school and the influence on their school activities." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/5832.
Full textAbstract:
Poor urban learners' long walks to school and the influence on their school activities. My study is about poor urban learners who walk long distances to school. I explore how their school trip affects their participation in school activities - co-curricular and extra curricula activities, and their understandings about the educational implications. The purpose of this study is two-fold: to understand poor urban learners' school trips through their own voices; and to reflect on the school management implications of the findings. In a case study of one school located in the Cato Manor redevelopment area of Durban, I explore Grade 10 learners' accounts of their walks to and from school and how this affects their early morning and afternoon school activities and what they understand might be the reasons and consequences in their futures. My findings are that poor urban learners encounter security risks daily on their way to school and they use various strategies to navigate those risks; learners experience unsympathetic and negative responses from some staff relating to their long walks to reach school; and the learners say that school regimes rather than the long distances they walk are jeopardising their educational aspirations. At the outset my theoretical perspective was that the school trip is an obtacle to poor urban learners' education capabilities. However my conclusion is that some school regimes are unresponsive to poor urban learners' needs and may obstruct the educational opportunities for learners to better their futures more than does their walking long distances to school.Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.
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Chen, Meng-Yun, and 陳孟筠. "Identifiable Conditions on Sport Performance and Social Loafing among Junior High School Students: Moderating Effect of Narcissistic Personality." Thesis, 2019. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/2ua6e4.
Full textAbstract:
碩士臺北市立大學
運動教育研究所
107
The purpose of the study was to explore the effect of narcissistic personality on student’s sport performance and social loafing situations under different identifiable conditions. This study recruited 39 junior high school students in Taipei City to participate in a task of five-minute shuttle run under personal, low, and high identifiable conditions. The instruments for the study were Narcissistic Personality Inventory-40, Perceived Loafing Scale, Perceived Effort Scale and shuttle run as sport performance. A two-way Mix ANOVA was used to analyze the data in this study. The results were as follows: First, there was no significant difference between high and low narcissism on social loafing under three identifiable conditions. Second, there was no significant interaction of narcissistic personality with identifiable conditions on shuttle run performance. Third, there was a significant difference on social loafing in sport performances under high/low identifiable conditions. In conclusion, the present study may facilitate junior high school students’ sport performance and decrease the social loafing effect on teams. Participant’s sport performance could be improved by raising the personal identification on teams. The results of the study provide the teachers with insights and information and for further research.
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Holley, Barbara. "The academic challenges experienced by learners from a local informal settlement attending a public (former Model C) suburban secondary school." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3243.
Full textAbstract:
M.Ed.In spite of notable changes that have been made in education since 1994 in South Africa, many challenges are still being experienced in the education system. Not least of these are the academic challenges experienced by learners from contexts of poverty, and in particular, those who live in informal settlements and who attend public (former model C) suburban secondary schools. Inclusive education, founded upon the principles of human rights, aims to provide equal and quality education to all learners in South Africa. A process of addressing and responding to the diversity of learners, its objective is to reduce exclusion from education, however, many learners either fail to achieve or drop out of the education system altogether. In the changing educational climate, and with limited research in this sector of education being found, the researcher, wished to explore, interpret and describe these academic challenges. To achieve this, a qualitative approach was chosen with a phenomenological design and a constructivist paradigm. The methodology was selected according to the research question. Data collection was based on semistructured, conversational interviews and projective techniques, namely, the sentence completion method. The data analysis approach was qualitative in nature. Data from both the interviews and incomplete sentence sets were compared with connections sought between the data. Attention was paid to trustworthiness and ethical considerations in the study. The results of the study revealed four themes: Learning Challenges; Relationships; Lack of Resources; Family Support. Firstly, the study revealed that learning and academic achievement was of great importance to the participants, secondly, relationships played an important role in learning, thirdly, a lack of resources was a major challenge, and finally, the importance of family support was indicated. Guidelines and recommendations were provided to educators and other learning support professionals in order to support participants and other learners so that they can achieve their potential in school.
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Duran, Jacquelyn Nely. "Living the American Dream? Second Generation Dominican High School Students in a Diverse Suburban Community." Thesis, 2018. https://doi.org/10.7916/D8NW119Q.
Full textAbstract:
My dissertation examines second generation Dominican high school students and their parents in a diverse, middle-class suburb. At a moment when immigrant families are arriving directly to suburban locations, and the number of second generation immigrants in our public schools is growing, it is important to examine how they are making sense of their experiences in this new context. In my study, I consider how one sub-group of Latinx high school students, with at least one parent born in the Dominican Republic, are experiencing a new place. Specifically, I look at their experiences within their community, school and family influence their assimilation processes, their ideas about future success, and the role of education in reaching that success. I also explore how the parents’ experiences in this community inform their definitions of success for their children and the role that education plays in achieving it, and how those beliefs affect their children. I examine the parents’ accounts through in-depth interviews and the students’ accounts through pre and post in-depth interviews two years apart, as well as photo elicitation interviews.
