Thèses sur le sujet « Povertà educativa »

Il sintagma “povertà educativa”, introdotto in Italia da Save the Children nel 2014 e successivamente tradotto dalla stessa onlus come “educational poverty” in ambito internazionale, ha avuto un certo successo sul piano politico e istituzionale nel contesto italiano, contribuendo a catalizzare l’attenzione sulle povertà dei minori e, in particolare, su quelle immateriali. Negli anni è stato utilizzato per designare un complesso insieme di fenomeni, tuttavia dal punto di vista pedagogico è mancata una disamina critica che ne facesse emergere i significati latenti. Pur provenendo dall’ambito delle discipline economico-sociali, il costrutto di “povertà educativa” interpella in modo inequivoco la riflessione pedagogica, riferendosi evidentemente a dimensioni squisitamente pertinenti al mondo dell’educazione. La presente ricerca ne ha ricostruito le origini e ha cercato di delineare direzioni di senso utili alla definizione dello spettro delle diverse “povertà educative” e di possibili modi per prevenirle e contrastarle. Le fonti selezionate attingono a letteratura internazionale aggiornata a dicembre 2021. Ulteriore fonte sono le voci di adolescenti, raccolte durante un esercizio di ricerca qualitativa ispirato al movimento Student Voice e condotto con un approccio di derivazione fenomenologica.
The phrase “povertà educativa”, introduced in Italy by Save the Children Italia in 2014 and later translated internationally as “educational poverty” by the same organization, has been successful in Italy both politically and socially, contributing to drawing attention to child poverty and, in particular, to financing prevention projects and enforcement actions against non-material child poverty. Over the years it has been used to denote a complex set of phenomena, however a critical pedagogical examination was missing in order to bring out some of its implicit meanings. Even if it originated from the fields of economics and social sciences, the idea of an “educational” poverty unequivocally challenges the pedagogical reflection, clearly referring to dimensions that are uniquely relevant to the world of education, both in its formal and informal implications. The present research reconstructed its origins and tried to outline meaningful directions for defining both the spectrum of different "educational poverties" and possible ways of preventing and contrasting them. The selected sources were drawn from an international literature updated in December 2021. Furthermore, adolescent voices were collected during a qualitative research exercise inspired by the Student Voice movement and conducted with a phenomenological derivation approach.

La tesi costituisce l’esito di un lavoro esplorativo di ricerca di tipo qualitativo attorno al tema della povertà educativa. Scopo dello studio è quello di inquadrare un’area semantica di matrice pedagogica attorno a questo oggetto, che arricchisca le teorie già esistenti intorno ad esso. Il lavoro prende le mosse dall’inquadramento del tema, esplorando i diversi saperi che lo hanno interrogato; successivamente viene dato conto del quadro normativo di riferimento per la questione, in termini internazionali, europei e nazionali; si esplorano poi alcuni contributi che analizzano la questione in rapporto a una forma peculiare di povertà che caratterizza il contesto italiano e che esplicitano in particolare la necessità di ripensare al rapporto tra scuola e territorio. Al fine di costruire un’area semantica di matrice pedagogica attorno al tema della povertà educativa, si è scelto di condurre uno studio di caso olistico attorno al progetto “Sulla Buona Strada” che opera in alcune zone della città di Genova con lo scopo di contrastare questo fenomeno. A partire da uno specifico posizionamento rispetto a che cosa si intenda per qualità dell’esperienza educativa, si è inteso elaborare una densa teoria locale sull’oggetto di studio, valorizzando il contributo dei professionisti dell’educazione coinvolti nella ricerca. L’incrocio tra quanto emerso dal quadro teorico di riferimento e dall’indagine empirica, nonché la necessità di ampliare la conoscenza già in possesso della ricercatrice attorno alla questione, hanno permesso di pervenire a una configurazione pedagogica e plurale della povertà educativa, che implica alcuni piani in particolare: il riconoscimento di una privazione che riguarda i contesti di esperienza e le difficoltà che gli adulti incontrano nell’abitare il presente; l’individuazione di un impoverimento del territorio, che implica un progressivo indebolimento dello Stato sociale, del concetto di comunità e del rapporto tra scuola ed extra-scuola. Concettualizzare in tal senso “le” povertà educative implica mettere al centro del discorso con i professionisti dell’educazione una definizione di essere umano come soggetto capace di emanciparsi dai condizionamenti molteplici del contesto in cui vive e di destreggiarsi con l’imprevedibilità dell’esperienza esistenziale ed educativa. Un tale ampliamento del tema prevede inoltre che gli stessi esperti dell’educazione trovino delle strategie adeguate a significare il presente, affinchè, con le loro prassi, non rischino di replicare le dinamiche di impoverimento della contemporaneità. La tesi, dunque, mostra il progressivo avvicinamento a una visione plurale e sfaccettata del fenomeno indagato, valorizzando un posizionamento epistemologico peculiare su che cosa si intenda per esperienza educativa.
This thesis is the result of an exploratory qualitative research on the topic of educational poverty. The purpose of the study is to frame a pedagogical semantic area around this theme, through which enrich the already existing theories about it. The study starts from exploring the different theoretical perspectives that have investigated the educational poverty problem; afterwards a normative framework for the issue is presented, in international, European and national terms; then contributions that analyse the question in relation to a peculiar form of poverty in the Italian context are explored. This last part makes evident the need to rethink the connection between school and territory. In order to define a pedagogical semantic area around the theme of educational poverty, an holistic case study has been conducted around "Sulla Buona Strada" project which operates in some areas of the city of Genoa with the aim of counteracting this phenomenon. Choosing a specific position about the quality of the educational experience, a dense local theory on the object of study has been developed, enhancing the contribution of education professionals involved into the research. The intersection between the emerging theoretical framework and the empirical investigation, as well as the need to broaden the researcher’s knowledge on the topic, has resulted in a pedagogical and plural configuration of educational poverty, which implies different aspects: the recognition of a deprivation that deals with the contexts of experience and the difficulties that adults face in living the present; the identification of an impoverishment of the territory, which implies a progressive weakening of the welfare state, of the concept of community and of the relationship between school and extra-school. Conceptualizing "educational poverty" in this sense implies, in the discussion with educational professionals, a definition of human being that is competent to emancipate himself/herself from the multiple conditionings of the socio-cultural context and to juggle the unpredictability of existential and educational experiences. This expansion of the issue also entails that education experts find proper strategies to understand the contemporaneity, to avoid the risk, with their practices, of replicating the dynamics of impoverishment of actual times. The thesis, therefore, illustrates a progressive approach to a plural and multifaceted vision of the investigated phenomenon, considering a peculiar epistemological position on the meaning of educational experience.

