Extreme professional nurse shortage exerts stress upon the conventional recruitment and retention efforts of administrators in health care institutions, causing administrators to seek alternative solutions, including the recruitment and hiring of foreign nurses. The productivity of the foreign nurse alternative, as evidenced by pass rates on registered nurse licensure examination and by retention of the recruited nurses at sponsoring institutions is low, raising questions about factors that contribute to lack of success and promulgate improvement of foreign nurse recruitment and orientation initiatives. This study describes and analyzes an attempt to assimilate Filipino nurses at a medical center in western Massachusetts of just under 1000 client beds during an 18% professional nurse position vacancy crisis, occurring in the mid 1980's. The initiative, involving the recruitment and socialization of a group of 37 graduate nurses from the Philippines to fill staff nurse position vacancies on a variety of clinical service units, is summarized in a case description. This study identifies significant factors to be considered by administrators who have responsibility for the planning and implementation of similar initiatives. The literature review relates cultural information in two areas necessary to understand the transcultural socialization of a Filipino nurse, the pre professional socialization and the professional socialization contexts. The literature review of the professional socialization area discusses important contextual factors in Filipino nurse employment, nursing practice and nursing education. The Wolf-Welsh Linkage Methodology and the Wolf Knowledge Diffusion/Utilization Inventory provided the framework for the study. The seven interrelated parts of the Methodology provided the basis for data collection and ex post facto analysis of the case data. Data sources included the researcher's own participant observations, available medical center documents, and interviewed persons. Periodicals and external reports supplemented these data. The analysis clarified key characteristics of the Filipino nurse socialization and related linkage activities that might have contributed to greater success in the medical center case. Nineteen recommendations for successful linkage in future foreign nurse initiatives comprise the concluding chapter of the study.

The study applies an ethnography of speaking to the study of a bilingual child, with the construct of a frame as the unit of analysis. The child was observed and tape recorded playing a commercial game in Chinese with her mother, and in English with her father. Both activity frames and conceptual frames were analyzed toward answering (1) what frames were performed during game play (2) how those frames differed between Chinese and English (3) what conceptual frames were produced in languages spoken and (4) how those conceptual frames differed between each language. In brief, the study applied an ethnographic perspective toward describing how the organization of activity and language compared between both languages, through the play of a single game. The study discovered that each parent enacted different roles with the daughter during the play of the game. Whereas the mother, who had previous experience with game, performed an expert-novice role during game play, the father with his lack of experience in playing the game, took a novice-expert stance with respect to the daughter. The activity frames and conceptual frames followed accordingly, with the games in Chinese dominated by frames featuring directing and reporting on the part of the mother. In contrast, the English games reported the daughter dominating talk with informing and reporting functions of frames. Of the conceptual frames, Chinese presented game objects and events as changes of state; objects were evaluated according to notions of permission and convention. Conversely, English conceptualized objects as independent things existing with attributes, and events as discrete objects with defined spans of time. The study discovered a tight relationship between utterance, its function, and its frame for embedding topic-relationships. This relationship hints at dual activity-conceptual systems among bilingual children, warranting further attention by educators to integrate three dimensions into language classroom instruction: grammar form, speech function, and conceptual contents. As this study demonstrates, bilingual children do much more than talk in two languages. / Ph. D.