I found that the location of this suburb, adjacent to an ethnic enclave, provides a context that supports the process of selective acculturation, whereby the students are learning English and American customs while also developing and maintaining their Dominican cultural practices, including speaking Spanish. I also uncovered nuances to their understanding of the role of education in securing future success, through the use of open-ended questions. I found that the students with college-educated parents were more cautious about believing in the American Dream, and the idea that education guarantees success. Despite this, all of the families in the study approached education in similar ways, a style typically attributed to low-income families. And lastly, I found that the families lacked the social and cultural capital to gain educational advantages, specifically in the college application process. My study challenges the assumption that immigrant families arriving to middle-class suburbs are equipped to take advantage of the resources that their place of residence can afford them. Living in this type of place signals an achievement of the American Dream, but we have to question whether their children will be able to maintain it.
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Masithela, Nepo Justice. "An investigation of the role that high school teachers can play in reducing truancy in the Galeshewe area, with specific reference to Tlhomelang High School." Thesis, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3148.
Full textAbstract:
This research report looks into the factors that cause truancy
among secondary school pupils. The aim is to establish ways in
which the African Secondary School teachers can manage the
problem. It is argued that the causes of truancy are multifaceted. Thus in attempting to understand these causes and to develop
strategies to manage truancy, several approaches are considered,
which focus on the individual truant, the family, the community
and, in particular school, related factors. Empirical research was undertaken in the Galeshewe, Kimberley area with particular reference to Tlhomelang High School. Questionnaires were administered with the staff and interviews were conducted with both staff and pupils. Data was also obtained from official records.
It is concluded that a major cause of truancy is the absence of
a culture of teaching and learning. A number of recommendations
are proposed to manage these problems.Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.
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Kharibe, Avhatakali Lucky. "The contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6170.
Full textAbstract:
M.Ed.This investigation forms part of a greater research project on identity and the factors influencing identity as perceived by the learners themselves. A research team of the Department of Educational Sciences of the Rand Afrikaans University conducted the research project. The focus of this study is the contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves. Aspects of the geographical environment are addressed as factors contributing to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves. In chapter two a literature study to the contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves was undertaken. This information was used to support the investigation and to make conclusions based on factual information. Aspects of the geographical environment that make a contribution to the identity of the learners as perceived by the learners themselves were discussed. In chapter three the instrument of research was discussed. Questionnaires were completed by secondary school learners of different schools in the Johannesburg district of the Gauteng Department of Education. The information from the completed questionnaires helped the researcher to ascertain to what extent the aspects of the geographical environment contributed to their identities as perceived by the learners themselves. The analyses and interpretation of empirical data were discussed in chapter four. The validity of the research instrument was investigated. Chapter five focused on the importance of research on the contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves. Teachers and parents should be aware of the contribution of the geographical environment and how this affects the secondary school learner's personal and social development as well as his/her expectations for the future. The findings of this research essay suggest that secondary school learners do perceive the geographical environment as contributing to their identities. Data indicate that learners seem to put a higher value on 'mobility' and `home' followed by 'health' than in other aspects. Data also show that learners seem to have a lower opinion of the contribution of the geographical environment to their identities concerning 'educational and recreational facilities' as well as on 'security in their surroundings' despite literature that proves that these aspects are very important in the development of an adolescent's identity.
30
Dvorak, Alexander Stephan. "Becoming an Internationals Student: What do Newcomer Adolescents do with a High School Designed for Them?" Thesis, 2019. https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-73c8-e616.
Full textAbstract:
The United States is currently experiencing an unprecedented wave of immigration. When studying foreign-born students, anthropologists and sociologists have focused primarily on two areas: how schools integrate children into the American ‘mainstream’ and the complexities of foreign-born students learning English. Much of the debate centers on the best models for building academic English, comparing academic achievement of students by their home country, and comparing educational outcomes among different generations (e.g., newcomers versus second-generation students). In an effort to study successful models, some anthropologists of education have studied newcomer programs, such as the Internationals Network for Public Schools (INPS), that have been successful at graduating in higher numbers students recently arriving in the United States from non-English speaking countries. This ethnography builds on that line of work by looking at two areas that the literature has failed address: (1) how multiple actors in the political, philanthropic, and educational realms of the United States come together to design a school for foreign-born adolescents, and (2) how students, who find themselves in a school designed for recently-arrived foreign-born adolescents, navigate the school policies and structures, as implemented by the staff, and their fellow peers. To investigate these questions, this ethnography used participant observation, small group discussions, and interviews of students and staff at Voyager, a high school in the INPS, over the 2013-2014 school year.