I bambini che vivono in condizioni di povertà assoluta sono in aumento. In particolare, quest’anno, secondo i dati Istat, sono saliti a 1 milione e 292 mila, pari a 1 minore su 8, il 14% in più, ovvero 161 mila bambini in più rispetto al 2016. Quando pensiamo alla povertà ci viene in mente soprattutto l’aspetto materiale. Ma, nel caso della povertà minorile, accanto alla dimensione economica, determinata sulla base del reddito dei genitori, esistono anche altre dimensioni. In questo elaborato analizzeremo un disagio insidioso poco conosciuto e, troppo spesso, sottovalutato: l’impossibilità per un bambino di disporre di quanto gli serve per imparare, sperimentare, stimolare e far germogliare pienamente le proprie capacità, sogni, talenti e aspirazioni. Questa condizione è sintetizzata dall’espressione “povertà educativa”. Il presente lavoro si propone di conoscere e comprendere meglio il fenomeno della povertà educativa, prestando particolare attenzione alle dimensioni a esso collegate, ai contesti in cui si sviluppa e alle pericolose conseguenze che può determinare. La tesi si occuperà anche di illustrare alcune iniziative e progettualità, realizzate nel territorio italiano, che mirano a “illuminare” il futuro di molti bambini e ragazzi provenienti da contesti poveri e deprivanti. Un altro scopo che mi ero posta con questo elaborato è stato di formulare alcune ipotesi su come affrontare e risolvere il fenomeno della povertà educativa. In particolare, sono giunta alla conclusione che, per contrastare la povertà educativa, non bastino interventi settoriali ma serva una visione d’insieme, una programmazione ad ampia visione che consideri tutte le possibili implicazioni della povertà. Servono interventi e strumenti specifici, che siano elastici, aperti a valutazioni, aggiustamenti e cambiamenti così da avere una dinamicità utile e capace di adattarsi ai diversi soggetti, alle situazioni e alle criticità che possono sorgere. Verrà spiegato, infine, che per sconfiggere questo fenomeno sia importante lavorare stimolando i soggetti attivi nel sociale verso la creazione di una rete e una comunità responsabile ed educante. In questo modo si potrà disporre di più conoscenze e risorse possibili e avere una visione d’insieme che consideri i vari bisogni dei minori e le varie implicazioni della povertà. Non esiste un’unica ricetta per sconfiggere questo fenomeno ma occorre procedere con ipotesi, valutazioni e aggiustamenti continui, osservando le situazioni e restando aperti all’ascolto delle persone vulnerabili e di chi ha maturato esperienza in questo ambito.

The thesis focuses on the link between education and poverty. The first part of the work investigates these concepts through a multidisciplinary study (History, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Pedagogy) to show the complexity of the phenomena, and analyzes poverty considering it as an educational challenge. The second part presents the outcomes of a qualitative research about the role and the power that education has in the fight against poverty. The interviews and the focus groups with teachers and educators who work with the poor in several Italian cities and abroad (Denver and Los Angeles, Israel and Palestine), and the observations of the educational work done in some schools and services considered the "best practices" highlight the importance to re-educate our society, that is impoverished by the crisis of welfare state and the weakness of social networks. The final chapter is dedicated to a reflection on social justice, solidarity and sobriety, as pillars for Social Pedagogy in a society that cannot close its eyes to the inequalities that it generates.

The thesis focuses on the link between education and poverty. The first part of the work investigates these concepts through a multidisciplinary study (History, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Pedagogy) to show the complexity of the phenomena, and analyzes poverty considering it as an educational challenge. The second part presents the outcomes of a qualitative research about the role and the power that education has in the fight against poverty. The interviews and the focus groups with teachers and educators who work with the poor in several Italian cities and abroad (Denver and Los Angeles, Israel and Palestine), and the observations of the educational work done in some schools and services considered the "best practices" highlight the importance to re-educate our society, that is impoverished by the crisis of welfare state and the weakness of social networks. The final chapter is dedicated to a reflection on social justice, solidarity and sobriety, as pillars for Social Pedagogy in a society that cannot close its eyes to the inequalities that it generates.

This thesis is an inquiry into whether the compulsory education of children is justifiable, and it considers arguments relating to education for both the good of the individual and the good of others. I begin with a discussion of paternalism and proceed from an examination of previous attempts at formulating an acceptable understanding of it to the construction of a view which I believe overcomes the shortcomings existing accounts are seen to possess. Following this, theories purporting to justify paternalism are inspected and a start is made on the task of identifying versions of pa te rnalist action and the justifications they require. In an effort to delve closer into just what individual well-being might comprise, this task is interrupted by an investigation into the post-reflective desire-satisfaction theories of John Rawls and J. P. White, and the view of an individual's good each defends. This line of thought in turn develops into a discussion of education for the good of those other than the individual and a resolution is suggested for the problem of weighing the individual's against others' good. This part of the debate borrows from and adapts Peter Singer's argument concerning an obligation to assist those in absolute poverty. It is useful because people living in poverty make demands upon our time, energy, and resources which must be ranked against any alternative preferred use of them in other outlets, including some education. A revised argument is presented and defended and linked to the earlier debate on paternalism to furnish simultaneously an overriding condition to be met by all justifiable paternalist activity, together with a means thought to be defensible of locating some compulsory education in efforts to combat absolute poverty throughout the world.

Marketization of the Chinese economy has created wealth and economic opportunities. But it has also created barriers preventing vulnerable gTOUpS from accessing quality education and escaping poverty. This thesis examines the causes of low educational investment by minority ethnic groups in rural China between 1988 and 2002. Information about conditions facing minority groups, including the financing and administration of education, motivates a theoretical model of investment. Characteristics of minority households, such as remote, rural location and low parental education play a role in explaining disadvantage. Low income is both a cause and effect of disadvantage for credit-constrained households. Furthermore, low education has a negative externality on the rewards for education facing other households. Poor 'ethnic capital' and cultural norms regarding enrolment can perpetuate a poverty trap generated by differences in the ways groups form expectations about the behaviour of other group members. The remaining chapters test these hypotheses using rural household data from 1988, 1995 and 2002, and a data-set on academic achievement of children in the final year of compulsory education, collected by the author in a remote minority prefecture. Descriptive regression analysis and decomposition of the differences in educational outcomes between minority and Han groups suggest that low income, relatively high fertility, and low parental education are among the factors driving minority disadvantage. lVIore careful analysis of the effect of income, attempting to control for potential endogeneity, finds the effect to be robust, although differences in income explain far les of the gap in investment than differences in community resources, although it was not possible to control for all potential sources of bias. Higher fertility of minority households may be an important cause of their lower investment. More careful examination of the impacts of fertility finds a significant negative impact of siblings in school and siblings in work, although suitable instrumental variables were not available. Fixed effects regressions, con- trolling for all observed and unobserved household characteristics, revealed that households spend significantly more on more able children and that younger and middle children often lose out. The final chapter reveals that minority students are segregated into lower quality schools, partly because of the high costs of traveling to school from remote locations. This reduces their academic achieve- ment. However, poor achievement of minority students is not fully explained by school choice and observable household characteristics. It is plausible that cul- tural barriers or disengagement from the education system reduce the benefits of education for these children. 2

Ghana has seen notable poverty reduction alongside improvements in school participation since 1991. This thesis explores the patterns among descriptive indicators and uses regression analysis to examine possible causal relationships with special reference to the role of education in determining welfare and its reciprocal, the role of welfare and other aspects of economic privilege in the determination of school attendance and progression. The study follows a mixed-methods design, following quantitative analysis at the national level with a mixed methods sub-study in a deprived district of Ghana. The primary quantitative study begins by reviewing the literature on modelling of the household consumption function as well as on modelling schooling decisions based on the household production function and considers these relationships in terms of a system of co-determining factors at individual, household and contextual levels. Attention is then given to important methodological issues related to the modelling approach. Two groups of models are estimated using data from the Ghana Living Standards Surveys and findings are presented. The results suggest that education levels play an important role in determining household welfare and that, for higher levels of education; these effects are considerably larger and possibly increasing over time. Educational expansion has, however, meant that access to the benefits from these effects has widened somewhat, although primarily at lower levels of access. Demographic change has also played an important role in welfare improvements. In terms of absolute numbers, access to schooling in Ghana has expanded dramatically although rates of completion and of drop-out have not improved and there appears to be a worsening of age-appropriate completion rates. Nonetheless, the first half of the period since 1991 saw substantial increases in rates of school attendance at the basic education level. This growth appears to have been driven by narrowing regional differentials, increasing welfare, urbanisation, improving gender equity, smaller and less dependent households and a reduction in the number of children involved in child labour. It is in relation to progression towards higher levels of education that more significant inequity emerges and in 2006 completion of lower secondary education in Ghana remained the preserve of children in areas and households of relative economic privilege. To explore issues of access in more detail and in context, an interview-based study was conducted in Savelugu-Nanton District, following quantitative analysis using regional and district-level data. Exploratory interviews with education professionals identified childfosterage and migration by youths into kayaye (head-porterage) as important inhibitors of access. These are considered in detail through two further sets of interviews with household caregivers and migrant workers, supported by quantitative analysis. Findings show that, fosterage, primarily motivated by cultural traditions of kinship obligation, is related to considerable educational disadvantage which, especially in the case of girls who face the additional pressure to accumulate items required for marriage, in turn is linked to migration South into menial labour. Despite recent policies to eliminate costs of schooling, low incomes in the district mean that schooling remains relatively costly, and household decision-making continues to exclude a notable portion of the child population; among whom many are fostered children.