Purpose. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the relationship to achievement in math and reading of Self-Contained, Integrated, and Independent Learning Plan bilingual education programs for Punjabi students, K-3, in a Northern yurpose: The purpose of the investigation was to determine the relationship to Tchievement in math and reading of Self-Contained, Integrated, and Independent Learnifng Plan bilingual education programs for Punjabi students, K-3, in a Northern Cali- -_--_--_---+:,_~n-:tapub-lrc---school sy s tem. Ina:Uutti:ou,-t·h-e-re-orearcrr-suughr-to-dB-t California public school system. In addition, the research sought to determine the relationship to reading and math achievement for this population of (a) Gender, (b) Birthplace, (c) Number of years in school prior to final year in grade one, (d) Grade placement, (e) Socio-Economic status, (f) Language most often used by child at home, (g) Language most often used by parents to child, (h) Language most often used by adults at home, (i) Program type, (j) English language proficiency, and (k) Punjabi language proficiency. Procedure. Home Language Surveys identified Punjabi students in whose homes a language other than English was used. The Language Assessment Battery, in its published English version and in its locally translated form, was administered to each identified child. Proficiency levels on these tests determined placement in bilingual programs and, if placed, the program in existence in the child's attendance area was used. The Self-Contained and Integrated programs were taught by bilingual Punjabi teachers. Students in the Independent Learning Plan program were assisted for 15 to 20 minutes daily by bilingual Punjabi aides, individually or in small groups of two or three. All K-3 students in the three programs (134) were included in the study initially. By the end of the investigation, only 63 students remained for whom there were sufficient data for meaningful analysis. Findings. Of the two multi-faceted hypotheses tested, program type produced no significant differences in reading or math. Only one demographic variable was found to be significantly related to achievement. The Punjabi language proficiency variable produced a negative relationship. Students classified as Limited Punjabi Proficient were statistically lower in math achievement than Non-Punjabi Proficient and Fluent Punjabi Proficient students. The researcher was unable to account for this negative relationship with specificity. Kramer's modified Tukey multiple comparison method for unequal n's was employed to locate the differences among groups. The only significance demonstrated was found in the comparison of the Non-Punjabi Proficient and Limited Punjabi Proficient groups, yielding a q value significant at the .10 level of confidence. Conclusions and Recommendations. The researcher concluded that for this limited sample, program type was not a significant factor in achievement, but cautioned that error related to selection might have affected the findings. Additional investigation was recommended under particular circumstances to determine whether current findings may be replicated under better research conditions. Contingent upon replication of findings, it was recommended that decisions related to bilingual programs for this population realistically might be based upon parent goals, affective needs of individual students, or even logistical factors. A Native Language-Second Language Tandem (NLSLT) bilingual education model with reverse option to include all students in second language learning was proposed.

El presente estudio analiza la dinámica de la comunicación desarrollada en el ámbito de la clase de español e inglés como idioma extranjero en un proyecto de intercambio por telecolaboración organizado entre la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst, en Estados Unidos, y la Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, de Madrid, España, durante el semestre de otoño del 2004. Propone un enfoque pedagógico para la tele-colaboración basado en un aprendizaje colaborador y reflexivo, y en el diálogo interactivo, y pretende ilustrar cómo el uso efectivo de diferentes herramientas comunicativas de tecnología en línea combinadas y complementarias puede contribuir al acercamiento intercultural de los estudiantes a través de la comunicación o interacción mediada por ordenador ( Computer-mediated Communication, CMC; Computer-mediated Interaction, CMI), poniendo de manifiesto mediante la dinámica de la comunicación desarrollada diferencias culturales que pueden ser aprovechadas pedagógicamente para fomentar el descubrimiento cultural, la comprensión de las perspectivas y comportamientos de los participantes nativos de una lengua, y finalmente, el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa intercultural, lográndose la ampliación del discurso del aprendiz hacia un discurso intercultural compartido. Entre los objetivos del estudio se incluyen también documentar qué diferencias culturales se pueden observar reflejadas en el lenguaje a través de la tele-colaboración, qué factores pueden contribuir al buen funcionamiento de un proyecto de estas características, y analizar los aspectos que juegan un papel relevante en la adquisición cultural a través de la tele-colaboración, para poder contribuir a la mejora de futuros proyectos lingüístico-culturales en el aula de idiomas. Las conclusiones del proyecto indican que el programa de tele-colaboración desarrollado, utilizando diferentes herramientas comunicativas en línea de manera pedagógicamente eficiente, ha contribuido efectivamente al acercamiento intercultural, aprovechando las diferencias culturales como fuente positiva de descubrimiento a través del desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa intercultural y la comprensión de las diferencias como comportamientos y explicaciones alternativos o válidos en contextos culturales diferentes. Las conclusiones del estudio también incluyen sugerencias para solucionar los problemas planteados y mejorar la efectividad de proyectos similares de tele-colaboración en el futuro.

The purpose of this dissertation is to define and implement a theoretical construct of decolonizing theory as it pertains to the current issues of multicultural teacher education. A direct application of decolonizing methodologies and design will occur by focusing on the critical personal narratives of four preservice teachers and instructor involved in an introductory course on multicultural education. The rhetoric of multicultural teacher education and the challenging realities facing the field today will be addressed through qualitative research with a emphasis on critical ethnography and decolonization. The significance of this study is embedded in the voices of the students and instructor affected by the neocolonial conditions of U.S. schools, policies and practices. The goals of this research are to further the discourses on the sociopolitical constructs of decolonizing multicultural teacher education and to critically examine multicultural course construction and the potentially transformative praxis for future teachers.