This dissertation reports several significant findings. First, students from smaller national and linguistic groups are forced to integrate, while those of the majority home language group are allowed to dominate linguistically and socially. Whereas in most schools White (or sometimes Black) American students are centered as the norm, in this INPS school that nucleus forms around the numerical majority, in this case Spanish speakers. To accommodate this social fact, students from smaller linguistic groups learn and use elements of the locally dominant language, Spanish. Second, while the existing literature largely praises the INPS model, some INPS students resist school structures and pedagogical techniques that are key to the INPS model, such as heterogeneous grouping and collaborative projects. This dissertation sheds light on the complex social negotiations underway in an Internationals schools providing a more nuanced picture. This ethnography argues that student pedagogical and language ideologies should be considered especially where they disagree with specific INPS policies, such as schooling ELLs together in the same school without native English speakers. It also argues that there may be certain unintended consequences for the dominant language group in a multilingual environment i.e. students in the dominant language group may have limited English language acquisition and academic success. The Internationals model might currently be the best model for educating newcomer students, but a critical look into an INPS school and its impact on the lives of students provides a strong contribution and a healthy critique that may help improve the model further.
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Mashile, Elias Oupa 1963. "Psychological and social factors related to physical science achievement and attitude of secondary school students." Thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18149.
Full textAbstract:
School physical science is a prerequisite for science courses at institutions of higher education. Science
graduates are an important link in a nation's scientific and technological development which often
shapes a country's economic development. The purpose of this study was to investigate psychological
and social factors influencing physical science achievement and attitude of black secondary school
students in South Africa.
The first part of the literature study which was concerned with physical science education in South Africa
revealed that few black students chose to study science after standard seven, that failure rates were high
and that science education was generally in a state of crisis. The second part of the literature study
identified psychological and social factors related to science achievement and attitude. These were
home environment variables, teacher and school related variables, personal variables (self-concept,
motivation, gender, ethnicity) and students' abilities. The third part was the construction of a Structural
Equation Model (SEM) specifying the relationships among the psychological and social factors and their
effects on physical science achievement and attitude.
The theoretical SEM fit the data reasonably well. The best fitting model, however, was a revised model
in which several paths were constrained. The latter accounted for a substantial variance in attitude
towards physical science (70.3%) and a meagre 17.7% in physical science achievement.
The variables ability, home environment and self-concept had the greatest total effects on physical
science achievement. Self-concept, home environment and motivation made the greatest total
contributions to physical science attitude. Teacher characteristics and school environment had non-significant
effects on physical science achievement and attitude. Multiple-group structural equation modelling analyses found no significant difference in the structural parameters of boys and girls. Theoretical and educational implications of the findings were discussed and specific recommendations
for improving educational practice in general and physical science achievement and attitude in particular,
were made.Psychology of Education
D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)
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Lund, Darren E. "Social justice pedagogy and teacher-student activism : a collaborative study of school-based projects." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/12798.
Full textAbstract:
This research seeks a clearer understanding of the field of social justice education in
Canada. Informed by multicultural and antiracist pedagogy, I explore the theoretical
underpinnings and practical realities of this work among 11 activist Alberta teachers and
students. Collaborative interviews with these participants reveal portraits of current activism
in voluntary coalitions in secondary schools. Through guided critical self-reflection, fellow
activists and I examine forming and sustaining ongoing projects. I present guiding hypotheses
and assumptions that steer this research, and a theoretical framework that accommodates
complex intersections of "race," class, gender, sexual orientation, and other considerations of
social justice pedagogy and activism.
This research addresses omissions in the educational literature; one such gap is a lack
of research attention to young people—particularly to their role as active participants in social
justice movements. In addition, I address teachers' previously undervalued role as crucial
participants in educational policy development, reform efforts, and research on social justice
education. Attending to the relatively few accounts of school-based action projects, I describe
the integrative STOP model of student and community activism.
An overview of the unique Canadian and regional contexts and recent political
developments around social justice issues, and a summary of relevant research and theory
from British and American literature, suggest specific areas of contention, influence, and
overlap of relevance to this study.
I employ a qualitative research methodology using a specific collaborative approach,
and include details of participant selection, data gathering and analysis, and ethical
considerations. Two chapters develop my research results along the lines traced by my
guiding hypotheses.
A concluding chapter outlines the specific significance of this research, factors that
promote coalition-building, and promising avenues for further scholarly study. A value of this
investigation is the rich offerings from my participants, whose reflections on their work are
solidly grounded in understandings of daily activism. Their contributions show the potential
mutual benefits of respectful research collaborations that both reveal and share the wisdom of
social justice practitioners as theorists.
33
Jaipal, Kamini. "ESL students learning biology : the role of language and social interactions." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/13080.