This thesis presents an examination of three interrelated themes concerning household investments in the education of children, and how the number of children in a household affects a household's poverty situation in Malawi. These themes cover three chapters. Chapter 2, investigates two issues regarding household expenditure on primary educa- tion of own children using the Second Malawi Integrated Household Survey (IHS2) data. Firstly, we look at factors which influence a household's decision to spend or not (the par- ticipation decision), and by how much (the expenditure decision). This is done for urban and rural households. We found that there are differences in the factors which influence both decision levels for the two groups of households. Secondly, to get a deeper under- standing of these rural-urban spending differences, the study develops the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique for the independent Double Hurdle model. The proposed decom- position is done at the aggregate and disaggregated levels. The aggregated decomposition allows us to isolate the expenditure differences into a part attributable to differences in characteristics and a part which is due to differences in coefficients. The detailed (dis-aggregated) decomposition enables us to pinpoint the major factors behind the spending gap. At the aggregate decomposition level, our results show that at least 66% of the expenditure differential is explained by differences in characteristics between rural and ur- ban households, implying that an equalization of household characteristics would lead to about 66% of the spending gap disappearing. At the disaggregated decomposition level, the rural-urban difference in household income is found to be the largest contributor to the spending gap, followed by quality of access of primary schools. Besides, rural-urban differences in mothers education and employment are found to contribute more to the spending differential relative to the same for fathers. Recognizing that in many African countries parents are not just responsible for the educa- tion of their own children, Chapter 3 examines the relationship between household income and schooling costs in the presence of intrahousehold schooling bias against non-biological children. To this end, we construct a two-period model of intrahousehold schooling bias. The model predicts that there is an asymmetry in the impact of changes in costs and income on schooling in the sense that the impact is larger for the non-biological child. It predicts that the asymmetry increases as the relationship distance between the non- v vi ABSTRACT biological child and the parents gets wider. It also shows that an increase in cost of schooling leads to a bigger reduction in schooling for poor households, and that the dif- ference in the impact of cost changes between the biological and the non-biological child declines as household income increases i.e. there is convergence. The convergence is faster the more distantly related to the parents the non-biological child is. An empirical investi- gation of these predictions using IHS2 data, shows that when current enrolment and grade attainment are used to measure schooling, the price and income elasticities of schooling are larger for non-biological children. The results also indicate that households in the low- est income quintile (the poorest) have the largest price elasticities, and households in the highest income quintile (the wealthiest) have the smallest price elasticities. We also found that the price elasticities for biological and non-biological children converge as we move from the lowest income quintile to the highest income quintile, and that the convergence is faster for non-biological children who are non-relatives. Having looked at among other things the role of household economic status on the edu- cation investments of children in Malawi in Chapters 2 and 3, in Chapter 4 we turn the question on its head and investigate the impact of fertility (number of children) on poverty in rural Malawi. We use two measures of poverty; the objective and the subjective. After accounting for endogeneity of fertility by using son preference as an instrumental variable, we found that fertility increases the probability of being objectively poor. This effect is robust for all poverty lines used. It is also robust to accounting for economies of scale and household composition as well as assuming that poverty is continuous. We also found that when fertility is treated as an exogenous variable its impact is underestimated. When poverty is measured subjectively, the results are opposite to those of objective poverty. We found that fertility lowers the likelihood of feeling poor, and that fertility is exogenous with respect to subjective poverty.

The stated purpose of this study was to facilitate Navajos through a process of determining for themselves what poverty is, what indicators determine well-being, and what factors contribute to the phenomenon of poverty on the Navajo Indian reservation. The study used a Q-Squared Participatory Poverty Assessment to gain a better understanding of how the Navajo culture and Navajo people themselves view and operationalize wealth and poverty. Semi-structured participatory interviews performed with 22 Navajo Indians, in the reservation communities of Chinle, Arizona, and San Juan, New Mexico, discussed and determined what it means to be poor in Navajo households and communities, and defined various levels of well- being on the reservation. The analysis provided themes which comprised four stages of poverty description: definitional, summative, experiential, and derivational. The main findings of the analysis and description process were that (1) wealth and poverty are defined by a combination of non- material assets and non-income material assets, rather than income, and that the most important of these are family and cultural values; (2) based on these established indicators of well-being, the Navajo do not see themselves as poor; (3) the difficulties experienced on the reservation include extrinsic factors in control of the state, while the benefits of reservation living are primarily intrinsic factors at individual levels; (4) there is a generational devaluation of Navajo values occurring on the reservation, where the Navajo consider themselves wealthy on account of their rich cultural heritage, but this decline in cultural values constitutes a "cultural recession" and an increase of own poverty on the reservation; and (5) this cultural devaluation and increase of poverty is caused by factors of instrumental and imperialistic education and globalization.

Modern suburban school districts have experienced a significant shift in demographics over the last decade making them more diverse in race, ethnicity, income and ability level. The income diversity in suburban districts can hide pockets of significant need in the community. Due to the formulas associated with federal programs, suburban districts are less likely to receive supplemental funds to support vulnerable students. This study utilizes a case study approach and offers a unique view into the phenomenon by examining the work of a suburban school which has narrowed the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their more affluent peers without the assistance of federal funds. Data includes interviews with 18 previous and current administrators, teachers and other staff, meeting observations, and a review of school documents and artifacts. Findings note the school maximizes its limited resources, empowers teachers to be instructional leaders through trusting relationships, has a robust support system for students and builds a welcoming school culture. Shield’s (2001) transformative leadership framework was used as a theoretical lens to explore the school’s practices.

The results of this study enhance the understanding of suburban schools with diverse populations by (a) identifying the multi-tiered support system that increases achievement of all students; (b) recognizes the school climate and culture among staff and students that create an environment that reinforces learning; and (c) illustrates how relationships between administrators and teachers can reinforce the instructional practices of the school.

