M.Ed. / The aim of this study is to determine the role of pre-existing levels of digital literacy on the academic performance of students who are enrolled for the National Diploma Information Technology at the University of Johannesburg. The majority of students entering the University of Johannesburg are black and come from schools and communities which do not enjoy the same technologically rich environments as that of their counterparts, yet on entering their first year of studies, they are expected by lecturers to perform at the same level as those from advantaged backgrounds. Students enrolled in 2008 were targeted, using a mixed methods study that incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data to illuminate the factors related to digital literacy that may have influenced the students’ likelihood to succeed in the Information Technology modules. The data that were collected were brought in relation to the students final marks for the subject Information Systems 1 Module A (Computer Concepts). It emerged that the computer literate students performed significantly better during the first semester compared to the computer illiterate students. The computer illiterate students indicated that the lack of computer experience influenced their ability to pass computer related subjects; however, it was not the only limiting factor as socioeconomic factors also played a role. Other results showed that students battled to keep up with the fast pace with which subjects were lectured. The students’ level of the English language is a predictor of their success in the Diploma and more than 70% of students were unable to use the Internet.

The purpose of the research was to investigate academic writing challenges faced by first year B.Ed. students at the University of the Witwatersrand in order to assist tutors support these students. One of the main findings is first year B.Ed. students find it challenging to move from school literacies to academic literacy, and thus they need to be ‘initiated’ into academic literacy. The findings indicate that students need assistance with reading the articles on which essays are based, with understanding what essay questions require them to do, with quoting and referencing from sources and with the ‘mechanics’ of writing. A further finding is that some students face academic writing challenges because they resist being initiated into academic conventions for several reasons. The study concludes with some recommendations to course designers and tutors including the recommendations.

The competencies and needs of those entering the teaching profession have become the subject of public debate since the release of A Nation at Risk. Subsequently many comprehensive and comparative reviews have documented the socialization of those entering the teaching profession especially student teachers and first-year teachers. The problems of beginning teachers have produced survival and self-oriented concerns. Internships and induction programs have been developed to ease the socialization of beginning teachers and mediate these concerns. As internships are developed and induction programs implemented, descriptive field studies which examine the processes of beginning teacher socialization are needed. Particularly, studies which investigate the socialization of first-year teachers prepared in cooperative field-based programs are necessary. This study was designed to document and analyze the teaching experiences of four first-year teachers who completed an extended field-based Internship – CPEP (Cooperative Professional Education Program). These teaching experiences were documented in terms of a conceptual framework drawn from socialization theory, occupational socialization theory, and teacher socialization research. Three questions were developed to guide this research into the teacher socialization process: 1) What are the socialization structures and processes, formal and informal, which shaped teachers' perceptions of their first year of teaching? 2) What are the teachers' perceptions of problems encountered and what adjustments are made? 3) What are the common concerns shared by these beginning teachers? The conceptual framework, socialization theory, coupled with a comparative case study design, were utilized to collect, organize, and interpret the data. Data sources included interviews, questionnaires, observations, video tapes, and journals. These multiple data sources provided evidence of the factors which explain beginning teachers’ induction into the teaching profession, teaching experiences in terms of teacher socialization theory and research and the relationship between teacher socialization and occupational socialization theory. The answers to the research questions are as follows: First, several significant contextual factors shaped these first-year teachers' perceptions of teaching: the organizational nature of the schools, the physical demands necessary to maintain energy levels for teaching, and the lack of time for planning. The influence of each teacher's primary socializing agent, the internship mentor teacher was expressed through a process of collegial emulation. Their students and teachers in other schools were also influential socializing agents. The behavioral outcomes of the teachers consistently focused on issues related to efficiency and organization. Second. the most significant self-perceived problems were the lack of planning time and the dynamics of working with other staff members. Although these beginning teachers became increasingly self-critical about the consequences of their teaching, they maintained a tone of confidence and competence. Third, the Stages of Concern Questionnaire administered to the teachers revealed relatively high student-focused (task) and teacher-oriented (impact) concern intensities. Their most commonly shared concerns included refocusing their teaching and identifying the consequences of their instruction. Although institutional demands influenced teacher adjustment to the norms and values of the profession and to the school as a social organization, the teachers also took an active role in this socialization process. The teachers were influenced by institutional norms, but they also created new roles and norms. Consequently, their socialization was a dynamic and interactive process. Occupational socialization variables which linked teacher socialization to occupation socialization theory included training, formal and informal mechanisms of control, and stages of socialization. The research findings contribute to the teacher education knowledge base and should be of value to four primary audiences: school site administrators who supervise beginning teachers, staff development administrators who organize in-service programs, governing bodies which regulate teacher certification, and university personnel who develop and supervise teacher preparation programs.

I am inspired by the serendipitous connections to people, places, and things in the world around me. I approach art, much like my life, with an initial idea or plan, only to end up changing it. My pieces are records in the form of mixed media altered books that act as visual journals of my experiences. Phases of a 1st Year Teacher focuses on how I personally worked through these phases and attitudes my first year of teaching, and helped me to rediscover why I chose the teaching profession.