Full textAbstract:
This study explored three aspects related to ESL students in a mainstream grade 11
biology classroom: 1) the nature of students' participation in classroom activities, 2) the
factors that enhanced or constrained ESL students' engagement in social interactions, and 3)
the role of language in the learning of science. Ten ESL students were observed over an
eight-month period in this biology classroom. Data were collected using qualitative
research methods such as participant observation, audio-recordings of lessons, field notes,
semi-structured interviews, short lesson recall interviews and students' written work. The
study was framed within sociocultural perspectives, particularly the social constructivist
perspectives of Vygotsky (1962,1978) and Wertsch (1991).
Data were analysed with respect to the three research aspects. Firstly, the findings
showed that ESL students' preferred and exhibited a variety of participation practices that
ranged from personal-individual to socio-interactive in nature. Both personal-individual and
socio-interactive practices appeared to support science and language learning.
Secondly, the findings indicated that ESL students' engagement in classroom social
interactions was most likely influenced by the complex interactions between a number of
competing factors at the individual, interpersonal and community/cultural levels (Rogoff,
Radziszewska, & Masiello, 1995). In this study, six factors that appeared to enhance or
constrain ESL students' engagement in classroom social interactions were identified. These
factors were socio-cultural factors, prior classroom practice, teaching practices, affective
factors, English language proficiency, and participation in the research project.
Thirdly, the findings indicated that language played a significant
mediational role in ESL students' learning of science. The data revealed that the learning of
science terms and concepts can be explained by a functional model of language that
includes: 1) the use of discourse to construct meanings, 2) multiple semiotic representations
of the thing/process, and 3) constructing taxonomies and ways of reasoning. Other
important findings were: talking about language is integral to biology teaching and learning,
ESL students' prior knowledge of everyday words does not necessarily help them interpret
written questions on worksheets, and ESL students' prior knowledge of concepts in their
first language does not necessarily support concept learning in the second language.
34
Yom, Tiana. "Looking At The Whole Child Through Student Health Profiles: A Latent Class Analysis of CDC 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data." Thesis, 2021. https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-gqbs-4v30.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research is to discover the extent to which there is a typology of students’ health risk behaviors and to what extent are those typologies associated with academic achievement using the 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) dataset. This is a secondary data analysis study using a national representative sample (n=11,410) of high school students, grades 9 to 12, in the United States. YRBS is a national school-based, paper-based 99-item survey used to assess 121 health-related behaviors among all high school students in the United States and is biennially conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020). While research efforts on health and academic achievement is vastly growing, there is a limited number of studies that are analyzing multiple health-risk behaviors concurrently as well as exploring their potential impacts on educational outcomes.
Furthermore, previous studies have utilized cluster and/ or factor analyses. However, this statistical approach will show how students are clustered into groups and does not provide information such as the probability that a given student is bullied or suicidal. A 3-step Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify and understand the various profiles of students who experienced and/ or were exposed to certain health-risk behaviors. The health-risk behaviors of interest, the latent variables, were school-related violence, physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Using LCA, results show that there are four significantly different typologies, or profiles, of student health-risk behaviors: Level 1 The Most Support Needed (TMSN), Level 2 Suicide Prevention Needed (SPN), Level 3 Coping Mechanism for Bullying Needed (CMBN), Level 4 Least Support Needed (LSN). In tandem, contextual factors such as age, sex, grade level, race and ethnicity were significantly associated with the odds of belonging to some of the groups. This study is connected to longer-term work. Implications of these groupings on school policies, student health outcomes, and building a school-based coordinated health system will be discussed.
35
Johnson, Rebecca Lee. "Listening to the Voices that Sing a Different Song: Mathematically Successful and Socially Conscious Students of Color." Thesis, 2020. https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-mvsv-1w20.
Full textAbstract:
This study analyzes how a group of six high school freshmen responded to engaging in Teaching and Learning Mathematics for Social Justice (TLMSJ), which is one possible articulation of criticalmathematics. Commonalities among this diverse group of students were that they were all students of Color from low socioeconomic status, enrolled in Algebra 1, attending the same Title I public high school. These students participated in an eight-week-long after-school program named “Socially Aware Algebra Students” (SAAS), where they investigated a variety of social injustices through doing Algebra 1 mathematics. This program was designed and facilitated by this study’s author, whose role would be considered practitioner–researcher.