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The present study intends to investigate the relationship between education and poverty in Brazilian's states for the period comprehended between 1995 and 2007. As such, we used as methodology the estimation of two econometric models for panel data, which took the poverty level as the dependent variable and the level of education, a dummy for Northeast states and control variables as independent variables. The control variables chosen were participation of rural sector in total GDP and time. To measure the level of education we used in a first model the average years of schooling and in a second model the number of literate citizens per state. The results of the estimation of both models using random effects suggest that the level of education was negatively related with the poverty level during the period. Moreover, the poverty level in Northeast has shown to be greater than in the rest of Brazil, every thing else held constant. Regarding the model that uses the number of literate as proxy to the level of education, we observe a reduction of the poverty level in Brazilian's states for the sample period and that the states with greater participation of the rural sector in itâs GDP showed greater poverty level.
O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a relaÃÃo existente entre educaÃÃo e pobreza nos estados Brasileiros, para o perÃodo compreendido entre 1995 e 2007. Para tanto, utiliza-se como metodologia a estimaÃÃo de dois modelos economÃtricos para dados em painel, que tomam o nÃvel de pobreza como variÃvel dependente e o nÃvel de educaÃÃo como variÃvel explicativa, uma dummy para os estados do Nordeste, a participaÃÃo da agricultura no PIB dos estados e uma variÃvel de tendÃncia como controles. Para se mensurar o nÃvel de educaÃÃo, utilizaram-se as variÃveis anos de estudo mÃdio no primeiro modelo e a proporÃÃo de alfabetizados por estado no segundo modelo. Os resultados da estimaÃÃo de ambos os modelos empregando-se efeitos aleatÃrios apontam que o nÃvel de educaÃÃo se relacionou negativamente com o nÃvel de pobreza durante o perÃodo. AlÃm disto, o nÃvel de pobreza mÃdio do Nordeste mostrou-se maior do que a mÃdia do restante do paÃs, tudo o mais constante. Para o modelo que emprega a proporÃÃo de alfabetizados como proxy do nÃvel de educaÃÃo, observou-se que houve, no perÃodo, uma reduÃÃo no nÃvel de pobreza no Brasil e que estados com maior participaÃÃo do setor agropecuÃrio sobre o PIB apresentaram maior nÃvel de pobreza.

Despite more than $1 trillion spent annually on poverty remediation, impoverishment in the United States persists unabated. With a U.S. poverty rate greater than 10% for more than 4 decades, economics are neither poverty's cause nor cure. As such, non-economic poverty remedies require exploration and expansion. Linking greater leadership and poverty theories, this non-experimental, cross sectional, quantitative, survey-based research effort correlated individualized consideration's (IC) practice with collegiate athlete graduation rates in order to identify and isolate possible leadership based social poverty remediation measures. Leveraging a two-stage random sample, this research effort correlated student athlete Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire (form 5X) responses with educational attainment. An ANOVA of 210 participants (rs = .77) indicated a strong correlation between IC practice and athlete matriculation rates. Strong correlational relationships indicate transformative leadership may serve to advance educational attainment and power poverty remediation. Results further suggest developmental leader actions (rs = .68) were significantly more integral to follower progression than supportive leadership behaviors (rs = .37). Research effort findings offer comprehensive individual, communal, institutional, and societal modification opportunity while promising advancement for society's most disadvantaged members. Finally and most importantly, this research supports positive social change through human forward progression, improving life-conditions for society's most disadvantaged members.

Poverty reduction and Education for All (EFA) are important policy issues in many developing countries as they are both Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the existing literature suggests, education positively influences poverty reduction, while poverty, or low income, adversely affects the quality and quantity of education. Accordingly, if education fails to facilitate poverty reduction, the following generation's schooling is likely to be adversely affected, thus perpetuating a vicious education–poverty circle. It was against such a background, and employing a mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis, that this study investigated the relationship between education and multidimensional poverty at an individual as well as household level, and the influence of deprivation on children's education, in the context of the slum in Delhi, India. The thesis reveals that education – particularly primary and middle schooling – enhances the earnings of male slum dwellers in particular, the overwhelming majority of whom suffer from informality and instability of employment. It also emerges that education plays an important role in the ability to participate with confidence in the public sphere. At the household level, education proves to have a positive association with monetary poverty, but a higher level of education per se does not necessarily facilitate escape from non-monetary poverty. In such a nexus of poverty and education, the thesis found that household wealth in association with social group and migration status tends to be positively correlated with child schooling, education expenditure, and basic learning. There may be a chance of escaping poverty through education, but such a likelihood is limited for those households that are underprivileged in terms of caste and religion owing to slow progress in basic learning, as well as migrant households due to lack of access to schooling. The thesis concludes by proposing some education policies drawn from the major findings of the study that may be implemented in the Indian slum context.

Despite the positive economic growth over the last decade, poverty in Kosovo and Albania remains one of the highest in Europe. Both countries have experienced large migration flows which, together with remittances, seem to have been an effective mechanism for mitigating poverty, which would otherwise be even higher. This thesis investigates the determinants of poverty with a specific focus on the effect of education on poverty in Kosovo and Albania using data from the Kosovar Household Budget Survey 2011 and the Albanian Living Standard Measurement Survey 2012. The review of studies suggests that there is no single unified theory of poverty. Moreover, there is no underpinning study that would fully inform the modelling approaches in this thesis. The economic theory of consumer behavior, duality theory as well as unitary approach provide the theoretical basis for measurement of household welfare. On the other hand, several theories and studies have been concerned with structural relations that affect poverty. According to human capital theory, education leads to increased income and thus decreases the risk of poverty. Literature also highlights the importance of migration, remittances and fertility in relation to poverty but also emphasizes the importance of education with regards to remittances and fertility. A key contribution of this thesis is that, it attempts to put all these theories and approaches together to inform the models to be estimated in this thesis. Ordinary Least Squares and Probit estimation techniques are used to model consumption and poverty while quantile regression is used to gain further insights into how the determinants of household welfare change across the welfare distribution. Some of the factors which influence household poverty are expected to be endogenously related to poverty. In this thesis, this issue is addressed by controlling for the effect of the endogenous variables using pre-determined and exogenous indicators. One of the most important factors affecting household welfare is education. Indicators such as the highest level of education in the household, share of adult members with respective education attainments, and mean years of education of adults are considered in the estimation, in addition to education of the household head (a commonly used education indicator), as they tend to better reflect the impact of education on household poverty. Considering theoretical and empirical literature on migration, fertility and poverty, it seems appropriate to expect that poverty, remittances and fertility are simultaneously determined; estimating each of the relationships separately would therefore not be appropriate. Hence, another important contribution of this thesis is that it models the three factors within a simultaneous equations system and thus explores the impact of education on poverty via different channels at the same time. For this purpose, Three-stage Least Squares (3SLS) estimation technique is utilized. An advantage of the 3SLS approach is that endogenous variables are allowed to appear on the right-hand side of the equations. Findings are largely in accordance with theoretical expectations; education is found to be related to increased consumption and reduced poverty in both Kosovo and Albania, and the effect is higher for higher levels of education attained. The Quantile regression results indicate that the positive effect of increased levels of education on consumption is highest for the poorest households in Kosovo, while the same applies to the richest households in Albania. The results also underline the importance of migration and fertility in terms of household welfare in Kosovo and Albania. The 3SLS estimation results confirm our expectations regarding the joint determination of poverty, fertility and remittances. Due to some limitations of the Kosovar dataset however, this analysis is performed using the Albanian dataset only.

Given the fact that African continent, is one among the poor continents in the world, the efforts of overcoming ecological problems is a little bit challenging due to the fact that people overuse their natural resources in their daily life in order to survive. On the other hand, lack of environmental education in many of the African communities also consequently lead to environmental destruction as people not knowingly acts on environment, may cause the harmful effects on the environment. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/10015

This capstone project was part of a team project completed by two school principals in Hillsborough County, Florida. The project began because of our passion for meeting the needs of our students in urban high poverty schools being supported by varying district turnaround initiatives. We looked at our district’s previous and current attempts to increase student success in high poverty schools. We questioned the ways in which supports and resources were provided, and we explored ways through which success in high poverty schools might be increased by redefining the supports and resources provided. Our appreciative exploration of the topic was guided by the question, what successful examples of services and supports have contributed to an increase in success for students in high poverty schools? Considering that the majority of SBHCs exist in schools with high poverty rates, I was interested in what services were provided and how accessible they were. I looked for literature using the following keywords: wrap around services, school based health centers, health and student achievement. School-Based Health Centers improve access to healthcare, which can help to identify and address health risk behaviors and contribute to more stable attendance at school. More instructional seat time can contribute to improved academic outcomes. The preventative role played by SBHCs can reduce barriers to learning, such as treating undiagnosed mental and physical illnesses. School-Based Health Centers provide wraparound services so that issues impacting students such as obesity or asthma can be addressed on a school’s campus where key mental health, medical and school professionals can collaborate to meet the needs of students.