It is well established that such student precollege cognitive measures as high school GPA and test scores (ACT, SAT) have a certain predictive value in student retention. While research is replete with evidence of the value of student advising in a college’s retention strategy, there is a gap in the literature on the impact of using noncognitive survey information by advisors to better target student deficiencies. The primary goal of this study was to explore the relationship between retention and exposure to noncognitive risk factor information for students and advisors. One thousand fifty-four freshmen students enrolled in a first-year experience (FYE) course at Dixie State College were given the Student Strengths Inventory (SSI) survey that measures six different noncognitive risk factor variables. By using a regression discontinuity design, students were initially divided into two sample groups using an index score generated by combining the high school GPA and ACT (or equivalent) test score. Students who fell below the cutoff point were further subdivided by random sampling into three groups: (a) students who received their survey results with no further action, (b) students selected for general advisement, and (c) students selected for targeted advisement using the survey results. When comparing the retention rates from fall semester 2009 to fall semester 2010, the retention rates varied as predicted by the researcher; however, these differences in retention could not be attributed to the usage of the survey with one exception: when the treatment group was filtered only to include first-generation students, usage of the survey results was statistically significant in contributing to a 62% retention rate, the highest of any of the sample groups studied.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Graduate School of Education, Oral Roberts University, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-157).

The work presented in this dissertation deals with the development of new methodologies for P-C bond formation as well as synthesizing biologically relevant organophosphorus compounds. A distinct emphasis is given to the important synthetic targets, the H-phosphinates. A review of relevant literature is provided in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis and structural analyses, of triphenylmethyl-containing phosphorus compounds. For the first time, both phosphonothioic and boranophosphonic acids have been characterized by single X-ray diffractometry. The third chapter details the preparation and the reactivity of phosphine-borane complexes. Novel dialkoxyphosphine-borane complexes were introduced, both as general synthetic intermediates for the preparation of H-phosphinates or disubstituted phosphinic acids, and as boranophosphonate precursors. Related to this chemistry, silylation of an H-phosphinate intermediate can also be conducted and the resulting phosphonite protected with borane. This allows the temporary protection of the sensitive P-H group, so that manipulations of the alkyl chain might be conducted. In chapter 4, the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of dialkylphosphites with aryl and heteroaryl halides is presented. An efficient, versatile and economically attractive alternative to the original Hirao cross-coupling by using only 1 mol% (or less) Pd(OAc)2/dppf is described. Moreover, first example of palladium-catalyzed P-C bond formation between activated aryl chlorides and a phosphite are herein reported. Chapter 5 focuses on the free-radical hydrophosphinylation of alkynes. The triethylborane-initiated radical addition of sodium hypophosphite to terminal alkyne affords the previously unknown 1,1-bis-H-phosphinates, precursors of the biologically relevant 1,1-bisphosphonates (e.g., treatment of bone diseases). Thus, the oxidative conversion of 1,1-bis-H-phosphinates to the corresponding bisphosphonates, as well as the synthesis of a series of bio-conjugates (steroids, carbohydrates, fluoroquinolones) was investigated. In the last chapter, the palladium-catalyzed hydrophosphinylation of hypophosphorous acid derivatives to terminal alkynes is reported. In an effort to improve the regioselectivity of the reaction, various terminal alkynes were tested, as well as the solvent and catalyst system.

This study focused on teacher professionalization as it relates to the recruitment of teachers. Five aspects of professionalization were selected from the literature that might influence a prospective teacher to consider a career in education: compensation, credentialing, collaboration, professional development, and autonomy. The broad emphasis of this research was to create awareness among educators of their roles in promoting the profession of teaching. By collecting and analyzing the perceptions of some of the most recognized teachers, regional and state Teachers of the Year, issues that had not previously been studied were confronted and analyzed. Major research findings for the study indicated: ?? Teachers perceive that increased financial benefits, improved public perception of teachers, and positive school culture encourage prospective teachers to consider careers in teaching. ?? A majority of the teachers surveyed reported that they frequently participate in recruitment activities by sharing information on the intrinsic rewards of their careers, by identifying qualities in another person that might lead to the choice of a teaching career, and by telling that person that they would be a good teacher. Based on the findings of the study, researcher recommendations include: ?? Salary schedules should be addressed to include opportunities for teachers to be promoted, yet remain in the classroom. ?? Teachers should inspire secondary students to consider careers in education by participating in career day initiatives. ?? Teachers should invite the media into their classrooms and speak to community groups to promote the profession. ?? Teachers should write op-ed pieces for the newspapers about their profession. ?? Those teachers who have left the profession for family obligations may be lured back into teaching by expanded job-sharing opportunities, part-time positions, and district-managed day care. ?? An intense initiative should be inaugurated to encourage teachers to eliminate negative discussions about the profession. ?? Initiatives that demonstrate public appreciation and acknowledgment of the value of the profession should be implemented.