The purpose of this dissertation is to address the need for feedback on TLMSJ from a diverse group of students of Color. Specifically, this study sought to determine the participants’ perceptions both of engaging in TLMSJ and of the social justice topics that were investigated as well as the participants’ mathematical learnings that occurred during the SAAS program. This qualitative ethnographic case study relied on the following data sources: interviews, questionnaires, observations, journal entries, student work products, and pre- and posttests. Findings suggest that students’ reactions to this particular version of learning mathematics through social justice are as varied as the students themselves. While all participants reported increased mathematical skill and confidence due to their participation in SAAS and all enjoyed learning mathematics that was related to real-life topics, not every participant was interested in learning about social injustices. Secondly, the post-assessment data did not display measurable growth, despite the participants’ perceptions of their mathematical improvement.
These findings suggest that TLMSJ, despite being the most common articulation of criticalmathematics, may not be the most effective means by which mathematics teachers can render their teaching socially just. The study concludes with various recommendations for mathematics teachers interested either in teaching mathematics through social justice topics, or in teaching mathematics in ways that are aligned with the spirit of social justice.
36
Minichiello, Diane Betty. "The voyage of cultural transition : adjustment issues of Chinese-speaking foreign-born students in a social environment where they form the largest cultural group in a secondary school setting." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/10702.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigates the adjustment experiences of 23 Chinese-speaking foreignborn
students in a social climate where they form the largest cultural group in a secondary
school setting. The study's objectives were to determine initial adjustment issues, to examine
adjustment issues of international and satellite students as sub-groups within this population,
to identify students' lived experiences concerning racism and discrimination; to identify
adjustment concerns subsequent to graduation and to examine student perception of Canada's
multicultural policy.
Ethnographic interviews were conducted over a four-week period. Data were
subsequently categorized into 14 different categories: Agency, Chinese Population Concerns,
Comparing Education Systems, Cultural Considerations, Current Adjustment Issues, ESL
Program, Facilitating/Hindering Issues, Friendship/Peer Relationships, Initial Observations
and Concerns, Language, Mental Health Issues, Multicultural and Assimilation Issues,
Racism and Discrimination, and Satellite and International Students.
Adjustment issues were divided into two main categories: those pertaining to the
large numbers of Chinese-speaking foreign-born students and those that are independent of
their large numbers. Issues that seem to stem directly from the large numbers of Chinesespeaking
foreign-born students are language development, developing friendships outside the
Chinese cultural group, assimilation/integration issues, and EAL program concerns.
Language, peer relations, cross-cultural concerns and education and the school environment
are the adjustment issues identified in this study.
Satellite student results, further divided into satellite and full-satellite categories,
produced somewhat different findings. While mental health issues began to emerge in the
satellite category, they overrode the adjustment concerns of full-satellite students.
Students do not identify racism and discrimination as adjustment issues though they
are part of their everyday lives. Students were aware of Canada's reputation as a
multicultural country and understood the concept of cultural pluralism. Most students could
see the benefits of this policy to them as Chinese-speaking foreign-born students. Some
students felt the policy was good for Canada; others did not.
Recommendations included reviewing the current provincial EAL Policy in view of
the changing demographics in some of British Columbia's school districts, placing a priority
on identifying/addressing the needs of satellite students and increasing funding to develop
and implement a more comprehensive program concerning racism and discrimination.
37
Magwa, Logic. "Exploring the role of student-teacher relationships in the educational, social and emotional lives of form 5 students in Masvingo District, Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25001.
Full textAbstract:
Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and TsongaThis study aimed at exploring the role of student-teacher relationships in the educational, social and emotional lives of Form 5 students in Masvingo District. Student-teacher relationship is an important factor in educational research within pre-school settings and primary education, but remains largely neglected in secondary schools. The study was informed by a qualitative and instrumental case study design within the constructivist paradigm. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and reflective journals were used to collect data. General teachers, Guidance and Counselling teachers, educational psychologists and students were purposively sampled. The data were analysed using the thematic content analysis approach. Findings indicate that a decisive understanding of the complex nature of student-teacher relationships is not easy as the field is under-explored in Zimbabwe and multifarious. The participants described student-teacher relationships according to two dimensions, namely a democratic and egalitarian dimension and an authority figure within a subordinate student-teacher dimension. The study further revealed that the personal characteristics of the teachers and students, the educational environment, teaching methods and the schooling community have a direct impact on the quality and nature of student-teacher relationships. In addition, the study established that a democratic and egalitarian relationship between the teacher and students results in positive educational, social and emotional outcomes in the lives of Form 5 students. Likewise, an authority figure within a subordinate student-teacher relationship negatively affects the educational, social and emotional outcomes of students. Lastly, the study revealed that child-centred approaches, reciprocal power-sharing, the positive personal characteristics of the participants and positive labelling can help to improve student-teacher relationships in secondary schools. The study recommends that in order to enhance the educational, social and emotional lives of students, the teacher and students could share the learning environment. In this sense, students’ voices in the selection and development of teaching and learning activities are important and could promote a democratic classroom environment.