Existing literature indicates that education is vital to overcoming poverty, yet educational prospects for those in persistent, generational poverty (GP) are often limited. This qualitative phenomenological study centered on the emergence from GP of individuals without formal education beyond 12th grade or a high school equivalency certificate, and explored how those who have done it perceived their experiences. Rutter's resilience theory was the conceptual framework for examining this phenomenon and its challenges and processes. A sample of five adult participants from the United States were recruited using a snowball method, completed a screening survey, and then participated in in-depth interviews. The multiple case study structure provided biographical narratives for each participant that thoroughly described the phenomenon. Analysis was done via interpretive phenomenological analysis which relied on careful scrutiny of the data and a full grasp of how the phenomenon was understood and experienced by participants in their unique contexts. Results indicated many parallels among the narratives. All participants reported GP-related anxiety during childhood and/or adolescence; each recalled the positive presence of at least one influential non-family member as critical to personal growth; and all reported positivity, work ethic, and personal agency as keys to emergence from GP. This conclusion of this study indicated the need for a model for the emergence from GP of individuals without formal secondary education. The social change implications are the potential development of mentoring programs based on the participants' perceived replicability of their accomplishments and their willingness to share their experiences in order to foster self-agency and self-advocacy among children and adolescents in GP.

La tesi intende analizzare i nessi tra politiche di investimento in capitale umano e sviluppo, attraverso il caso specifico delle Filippine. Alla luce dei risultati del caso paese la tesi suggerisce come la teoria classica sul capitale umano sia ancora valida nel panorama odierno nelle sue affermazioni di base. Alcuni fenomeni globali tuttavia richiedano una rivisitazione della teoria classica ed introducono nuove variabili nello studio dell'efficacia ed efficienza degli investimenti in capitale umano. Nel caso specifico delle Filippine, la tesi si sofferma sull'evoluzione storica delle politiche sul capitale umano nel paese, raggiungendo l'obiettivo di analizzarle in relazione alla crescita economica, la riduzione della poverta' e poi, in modo piu' specifico, misurando i ritorni a livello individuale e pubblico sugli investimenti fatti in capitale umano dal 1974. Il ruolo del governo emerge come fattore critico nel guidare le politiche di sviluppo del paese.
The relationship between human capital policies and development is analyzed through a case study of the Philippines. The case study evidences the validity of the principal assumptions of classical human capital theory. Emerging global issues, however, point to the need for introducing new factors and variables in the study of human capital policies and development, in order to assess their efficiency. In the case of the Philippines, the evolution of human capital policies in the country is assessed since 1974. The analysis shows the relationship between human capital and economic growth, poverty reduction and public and private returns on investments in human capital, identifying the role of government as a critical factor in leading national development.

La tesi intende analizzare i nessi tra politiche di investimento in capitale umano e sviluppo, attraverso il caso specifico delle Filippine. Alla luce dei risultati del caso paese la tesi suggerisce come la teoria classica sul capitale umano sia ancora valida nel panorama odierno nelle sue affermazioni di base. Alcuni fenomeni globali tuttavia richiedano una rivisitazione della teoria classica ed introducono nuove variabili nello studio dell'efficacia ed efficienza degli investimenti in capitale umano. Nel caso specifico delle Filippine, la tesi si sofferma sull'evoluzione storica delle politiche sul capitale umano nel paese, raggiungendo l'obiettivo di analizzarle in relazione alla crescita economica, la riduzione della poverta' e poi, in modo piu' specifico, misurando i ritorni a livello individuale e pubblico sugli investimenti fatti in capitale umano dal 1974. Il ruolo del governo emerge come fattore critico nel guidare le politiche di sviluppo del paese.
The relationship between human capital policies and development is analyzed through a case study of the Philippines. The case study evidences the validity of the principal assumptions of classical human capital theory. Emerging global issues, however, point to the need for introducing new factors and variables in the study of human capital policies and development, in order to assess their efficiency. In the case of the Philippines, the evolution of human capital policies in the country is assessed since 1974. The analysis shows the relationship between human capital and economic growth, poverty reduction and public and private returns on investments in human capital, identifying the role of government as a critical factor in leading national development.

The researcher completed a quantitative comparative content analysis of early childhood developmental programs in high-poverty and low-poverty counties across the state of Missouri. The researcher discussed the importance of early childhood programs in the longevity of academic, professional success and long-term health benefits. Although lawmakers, educators, parents and policy makers emphasized the immense importance of early childhood education, the state of Missouri had not completed an evaluation of early childhood developmental programs for over 15 years. The last study (Fuger et al., 2003), completed in 2003, only evaluated early childhood programs described as part of the state’s Missouri Preschool Project (MPP). The research results stated the state of Missouri had not completed a study evaluating all early childhood programs in the state.

The researcher examined secondary data, specifically licensing reports from online, public records through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) website, as well as programing costs, curriculum, and accreditation through brief interviews of administrators employed by various child care centers and public school early childhood preschool programs. The purpose of the study was to discover if inequity occurred in facilities located in high-poverty and low-poverty counties. The researcher explored whether high-poverty facilities had more licensing violations than those facilities in low-poverty areas and examined the type of violations and assessed differences in the number of violation types. After researching early childhood curriculum endorsed by the state of Missouri, the researcher examined the type of curriculums used by each facility to determine the quality of the curriculum. The researcher surveyed the cost differences of facilities and the affordability of programs, based on average income. The researcher also evaluated the overall quality of programs, based on the secondary data.

In summary, the researcher conducted the study to examine differences between the quality of early learning and developmental programs in high and low poverty counties around the state of Missouri. The researcher determined the quality of a program based on the percentage of licensing violations, type of violations, curricula used, if a center held extra accreditation, and the cost per week. The results of the study were mixed.

While most of the world has been able to dramatically reduce extreme poverty rates, Sub-Saharan Africa has failed to do so and is the only region in the world with more people living in extreme poverty than thirty years ago. This thesis will develop a policy framework for alleviating poverty by drawing from countries that are performing surprisingly well and poorly in the region. The thesis concludes with an analysis of whether education, health, or agricultural sectors should be receiving more or less funding based on expected rates of return and the feasibility of policy successes.

Good teaching matters, especially for students growing up in poverty. But, effective teaching does not alone depend on the contributions of talented and skilled individuals. Rather, promising pedagogues are far more likely to rise to their potential when they are well-matched with both their teaching assignment and with the school organization where they work. Although recent staffing reforms have decentralized hiring and enabled many schools to exercise more discretion in recruiting and selecting teachers, little is known about how individual schools conceptualize and carry out these processes, or how administrators and teachers experience these efforts. This dissertation investigates these issues, drawing on data from a larger exploratory study conducted by the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers. The sample includes interviews with 142 administrators, teachers, and staff in six schools—three district and three charter—that were demonstrating success with low-income, minority students, in the same city. The dissertation includes three papers: A Quest for “the Very Best”: Teacher Recruitment in Six Successful, High-Poverty, Urban Schools; The Matchmaking Process: Teacher Hiring in Six Successful, High-Poverty, Urban Schools; and The Challenge of Recruiting and Hiring Teachers of Color: Lessons From Six High-Performing, High-Poverty, Urban Schools.
Culture, Communities, and Education

The aim of this thesis is to develop approaches that aid agencies could use in the appraisal and/or development of basic education programs in South Pacific countries which address aspects of poverty. It is set in the context of wider international concern that aid programs need to have a more direct impact on the conditions of the poor than they have had in the recent past. Concepts of poverty, basic education and literacy appropriate to South Pacific countries are developed and relationships among them are examined as preliminary steps to data collection and analysis. The data for the thesis comes from programs of aid to basic education that were running in or have commenced since 1985 and consists of formal evaluations and reviews, the opinion of expert panels and anecdotal evidence from individuals. Analysis of the data is conducted in two stages; first, criteria by which to judge the success of programs are developed and applied to the data, and second, the common components of successful programs are identified. The 'components of success' are then used to develop approaches that aid agencies could employ in analysing program proposals and/or in developing programs in basic education that have a poverty focus. Examples of how these approaches could be applied to particular programs are given.