With the release of Workforce 2000: Work and workers for the twenty-first century (Johnson & Packer, 1987) which projected increased cultural diversity in the workforce; more and more organizations and organizational consultants have become interested in methods to insure that all people are respected and their talents are fully utilized in organizations. Organizational change strategies are being employed to this end. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe how a group of practitioners conceptualize the nature of their diversity work and describe the change strategies they use. Diversity work in this study is a generic term used to describe the variety of approaches commonly labeled managing diversity, valuing diversity, multicultural organization development, etc. Approaches which include as their goals, respect for all people, the removal of advantages and disadvantages in the workplace based on social group identity, and the re-creation of organizations to reflect diverse perspectives. Through a qualitative case study approach using in-depth interviews the perspectives of four practitioners are explored and shared. The practitioners were chosen through a review of the literature so as to represent approaches that have been documented in writing, and to include people with differing perspectives on the use of individual and systems focused strategies. The four participants are Asherah Cinnamon, Judith Katz, Roosevelt Thomas, and Barbara Walker. Through the interview process three areas were explored with the participants: the practitioners' personal and professional background; their philosophies of change; and their approaches to diversity work. Results of the study indicate that each of the four cases was unique in and of itself. Through each description the theory and assumptions behind the work are made more explicit. At the same time common threads are revealed that provide connections among the approaches. While each practitioner has specific goals, focus, language, and ways of thinking about the work which are articulated through the case descriptions; themes which emerge from the cross-case analysis shed light on the overall practice and also have implications for the future of this work.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Chinese language schools in Northern California in maintaining the Chinese language, culture and ethnicity in a multilingual/multicultural society. The study examined: (1) goals and characteristics of the Chinese schools; (2) curriculum and extracurricular activities; (3) sociocultural and demographic characteristics of principals, teachers, parents, and students; (4) perceptions of these groups about the success of the schools; and (5) problems and difficulties facing the Chinese schools. The sample of the study consisted of 800 principals, teachers, parents and students in five schools. Across all schools, it was found that the majority of the participants perceived the goals of these schools to be teaching the Chinese language and culture, and they were generally satisfied with the schools. It was also found that there was a lack of appropriate teaching materials; that the emphasis of instruction was on the Chinese language; and that the actual classroom teaching was normally teacher-centered. Significant differences among the schools were found in the background characteristics of participants, including their educational level, teaching experience, language usage and length of residence in the United States. The parents' reasons for sending their children to the school, their views of children's motivation to attend the school, and their engagement in Chinese school activities varied significantly across the schools. A significant difference was also found among student groups in their attitudes toward the schools. The findings of this study suggest that ethnic language schools can be valuable resources for multicultural/multilingual education; hence, an exchange of resources between the public schools and the community language schools would be desirable. Recommendations for future research include: (1) a longitudinal study of Chinese language school graduates to determine important elements that contribute to long term language and cultural maintenance; and (2) a study of the communication and partnership arrangements between ethnic language schools and public schools to determine policy implications for bilingual and cross-cultural education.

Many studies have shown that spatial visualization and attitudes toward mathematics are positively and significantly correlated to achievement in mathematics. This study attempted to find out whether these relationships remain consistent across various ethnic groups. This study also attempted to ascertain if spatial visualization ability and attitudes toward mathematics vary among ethnic groups, and if these possible variabilities correspond to the different degrees of mathematical achievement. One hundred five 7th and 8th grade Caucasian, Chinese-American, and Hispanic-American students were selected from three of the five middle schools in the Stockton Unified School District to participate in this study. The DAT Space Relations Test, the Fennema-Sherman mathematics Attitude Scales, and the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills were administered to the students in the Spring of 1985 to assess spatial visualization ability, attitudes toward mathematics, and achievement in mathematics, respectively. The results indicated that Chinese-American students achieved significantly higher than Caucasian and Hispanic students in mathematics. The results of this study suggested that when English proficiency and family-income levels are controlled, Hispanic students (males and females combined) did not achieve at a significantly lower level than did Caucasian students as suggested in previous studies. Also when all three ethnic groups were combined, males achieved significantly higher than did females in mathematics. The data of the spatial visualization variable in this study indicated that Chinese-American males scored at a significantly higher level than did Chinese-American females. There was no significant sex difference in Caucasian and Hispanic groups. Students of both gender and all ethnic groups showed strongly positive attitudes toward mathematics. There were very few significant sex differences or ethnic differences in attitudes toward mathematics. There was a substantial correlation between spatial visualization and mathematics achievement. When all three ethnic groups were combined, females had a significantly higher correlation between mathematics achievement and spatial visualization than did males. Spatial visualization, ethnicity, and confidence of learning mathematics were significant predictors of mathematics achievement for the student population of this study.