Hierdie studie is gerig op die verkenning van die rol van student-onderwyser-verhoudings in die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele lewens van Klas 5-studente in die Masvingo-distrik. Student-onderwyser-verhoudings is ʼn belangrike faktor in opvoedkundige navorsing in voorskoolse omgewings en primêre onderwys, maar word grootliks in sekondêre skole verwaarloos. Die studie is gebaseer op ’n kwalitatiewe en instrumentele gevallestudieontwerp in die konstruktivistiese paradigma. Indringende onderhoude, fokusgroepbesprekings, dokumentontleding en reflektiewe vaktydskrifte is gebruik om data in te samel. Gewone onderwysers, beroepsleiding- en voorligtingsonderwysers, opvoedkundige sielkundiges en studente is doeldienend bestudeer. Die data is ontleed deur gebruikmaking van die benadering van tematieseinhoudontleding. Bevindings dui daarop dat ’n deurslaggewende begrip van die komplekse aard van student-onderwyser-verhoudings nie maklik is nie, aangesien die terrein veelsoortig is en in Zimbabwe onderverken is.Die deelnemers het student-onderwyser-verhoudings volgens twee dimensies beskryf, naamlik ’n demokratiese en egalitêre dimensie aan die een kant en ʼn gesagsfiguur in ’n ondergeskikte student-onderwyser-dimensie aan die ander kant. Die studie het verder aan die lig gebring dat die persoonlike eienskappe van die onderwysers en studente, die opvoedkundige omgewing, onderrigmetodes en die skoolgemeenskap ’n regstreekse uitwerking op die gehalte en aard van student-onderwyser-verhoudings het. Daarbenewens het die studie vasgestel dat ’n demokratiese en egalitêre verhouding tussen die onderwyser en studente positiewe opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele uitkomste in die lewens van Klas 5-studente tot gevolg het. Eweneens beïnvloed ʼn gesagsfiguur in ’n ondergeskikte student-onderwyser-verhouding die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele uitkomste van studente negatief. Laastens het die studie aan die lig gebring dat kindgesentreerde benaderings, wederkerige magsdeling, persoonlike eienskappe van die deelnemers en positiewe etikettering kan help om student-onderwyser-verhoudings in sekondêre skole te verbeter. Die studie beveel aan dat die onderwyser en studente die leeromgewing deel ten einde die opvoedkundige, sosiale en emosionele lewens van studente te bevorder. In hierdie verband is studente se stemme in die seleksie en ontwikkeling van onderrig- en leeraktiwiteite belangrik, aangesien dit ’n demokratiese klaskameromgewing kan bevorder.
Ndzavisiso lowu wu naxikongomelo xo kambela vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na mudyondzisi eka vutomi bya swa dyondzo, vuxakelani bya vanhu na ntlhaveko emoyeni eka machudeni ya Form 5 eka Distriki ya Masvingo, eZimbabwe Vuxaka bya muchudeni na mudyondzisi i nchumu wa nkoka eka rhiseche ya swa dyondza eka swiyimo swa dyondzo ya xiyenge xa khreshe, dyondzo ya prayimari, kambe i nchumu lowu wu honisiwaka swinene eka swikolo swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso lowu wu seketeriwe hi ndzavisiso wo tirhisa fambiselo ra qualitative na dizayini ya case study eka paradayimi ya constructivist. Ku endla tiinthavyu to enta, mimburisano na mintlawa yo kongomisa mbulu, ku xopaxopa tidokumente na ku tirhisa ti-reflective journals swi tirhisiwe ku hlengeleta datara. Ku endliwe sampuli hi mathicara ya tidyondzo to nava (general teachers) mathicara ya tidyondzo ta swiletelo hi mintirho, tisayikholojisti ta swa dyondzo na machudeni. Datara yi xopaxopiwe hi ku tirhisa fambiselo leri vuriwaka thematic content analysis kumbe ku xopaxopa hi ku landza tinhlokomhaka to karhi. Vuyelo byi kombisa leswo ku twisisa ku enta hi ku nonon'hwa na ku sohana-sohana ka vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na mudyondzisi a hi nchumu wo olova, hikuva xiyenge lexi a xi si lavisisiwa kahle eka swiyenge swo tala eZimbabwe. Lava va nga na va xiavo va hlamusele vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara hi tindlela timbirhi, leti ku nga leswo thicara i munhu wa fambiselo ra xidimokrasi na ndzinganano, na ndlela ya munhu loyi a nga munhu wa matimba na vutivi eka vuxaka bya muchudeni na thicara. Ndzavisiso wu tlhele wu humelerisa na leswo swihlawulekisi swa muchudeni na mudyondzi hi xiviri, mbangu wa dyondzo, maendlelo yo dyondzisa, na vaaki eka ndhawu ya xikolo swi na vuyelo eka khwaliti na muxaka wa vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara. Na le henhla ka swona, dyondzo yi kume leswo vuxaka bya xidimokrasi na ndzinganano exikarhi ka thicara na machudeni byi na vuyelo lebyinene eka swa dyondzo, vuxakelani bya vanhu na ntlhaveko eka swa moya eka vutomi bya machudeni ya Form 5. Kasi na swona, vuxaka bya ku tirhisa matimba ka thicara (authority figure) na ku vonela machudeni ehansi, swi na vuyelo lebyi nga ri ku lebyinene eka swa dyondzo, vuxakelani na ntlhaveko eka moya eka machudeni. Xo hetelela, dyondzo yi humelerise na leswo maendlelo yo tshikilela ku pfuneta eka n'wana, ku avelana matimba, na swihlawulekisi leswinene swa lava nga na xiavo, na ku nyiketa tilebule letinene eka vana, swi nga pfuneta ku antswisa vuxaka exikarhi ka muchudeni na thicara eswikolweni swa sekondari. Ndzavisiso wu bumabumela leswo ku antswisa swa dyondzo, vuxakelani na ntlhaveko vi emoyeni eka vutomi bya machudeni, thicara na vadyondzi va nga avelana hi ku dyondza eka mbangu wa ku dyondza. Hi ndlela leyi marito ya machudeni eka nhlawulo na nhluvuko eka migingiriko ya ku dyondzisa na ku dyondza i swa nkoka na swona swi nga promota mbangu wa klasi ya xidimokrasi.