Education policymakers in Nigeria lack the knowledge on the views of Niger Delta youths, who rely on entrepreneurship education and its contents to fight poverty and unemployment in their area. This study’s purpose was to gain deeper understanding of the views of Niger Delta youths on entrepreneurship education, its contents, and its role in fighting their area’s high rate of poverty and unemployment. This study was framed and guided by three key concepts that focus on the challenges of poor communities: youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa, entrepreneurship education, and youth entrepreneurship. To address this issue properly, a qualitative multiple-case study was designed. Data were collected from multiple sources: semi structured interviews, archival data from government labor reports , and the researcher’s field notes.Data analysis was completed through thematic and cross-case synthesis analysis. . The findings showed that the Niger Delta is less privileged in financial availability, deepened in economic recessions under unemployment, poverty, inflation, hunger and starvations, with less chance of obtaining education, without qualification for employable white-collar jobs, neglected by the government of Nigeria, irrespective that Niger Delta region is the city of petroleum production that gives approximately 95% of Nigerian national revenue annually. With the adoption of entrepreneurship education in their school system and through training and skill acquisition, the Niger Delta would contribute to poverty alleviation, increased business career ownership, and meet the daily economic demands of their families, and be able to have a voice in social change. Social change can potentially be achieved through economic restoration and the enhancement of youths’ education and employment status, which in turn would help decrease the rate of poverty.

Abstract Education policymakers in Nigeria lack the knowledge on the views of Niger Delta youths, who rely on entrepreneurship education and its contents to fight poverty and unemployment in their area. This study's purpose was to gain deeper understanding of the views of Niger Delta youths on entrepreneurship education, its contents, and its role in fighting their area's high rate of poverty and unemployment. This study was framed and guided by three key concepts that focus on the challenges of poor communities: youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa, entrepreneurship education, and youth entrepreneurship. To address this issue properly, a qualitative multiple-case study was designed. Data were collected from multiple sources: semi structured interviews, archival data from government labor reports , and the researcher's field notes.Data analysis was completed through thematic and cross-case synthesis analysis. . The findings showed that the Niger Delta is less privileged in financial availability, deepened in economic recessions under unemployment, poverty, inflation, hunger and starvations, with less chance of obtaining education, without qualification for employable white-collar jobs, neglected by the government of Nigeria, irrespective that Niger Delta region is the city of petroleum production that gives approximately 95% of Nigerian national revenue annually. With the adoption of entrepreneurship education in their school system and through training and skill acquisition, the Niger Delta would contribute to poverty alleviation, increased business career ownership, and meet the daily economic demands of their families, and be able to have a voice in social change. Social change can potentially be achieved through economic restoration and the enhancement of youths' education and employment status, which in turn would help decrease the rate of poverty.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I analyse policies and strategies to reduce poverty through education, and the focus is on global and national policies and strategies and I conduct a small-scale investigation into policies and strategies that exist at a local level (local is the Cape Winelands District Municipality). Poverty is one of the core problems facing many South Africans, and by using critical theory as my research methodology I present a different way of thinking about poverty. Education, just like poverty, is a complex concept because education determines human thoughts and actions. The literature review indicates three ways to reduce poverty: job creation, education and skills development. The policy analysis indicates four ways to reduce poverty: empowering the poor, increasing the capabilities of the poor by using education, the challenge of deliberative democracy, and social justice. The interview respondents indicated that these seven ways may have a major influence on their impoverished circumstances. I argue that individuals need to reflect critically on their social well-being in order to transform their lives. Critical reflection by individuals is needed to transform not only themselves, but also their communities, and it is by transformation that individuals can bring change in their social communities in order to achieve social justice. A remaining need I identify is that the South African government need to focus on the goal to halve the number of poor people by 2015 (according to United Nations, Millennium Development Goals). I realise that the government still has much work to do in order to reach this important goal.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek verskeie beleide en strategieë vir armoede verligting op 'n globale, nasionale, en lokale konteks. Weens 'n gebrek aan beleide op lokale vlak onderneem ek 'n klein empiriese studie in die Kaapse Wynlande Distriks Munisipaliteit. Armoede bly een van die hoof uitdagings vir baie Suid-Afrikaners, en deur die gebruik van Kritiese Teorie as navorsings metodologie stel ek daar 'n ander manier om oor armoede te reflekteer. Die literatuur studie wys na drie maniere hoe om armoede te beveg: werkskepping, opvoeding, en die ontwikkeling van vaardighede. Die analiese van beleide dui op vier maniere: bemagtiging van armes, verbreding van vermoeëns duer die gebruik van onderwys, beraadslagende demokrasie, en sosiale geregtigheid. Die response van die onderhoude dui daarop dat hierdie sewe maniere 'n groot invloed kan het op die verbetering van armoedige omstandighede. Ek argumenteer dat persone krities moet reflekteer oor hul sosiale welstand sodat hul lewens kan transformeer. Kritiese refleksie is nodig nie net vir persoonlike transformasie nie, maar ook vir gemeenskappe sodat sosiale geregtigheid kan geskied. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering behoort steeds te strewe om die getal armes te halveer teen 2015, volgens die Verenigde State se Millenium Doelwitte. Ek besef die regering moet nog baie doen om hierdie belangrike mylpaal te bereik.

School districts composed of a large number of high-poverty students are generally not found to be high-achieving (Chenoweth & Theokas, 2013). In Missouri, districts are assessed in accordance with the fifth edition of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) which results in an Annual Performance Report (APR) score (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [MODESE], 2014d). School administrators of districts having two consecutive years of APR scores over 95% while having a student population composed of a large number of students receiving free or reduced price meals were recruited for a qualitative study. Interview questions were developed based on the Rosenholtz (1985) paper about effective, high-poverty, inner-city schools. The questions were designed to extract information about the ways in which building leaders decrease teacher isolation, maintain a skilled teaching staff, set and monitor goals, remove non-instructional tasks for teachers, and maintain a collaborative school culture. Upon analyzing interview data, seven common themes emerged: collaboration, relationships, consistency and stability, high expectations, clarifying tasks or objectives, using and analyzing data, and community support. Over 60% of Missouri schools report a 50% or higher free and reduced price meal rate among students (MODESE, 2014j), which leads to additional challenges for educators (Balfanz, 2011; Hagelskamp & DiStasi, 2012; Jensen, 2013). Besides adding to current data about high-achieving, high-poverty districts, this study provides evidence specific to Missouri educators that can be used to inform future practices.

