The purpose of this study was to collect information on relevant sexuality education content for adolescents by assessing students' interests and perceived needs. Subjects in this study were middle school students. Two methods of data collection were employed, therefore, this study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, questionnaires were completed by 224 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students of the Greater Albany School District. Responses from the Student Sexuality Education Questionnaire (SSEQ) revealed sexuality topics of importance based on interest and perceived need. Subsequent to identifying sexuality topics of importance, statistical analyses were performed on each sexuality topic. Kruskal-Wallis analyses determined that five sexuality topics (of 23 listed in the SSEQ) were significant between sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Seventeen topics tested statistically significant when female and male responses were submitted to Mann-Whitney analyses. Differences between grade levels and sexes were identified for three topics in both tests of significance. These topics were female reproductive system, male reproductive system, and dating. In the second phase of this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 students who completed the SSEQ. Student consent, grade level, and sex were criteria used in selecting the Phase II sample. Students' responses to Interview Guide questions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed. An analysis of the transcripts revealed similarities and differences between Phase I and II data. In both phases, students reported that AIDS, STD's, preventing STD's, preventing pregnancy, and sexual abuse were most important to learn about in school. Additional data that emerged during the interview process related to preferred sources and grade levels for sexuality education. Students generated a list of suggestions for relevant sexuality education. Their suggestions were summarized. A synthesis of Phase I and II results led to recommendations for school administrators and educators. Recommendations were also provided for future research. / Graduation date: 1992

Because the history of Indian-White relations in Canada has focussed mainly on the colonized Indians and ignored the impact of colonization on the White colonizers, it has simplified a complex affiliation which, clearly, had an impact on both groups while reducing Indian peoples to objects to be studied. By understanding the concept of a relationship involved in colonization, we can alternatively focus on the effects colonization had on both the large and small colonizers. Not only will a study of this type allow us to emphasize the once-ignored impact of colonization on the colonizers, it will also help to avoid the over-study of the Indian peoples in Canada. <p> Exploring the history of the Indian Homemaking Program, Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan, 1967-1972 is an excellent venue in which to perform such a study. The program, which involves White Extension Instructors travelling to Saskatchewan reserves to teach Indian women homemaking skills such as knitting and crocheting, sewing and food preparation, promoted informal cross-cultural education in a setting that was both relaxed and enjoyable. After speaking with Extension Instructors about their vast array of experiences with respect to the program, it is abundantly clear that their days in the program, and with Indian women, changed the way they saw and experienced Saskatchewan.

This project is the result of a yearlong study documenting the comparative effectiveness of two homework assessment schemes. While both schemes assess completeness and accuracy, one scheme was more traditional and one was more nontraditional in nature. The more traditional method required students to complete homework assignments that were constructed from problems found in the textbook that accompanied the course. These assignments were monitored and were checked weekly for accuracy. The non-traditional method utilized the on-line assessment tool called Math XLR. The effectiveness of these two methods was compared through analysis of differences in student persistence on homework, student performance on tests, and final course grades. After analyzing the material, this study suggested that using MathXLR as a tool versus the traditional book and paper/pencil method does not lead to significant increases in persistence or success. Thus, it seems that using Math XLR should be a personal choice of the instructor for the purpose of convenience. The study concludes with a discussion of findings and study limitations, as well as suggestions for future research.

As a matter of logistics, chamber music and accompanying play a vital role in the life of the college pianist and will likely form a significant portion of his future in the musical profession, in that nearly all other "solo" instrumentalists and vocalists require a pianist. The pianist, as a result, should be among the most adept of ensemble performers.The first step in this study was to determine the status of chamber/accompanying courses and performance activities as practiced in institutions of higher learning. Ten heterogeneous institutions were chosen representing private and public affiliation, various geographical areas, as well as size of student enrollment. Bulletins were examined to determine applied piano requirements and required chamber/accompanying courses. Questionnaires were directed to major piano instructors in these institutions to obtain information not reflected in bulletins.Conclusions reached from this information revealed courses represent twenty percent of a student's total piano performance course instruction. A number of problems surfaced when responses to the questionnaire were evaluated: Comprehensive records of repertoire, studio assignment, and public performance are not likely to be kept by, or made readily available to, the applied piano instructor regarding his student's ensemble activities. The major instructor also has little control over the number of chamber assignments, or the level of difficulty of the compositions to which his student might be assigned. A significant portion of the interviewed faculty believes that the quality of the student's ensemble performance falls below that of his solo performance. Ninety percent of the piano instructors were of the opinion that the student's piano ensemble activities are not correlated to enhance his overall pianistic development.The hub of the student's pianistic progress is traditionally represented in major applied piano instruction and all other piano activities tend to be by-products of this learning experience. The conclusion therefore was made, that if the private lesson serves as a center of all pianistic instruction, solutions to these problems would be forthcoming.In order to correlate chamber study with overall pianistic development, adequate record-keeping was recommended. In addition to required chamber/accompanying courses, it was suggested that a regular portion of the applied lesson time be devoted to the study of ensemble works. Chamber/accompanying compositions studied in the private lesson should reflect pianistic challenges parallel to those of solo literature studied. That this is indeed possible was revealed through analogous studies of major chamber and solo literature.Three chamber works were compared to their solo counterparts to determine likeness in pianistic techniques. Beethoven's Piano Sonata in B-flat, Opus 22, and the piano part to his Trio in B-flat, Opus 11, were found to contain, in common, eight major classical piano techniques representing roughly ninety percent of the compositions' technical content. The extent to which these techniques were employed was also similar; specific passages of almost identical material, both technically and stylistically, were illustrated. Because of these extraordinary similarities, study of the Trio was found to be a logical alternate choice for piano study, replacing the Sonata.Debussy's piano prelude Des pas sur la neige and the piano part to the song La Grotte were revealed as having been constructed around a similar, halting, ostinato figure juxtaposed with additional techniques requiring similar, often identical, techniques. The Debussy prelude La ser4nade interrompue and the piano part to the song Ballade des femmes de Paris were found to exhibit similarity in a virtuosic style of pianism built largely on rapid alternation between hands, and alternation of pitches within the hand. Both techniques were found in similar settings and the extent of their use and others was also comparable. These examples represent a sample of compositions which are likewise analogous. It was concluded that such correlation and integration of ensemble and solo instruction was the most effective direction to be taken in improving chamber/accompanying performance as well as the overall pianistic advancement of the undergraduate collegiate pianist.As a follow-up to this study, further research is recommended to determine lists of chamber works representative of various levels of piano study which correspond in scope and level of advancement to traditional solo repertoire guidelines.