Psychology of Education
D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)
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Phuthi, Kesiwe. "Investigating the psycho-social needs of orphaned adolescent learners in the context of HIV and AIDS : a case study of a high school in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/14331.
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Orphans from child care institutions and from extended families attend the same schools as non-orphans. They are often given the same psycho-social support yet it is clear that they have different psycho-social needs. Their backgrounds are usually different from those of other adolescent learners because, often, they would have observed or nursed sick parents who eventually died from AIDS-related illnesses. This qualitative study aimed at investigating the psycho-social needs of orphaned adolescent learners in child care institutions and those in extended families in the context of HIV and AIDS. The study further sought to find out how the psycho-social needs affected the HIV- and AIDS-affected orphans’ school performance and social behaviour. In-depth interviews were conducted with four orphaned learners from child care institutions and four from extended families using open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings of the study were that the psycho-social needs of AIDS-affected orphans in families were met by relatives more than those of AIDS-affected orphans in child care institutions. The results of the study also revealed that there was not much difference in school performance between HIV- and AIDS-affected orphans from extended families and those from child care institutions. Thus this study contributes to Sociological and Behavioural literature in the area of HIV and AIDS as well as the education literature of the vulnerable groups like orphans. The school offered psycho-social support en masse with no special programme for orphans affected by HIV and AIDS for fear of stigmatising the orphans.Health Studies
M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)
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Sithole, Njabulo. "Promoting a positive learning environment : school setting investigation." Diss., 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/24348.
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A positive learning environment is more important if students are considered to perform better in their schoolwork. The school environment the students attend mostly influences their performance. The school that each student attends sets its own pillars that promote students’ positive learning. This research study looks thoroughly at the schools climate, and socio-economic background of students. Most public schools have insufficient funds to run their day-to-day activities. One of the disturbing factor to promote learning environment is the class sizes are too big. The more funds a school receives, the better it performs because the school invests more in its resources. The teachers’ experience also contributes to students’ performance. Usually, the students who attend a school where more teachers have pastoral care tend to perform better.
The research intended to investigate the causes and consequences of a school’s setting in promoting a positive learning environment and further discussed the benefit of positive learning environment in schools. The students’ success in their learning progress is determined by a positive learning and teaching environment.
Generally, if there is a caring environment in the school set up, then that leads to the students obtaining good envisaged outcomes. The schools help the students achieve the good results, or alternatively, they could make the students fail. The students perform better in a positive learning environment that also is tantamount to personal student/teacher relationships. The findings of this study encourage the researcher to come up with new strategies that can be used to uplift the performance of students.Curriculum and Instructional Studies
M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)
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Maja, Florah Mabogwera. "The influence of the home environment on the academic performance of secondary school children." Diss., 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13341.
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The primary aim of this research was to determine whether the home environment of secondary school children has an influence on their academic performance. A literature study was done where the major aspects of the home environment were identified: family lifestyle, parental involvement and attitude, physical living conditions. An analysis of academic performance and the factors affecting it was done. A measuring instrument was developed in order to measure the home environment in terms of being positive or negative. The results of the empirical research indicated that while home environment and age do play a significant role in the academic performance of secondary school children, gender, maternal employment, and whether the child lives permanently with both parents, did not.