This capstone project was part of a group project completed by three principals in elementary schools in Hillsborough County, Florida. The project began because of our passion to understand effective teachers. Our collective goal was to have more engaged teachers which would create more engaged students resulting in greater student and teacher success. Our overall group project purpose was to discover the behavior and characteristics an engaged teacher demonstrates and how these behaviors affect the learning environment and the students that are in that environment. The project was guided by the question, how does a culture of engaged teachers develop and support student engagement, choice, and voice? My area of focus was, how do children and adults benefit from an engaged learning environment? Selected literature was reviewed that concentrated on the impact of teacher engagement on student learning; student, teacher and parent voice, student and teacher mutuality, and building capacity for engaged learning environments. Results of two district-administered survey instruments were used as data sources: the School Climate and Perception Survey (SCIP) and the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL). A secondary analysis of the 2014-2015 survey results was conducted for this project, using our three schools as the unit of analysis. Key findings in my area of focus included the importance of relationship and student voice in student engagement; the importance of teacher autonomy, self- and collective efficacy in teacher engagement; and barriers to engagement in the learning environment.

This dissertation focuses on two educational reforms in Thailand (1978 and 2000), using these policy initiatives to explore the impact of education on income, income distribution and poverty. Investigating the causal relationship between education attainment and income raises endogeneity concerns, both in terms of reverse causality and omitted variables. To overcome such limitations, the wage of individuals is estimated by using Two-stage least squares (2SLS) models. The years of schooling is instrumented by the year of birth of the individuals who were born around the cut-off year requiring pupils to attend 6 and 9 years, respectively, of compulsory education. This approach ensures that individuals are homogeneous in terms of individual characteristics (e.g. abilities, motivation) across groups because of the proximity of birth. We also include province fixed-effects to capture heterogeneity in economic development and quality of schools across geographic units. The estimations are extended to uncover both endogeneity and heterogeneity biases by using the Instrumental Variable Quantile Regression Methods (IVQR). We found that the 9-year compulsory schooling reform has been more effective in extending access to education, especially for the disadvantaged, than the 6-year compulsory schooling reform. With the 6year compulsory schooling reform, we find statistically significant results that an additional year of schooling positively impacts individual incomes by about 13 percent. However, over half of the increase in average income is concentrated amongst the wealthiest individuals. Estimations for the 9-year compulsory schooling reform suggest that an additional year of schooling increases the monthly income of an individual on average by approximately 8.5 percent. Although the highest returns to education still accrue to the wealthiest income group, the income increased of the poorest and poor income groups become higher and statistically significant compared with the estimated results from the 6-year compulsory schooling reform. The study also shows that the main contribution to a reduction in poverty in Thailand is through economic growth. In order to eradicate poverty and reduce income inequality, universal education to Lower-secondary level (9th grade) is recommended.

This qualitative study explores the external protective factors of family, school, and community as perceived by rural students who live in poverty and demonstrate academic resilience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that were reported by the students and teachers which supported the academic success of these students in a rural school district. By identifying the common variables among academically resilient students, educators identify practices that support or even cultivate resilience in students who are at risk for failure.

Resilience research has revealed both external and internal protective factors that serve to buffer against the effects of risk factors. Specific to academic resilience, individual attributes have been determined to provide significant internal support to students. External protective factors for students related to the family, school, and community have also been identified. By understanding these external protective factors as they are perceived by students, educators may develop policy and practice to support academic resilience.

The study employed multicase methodology using phenomenological interviews. Participants included six students who demonstrated academic resilience. Triangulation of data sources included in-depth, semistructured interviews with six students and a former teacher of each student, verbatim transcription of all interviews, a document review, and personal observations.

Findings revealed protective factors of connections, expectations, experiences, and instruction supported school success in rural students living in poverty.

Student mobility is an issue for high poverty schools in the shadow of increased rigor and accountability for student performance. Whereas mobility is not a sole cause for poor achievement, it is a contributing factor for students in poverty who are already considered to be at risk of low achievement. Student mobility creates a hardship for schools and districts and hampers attempts to properly monitor the progress of students. This quantitative study examined the differences between mobile and nonmobile 4th grade students from 4 high poverty schools in a Northeast Tennessee school district. Research before and after the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) was explored. A two-way contingency analysis was used to determine if differences exist between mobile and nonmobile students on reading and math achievements tests. Additionally, the frequency of mobility and mobile and nonmobile among 3 ethnic groups were explored to determine the effects of mobility on achievement. The analyses suggested that no significant relationship exists between the independent variables. This quantitative study examined the differences between mobile and nonmobile fourth grade students from four high poverty schools in a Northeast Tennessee school district. Research before and after the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) was explored. A two way contingency analysis was used to determine if differences exist between mobile and nonmobile students on reading and math achievements tests. Additionally, the frequency of mobility and mobile and nonmobile among three ethnic groups were explored to determine the effects of mobility on achievement. The analyses suggested that no significant relationship exists between the independent variables.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of three relationships on academic achievement in mathematics in students of poverty. The three factors that were examined included: teacher-student relationships, parent-student relationships and peer- student relationships. The driving question for the research was as follows: Do external factors such as teacher-student relationships, parent-student relationships and peer-student relationships lead to academic success for students of poverty? The study employed a non-experimental, quantitative approach and utilized longitudinal data from a national database High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) used a sample of 944 public and private high schools across the USA. A total 0f 28,240 were represented in the survey. Of these 28,240 students, 2641 were used in this study as identified by parental income below the poverty threshold. The outcome of the study indicated that there was little or no correlation between the three relationships and mathematics achievement (academic success). Correlations between the dependent variable (math achievement) and the independent variables even though some were statistically significant their weights had no concrete significance. The study recommends that several initiatives can be instated in schools to support and enhance academic achievement in students of poverty.

This study analyzed elementary teachers’ perceptions of their challenges working with children who live in conditions of poverty. This study found that teachers often work with children from very difficult situations, including exposure to alcohol, drugs, violence, and abandonment. This study found that no matter the challenges teachers encounter daily, they remain motivated, dedicated and determined to take the necessary steps to meet the needs of their students. One way they do this is by using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, which attempts to include various aspects of their students’ daily lives and interests in the curriculum. The teachers in this study were concerned about the number and frequency of mandated tests, which can take away from instructional time. However, this study also found that teachers valued formative assessments to help them meet their students where they are academically. All the teachers reported that establishing partnerships with stakeholders was important to obtain community support for their schools. Although children from a background of poverty will always present challenges, the teachers in this study remained committed to working with their students with respect and appreciation and to meet their personal and academic needs in moving these children towards academic success.

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.

The research problem grounding this study was that due to the increased accountability from state and national school reform efforts, the principal and teacher cannot steadily increase student outcomes in their isolated roles. A two-way flow of influence should exist between the principal and teacher to increase instructional capacity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the flow of influence in three highpoverty, high-achieving elementary schools to see in what ways social influence was exchanged between principals and teachers and how might this exchange increase instructional capacity. The two central research questions were: 1. In what ways do principals and teachers in high-poverty, high-achieving schools exchange social influence? 2. How might this exchange increase instructional capacity building? Schools with high-achievement and high-poverty were targeted for this study because they had overcome barriers (high poverty) and exceeded or met accountability goals for the last two biennia. Other criteria included principal tenure of three or more years and the willingness of the teachers, principal, and superintendents to be participants in the study. Case studies were conducted in three schools that met the site selection criteria. The interpretive case study design afforded the researcher opportunities to closely examine the underlying sociological factors that might be related to increased student outcomes. A two-way flow of influence was found in all three schools. A cross case analysis resulted in these findings: (a) a prerequisite existed for the flow of influence to be operationalized, (b) a teacher-initiated exchange was present in all schools, and (c) needed components of the exchange were possessed by both the principal and teachers. This dissertation included five chapters. Chapter One introduced the study and defined terms. Chapter Two traced the history of reform and noted the increased accountability required of the principal and teachers. Early theorists who examined a flow of influence and norm of reciprocity were also discussed in Chapter Two along with results from research studies that targeted the flow of influence between teachers and the principal. Chapter Three reported the methodology and research questions. The findings were discussed in Chapter Four and Chapter Five provided answers to the two research questions.