This study utilized a cross-cultural comparative approach to investigate: (1) whether differences existed in problems reported by three groups of students of both sexes, Mexican, Mexican-American, and Anglo-American; and (2) the extent to which these differences were influenced by ethnicity, sex, or socioeconomic status, or the interaction among those variables. The STS Youth Inventory--Form G and a Personal Data Sheet were administered in the Spring of 1979 to 710 students from five high schools in Northern California. The sample which was statistically analyzed for the purposes of this investigation was comprised of 530 students. Of these 74 were Mexicans, 179 were Mexican-Americans, and 277 were Anglo-Americans. The data obtained were subjected to analyses of variance, chi-square statistics, and Scheffe tests. The influence of socioeconomic status was not assessed for the Mexican sample due to the fact that the sample of 530 students produced some empty cell frequencies for that group. Some of the important findings of the study were: (1) Mexican students reported significantly greater concern than Mexican-Americans and Anglo-Americans in problems related to My School, After High School, About Myself, Getting Along with Others, Things in General and the Total Score of the STS Youth Inventory. (2) Mexican-Americans reported significantly greater concern than Anglo-Americans in problems related to After High School, My School, Things in General, and Total Score. (3) Girls reported significantly greater concern than boys in problems related to My School, About Myself, Getting Along with Others, Things in General and Total Score. (4) Significant interaction effects between the variables of ethnicity and sex were found in the following measures: My School, Getting Along with Others and Total Score. In all three instances, the sex differences appeared to be a function of the differences between the Mexican genders. (5) A significant interaction effect between socioeconomic status and sex was obtained for only one variable: After High School. Class III, Class IV, and Class V girls reported significantly greater concern than Class I-II girls in problems related to After High School. (6) No significant interaction effects were found between the variables of ethnicity and socioeconomic status when comparing Mexican-American and Anglo-American students. Of particular significance for its theoretical contribution to the psychology of personality were the measures comparing Mexican-Americans and Anglo-Americans which yielded statistical differences, cross-culturally, regardless of social class. The findings highlighted the Mexican-Americans as a unique and particular group which could be described as a culturally definable entity. They augmented the fund of empirical research which has supported the view of a distinct Mexican psychology and a distinct Mexican-American psychology. Recommendations for further research included: (1) replications of the study with (a) both younger and older populations, (b) other minority ethnic groups, and (c) Mexicans from different socioeconomic groups; (2) investigation of the relationship between perceived problems and actual school behavior in the three ethnic groups studied; (3) long-term experimental studies to assess the effects of school response to differences in problem perception among Mexican, Mexican-American, and Anglo-American students.

The Field-Dependence-Independence (FDI) cognitive style refers to the relative ability of an individual to perceive elements as discrete from an overall organization. It is most commonly measured by the Portable-Rod-and-Frame Test (PRFT) and the children's Embedded Figure Test (CEFT). This study was concerned with the relationship of PRFT and CEFT to the reading, language, and math achievement scores of Anglo-American, first-generation Chinese- and Mexican-American elementary school children. This study also compared PRFT and CEFT scores among the three ethnic groups and between the boys and girls. The sample for the study consisted of 90 fourth- and fifth-graders with equal numbers in each ethnic group. Equal numbers of boys and girls were included within each ethnic group. A bilingual female Chinese-American tested each child individually on PRFT and CEFT. The total reading, total language, and total math scores of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) on the sample children were obtained from school district records. It was found that CEFT significantly predicted language and math achievement scores for the sample children. PRFT had significant relationships with reading and math achievement scores for only the Chinese group. Anglo children and Chinese boys scored in a significantly more field-independent direction on PRFT when compared with Chinese and Mexican girls. Boys and girls of all three ethnic groups scored about the same on CEFT. It was concluded that: (1) What is measured by PRFT is not the same as that which is measured by CEFT. (2) There is a moderate relationship between math/reading/language achievement scores and FDI measures. (3) An individual's performance on PRFT is influenced by his/her cultural background and upbringing.