The educational implications of the findings and the teacher's role are discussed, and guidelines regarding the development of a home environment conducive to better academic performance are given.Psychology of Education
M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)
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Сивак, Вікторія Анатоліївна. "Соціально-педагогічні умови формування лідерських якостей старшокласників у діяльності учнівського самоврядування." Магістерська робота, 2020. https://dspace.znu.edu.ua/jspui/handle/12345/1892.
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Сивак В. А. Соціально-педагогічні умови формування лідерських якостей старшокласників у діяльності учнівського самоврядування : кваліфікаційна робота магістра спеціальності 231 "Соціальна робота: соціальна педагогіка" / наук. керівник Л. О. Сущенко. Запоріжжя : ЗНУ, 2020. 108 с.UA : Кваліфікаційна робота: 108 с., 7 таблиць, 6 рисунків, 80джерел, 7додатків. Об’єкт дослідження: процес формування лідерських якостей старшокласників. Предмет дослідження: соціально-педагогічні умови формування лідерських якостей старшокласників у діяльності учнівського самоврядування. Мета дослідження: визначити, теоретично обґрунтувати та експериментально перевірити соціально-педагогічні умови формування лідерських якостей старшокласників у діяльності учнівського самоврядування. Методи дослідження: аналіз нормативної документації, соціально-педагогічної, психологічної літератури, систематизація та узагальнення, анкетування, опитування, визначення потенціалу учнівського самоврядування як засобу розвитку лідерських якостей. Теоретичне значення роботи полягає у системному підході до формування лідерських якостей старшокласників. Практичне значення роботи полягає у перевірці, аналізі та підвищенні рівня лідерських якостей старшокласників. Експеримент проводився в природних умовах освітнього процесу. Метою проведення даної експериментальної роботи полягало в перевірці показників рівнів сформованості лідерських якостей старшокласників у діяльності учнівського самоврядування закладу загальної середньої освіти. Галузь використання: заклади освіти.
EN : Qualification work consists of introduction, 2 parts, conclusions, list literature (80 subjects), 7 applications on 20 pages. Qualified volume of work is 108 pages, 90 of which are basic text. There are 7 tables and 6 figures. The theoretical significance of the work is that it defines the pedagogical conditions that contribute to the formation of leadership qualities of high school students. Object of study: the process of forming leadership qualities of high school students. Subject of research: social and pedagogical conditions of formation of leadership qualities of high school students in the activity of student self-government. Purpose of the study: to determine, theoretically substantiate and experimentally test the socio-pedagogical conditions of formation of leadership qualities of high school students in the activity of student self-government. The objectives of the study are: 1. To analyze the essence and structure of the key concepts of the research: «leadership qualities», «student self-government». 2. To reveal the content, forms and methods of formation of leadership qualities of high school students. 3. To define and scientifically substantiate the socio-pedagogical conditions of formation of leadership qualities of high school students in the activity of student self-government. 4. Experimentally check the effectiveness of socio-pedagogical conditions for the formation of leadership qualities of old
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Ngcongo, Piuson Hluphani Muntu. "Exploring the causes of low grade 12 pass rate in two Umlazi District schools, KwaZulu-Natal." Diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/22254.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the causes of low Grade 12 pass rate in two Umlazi District Schools, KwaZulu-Natal. It is hoped that the study would contribute to the understanding of the causes and factors of low Grade 12 pass rate and provide solutions of improving learners’ performance.
This is qualitative study conducted in the area of Umbumbulu focusing on exploring the causes of low Grade 12 pass rate in two Umlazi District Schools, KwaZulu-Natal. The methodology used was qualitative. A case study method was adopted. Data was gathered through focus group interviews with two principals, twelve Grade12 learners aged between 18 and 21, and six teachers between 15 and 22 years teaching experience in secondary schools. Drawing from the findings of the interviews conducted, the study highlights the factors that have negative impact to low Grade 12 pass rate, and it revealed the possible solutions to alleviate the trend of low performance.
The data reveals that there are numerous factors that affect the performance of Grade 12 learners such as poverty, child headed families, sporadic absenteeism, questionable assessment methods, overcrowded classes, lack of discipline in schools, corporal punishment, violence in schools, teenage pregnancy, curriculum reforms, lack of parental involvement, and cultural background.
In this study I argue that the trend of low Grade 12 pass rate is not only limited to Umbumbulu Circuit in Umlazi District, but is the overall trend in most rural schools in South Africa. Therefore, the study recommended that all stakeholders should play their roles to overcome the crises of low Grade 12 performance. Again, it was recommended that the introduction of an advanced integrative approach in training programmes of future teachers is needed in which attention to rural -FET band schools will be considered as an integral part of the training, whereby teachers will be trained to teach inclusive education.Inclusive Education
M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)