The achievement gap in American schools between middle class students and students from poverty is well documented. This paper outlines the findings of a study designed to explore the experience and conscientization of struggling students from poverty. The argument will be made that poverty can be viewed as a culture and that this view may shed significant light on the dynamics of the achievement gap. Further, using the construct of poverty as a culture provides real life applications that have the potential to impact the achievement gap. The study explored the lived experiences in a public school setting of intermediate students from poverty, hoping to capture their voice and insights. The research utilized a Critical Pedagogical Approach to attempt to understand why American schools struggle with these populations and what could be done to address the achievement gap.

The school, Centro Escolar Dr. Manuel Parada Salgaco, in Santa Ana, El Salvador, has been given a second chance. The Organization of Developing States funded a Solar Panel Net Project for the school, allotting it 36 solar panels to power 10 computers and a high-speed satellite Internet connection on the school campus. I became curious to learn, through documented interviews, how much this computer lab has contributed to the education of the poor, rural children. In this particular situation it appears that no longer are the developed world and the developing world separated due to lack of access to information.This exploration of computer and media use in impoverished areas explain and examine how the Internet and media are having positive effects on the students and teachers. This technology has opened the student's eyes to higher aspirations for themselves, as well as furthering their education. This documentary hopefully will be used as a tool to gain more funds, grants and volunteers to help the children select another type of life than just poverty.The principal, four students, four teachers, as well as Peace Corps volunteers, were interviewed. All interviews were documented on videotape. It was clear after this process that access to Internet technology does have positive effects on young students. And although the documentary does not suggest too many negatives, I cover those in this paper. I also hope the documentary can be used to help the school and future schools become as fortunate.
Department of Telecommunications

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with poverty and inequality in Mozambique and with the link of education to wellbeing through the labour market. Earlier studies that analysed well-being in Mozambique drew counter-intuitive conclusions about the spatial distribution of poverty and inequality. They focused excessively on money-metric indicators of well-being and adjusted the poverty line so as to make it reflect taste and price differentials across regions. This thesis suggests the use of a wealth index based on asset holdings and derived by employing Multiple Correspondence Analysis to support the money-metric results. If results are not also confirmed by other indicators of well-being, one should be sceptical of simply unquestioningly applying best practice approaches. In this thesis the moneymetric results drawn by earlier studies are not confirmed by this other indicator of well-being. Since education is a policy lever that can be used to influence the existing patterns of poverty and inequality, one needs to understand how it operates through the labour market in improving wellbeing. Developing and poor economies such as Mozambique are characterised by a very segmented labour market and by a small wage sector. A large proportion of the working-age population is engaged in subsistence agriculture and self-employment activities. Using a multinomial logit model this thesis demonstrates that schooling has an influence on the choice of employment segment. For instance, schooling increases an individual’s chances of getting a public sector job, but lowers his or her chances of falling into self-employment activities. This study also links schooling to earnings. It argues that when analysing the relationship between schooling and earnings in a poor developing economy one should account for the multiple segmentation of the labour market as well as for sample selection bias. To estimate the effects of schooling on earnings this thesis thus employs a modified version of Dubin and McFadden’s model. It finds a positive association between education and earnings in the public wage sector, the private wage sector and in the selfemployment segment. Convex returns to education are also found, and accounting for selectivity bias does improve the earnings functions relative to those based on ordinary least squares regressions. Education quality has a bearing on an individual’s performance in the labour market and therefore affects the role of education in alleviating poverty. Thus, this thesis identifies the correlates of education quality in Mozambique. Employing education production functions based on ordinary least squares multivariate regressions it finds that most of the correlates of educational achievement suggested by the literature are indeed associated with educational outputs. Employing Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition techniques often used in labour studies to study earnings discrimination, the thesis attempts to explain the reasons behind the average deterioration in education quality in Mozambique. The initial hypothesis on this matter was that the average deterioration in education quality over time was associated with the increase in the proportion of pupils from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This hypothesis, however, is not confirmed. Likely explanations include the decline in the efficiency of the education system and more lenient pupil promotion policies.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif handel oor armoede en ongelykheid in Mosambiek en die effek van onderwys op welsyn deur die arbeidsmark. Vroeëre studies het gevolgtrekkings oor welsyn in Mosambiek getrek wat nie met intuïsie oor die ruimtelike verdeling van armoede en ongelykheid strook nie. Sulke studies het slegs geldelike maatstawwe van welsyn gebruik en die armoedelyn aangepas om pryse en smaak in verskillende streke te reflekteer. Hierdie tesis stel die gebruik van nie-geldelike maatstawwe voor om geldelike maatstawwe aan te vul, en spesifiek ’n bate-indeks van welsyn wat verkry word deur die gebruik van Veelvuldige-Korrespondensie-Analise. Daar is rede tot skeptisisme wanneer die sogenaamde ‘beste’ metode vir die berekening van geldelike maatstawwe sonder bevraagtekening gebruik word en die resultate nie deur ander indikatore van welsyn bevestig word nie. Aangesien onderwys ’n beleidsinstrument bied om bestaande patrone van armoede en ongelykheid te beïnvloed, is dit nodig om te verstaan hoe dit deur die arbeidsmark werk om welsyn te verbeter. Ontwikkelende en arm ekonomieë soos Mosambiek word gekenmerk deur ’n baie gesegmenteerde arbeidsmark en ’n klein loonsektor. Groot persentasie van die bevolking van werkende ouderdom is by onderhoudslandbou en ander self-indiensneming betrokke. Veelvoudige-logit-model toon hoe opvoeding die keuse van indiensnemingsektor beïnvloed. Onderwys verhoog byvoorbeeld iemand se kanse om pos in die openbare sektor te kry, maar verlaag die waarskynlikheid van selfindiensneming. Die studie koppel verdienste ook aan onderwys. Daar word aangevoer dat die groot arbeidsmarksegmentasie en seleksie-sydigheid in berekening gebring moet word wanneer die verband tussen onderwys en lone in arm ontwikkelende land bestudeer word. Dus word aangepaste vorm van Dubin en McFadden se model in hierdie proefskrif gebruik om die effek van onderwys op verdienste te bereken. Positiewe verband bestaan tussen onderwys en lone in die openbare loonsektor, die private loonsektor en self-indiensname. Die opbrengsstruktuur op onderwys is konveks, en inagneming van seleksie-sydigheid verbeter die verdienstefunksies relatief tot gevalle wat net op gewone kleinste-kwadrate-regressies gebaseer is. Onderwysgehalte het invloed op persoon se vertoning in die arbeidsmark en raak daarom die rol van onderwys in armoedeverligting. Faktore wat met onderwysgehalte in Mosambiek verband hou word dus geïdentifiseer. Die gebruik van gewone-kleinste-kwadrate-veelvoudige-regressies in onderwysproduksiefunksies toon dat die meeste van die bepalende faktore wat in die literatuur genoem word inderdaad met onderwysuitsette verband hou. Deur gebruik van Oaxaca-Blinder dekomposisie-tegnieke – wat meer dikwels gebruik word om arbeidsmarkdiskriminasie te ontleed – word gepoog om die redes vir die agteruitgang van gemiddelde onderwysgehalte in Mosambiek te verklaar. Die aanvanklike hipotese hieroor was dat die agteruitgang in die gemiddelde vertoning deur die toename van leerlinge van laer sosio-ekonomiese agtergrond verklaar sou kon word. Ontleding van die data bevestig egter nie hierdie hipotese nie. Moontlike verklarings sluit in agteruitgang in die doeltreffendheid van die onderwysstelsel en minder streng beleid rakende promosie van leerlinge na hoër grade.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2008.
Thesis research directed by: Dept. of Human Development/Institute for Child Study. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.