In this study the role of the thumb in piano playing is thoroughly investigated. The following areas were studied: attitudes about the thumb; anatomy, movements, and injuries of the thumb the history of the use of the thumb in piano playing; the: role of the thumb in. piano fingering; views about how to use-the thumb in playing; ways piano methods promote the use of the thumb; and study materials that develop the use of the thumbs.Numerous sources provided varying amounts of information on the subject. Books on piano technique and pedagogy, books about anatomy, and periodicals were important sources of information.Pianists have many different ideas about how the thumb should be used in piano playing. All of these ideas were compared and contrasted, discussing the positive and negative aspects of each.A four-item questionnaire was sent to numerous piano teachers to gather additional ideas about how they deal with the use of the thumb. The teachers had a wide range of interesting ideas on the subject. However, most of these ideas are similar to those already found in print. Many of these teachers have developed exercises of their own to improve the use of the thumb among their students.An index of study materials that develop the use of the thumb was compiled. The selections were categorized according to the area of thumb technique they develop, such as passagework or arpeggios. The categories were divided according to whether the problem was present in both hands, the right hand, or the left hand. Within each of these categories the selections were further divided into the categories of exercises, studies, and etudes.

The majority of the interest for Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet (1743-1794), has been focused on his work in mathematics and political science, especially on his famous method on voting tally. With a background in the French enlightenment, on the brink of the revolution, this essay focuses on his political and philosophical ideas, specially his thoughts on the role of education in humanity’s struggle toward greater freedom. Is it possible to identify a connection between the concepts of education and freedom in his writings? This question is largely unanswered, even though it is fundamental for the understanding of the underlying reasoning of Condorcet. It is this gap that this essay intends to fill. By analyzing Condorcet’s essays, the Sketch and On Freedom, using Quentin Skinner’s contextual method, the essay aims to explore Condorcet’s reasoning on the two concepts, and tries to identify whether or not a connection between them exists. The study finds that there is a connection between education and freedom present in the writings of Condorcet, and it is clear that he has a very structured view of the two concepts, respectively. The distinction between instruction and education is especially central in his essays and the identified link between education and freedom.

Because the history of Indian-White relations in Canada has focussed mainly on the colonized Indians and ignored the impact of colonization on the White colonizers, it has simplified a complex affiliation which, clearly, had an impact on both groups while reducing Indian peoples to objects to be studied. By understanding the concept of a relationship involved in colonization, we can alternatively focus on the effects colonization had on both the large and small colonizers. Not only will a study of this type allow us to emphasize the once-ignored impact of colonization on the colonizers, it will also help to avoid the over-study of the Indian peoples in Canada. <p> Exploring the history of the Indian Homemaking Program, Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan, 1967-1972 is an excellent venue in which to perform such a study. The program, which involves White Extension Instructors travelling to Saskatchewan reserves to teach Indian women homemaking skills such as knitting and crocheting, sewing and food preparation, promoted informal cross-cultural education in a setting that was both relaxed and enjoyable. After speaking with Extension Instructors about their vast array of experiences with respect to the program, it is abundantly clear that their days in the program, and with Indian women, changed the way they saw and experienced Saskatchewan.

This study investigated the effectiveness of explicit pragmatic instruction on the acquisition of requests by college-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Taiwan. The researcher applied quantitative and qualitative approaches to determine first whether the use of explicit pragmatic instruction had a positive effect on EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. Second, the relative effectiveness of presenting pragmatics through two delivery systems—face-to-face, in-class activities and computer-mediated communication (CMC) via e-mail and WebCT—was compared. One hundred and eighteen Taiwanese undergraduate students who made up three intact classes in an “English for Tourism” course completed the entire study. The three groups were: (1) the control group, in which students received no explicit instruction on pragmatics but received instructor-led lessons from the textbook’s teacher’s manual, (2) the experimental/Teacher Instruction (TI) group, in which students learned pragmatics in a face-to-face classroom setting with explicit instruction on pragmatics, and (3) the experimental/CMC group, in which students learned pragmatics explicitly through e-mail and WebCT discussions with their partners at Texas A&M University. There were 40 Taiwanese students in the control group, 36 Taiwanese students in the experimental/Teacher Instruction group and 42 Taiwanese students in the experimental/CMC group. Treatment types (Control/TI/CMC) were randomly assigned to the intact classes. The results showed that explicit pragmatic instruction had a positive impact on the EFL learners in both the Teacher Instruction and CMC groups. Learners who received explicit pragmatic instruction performed better on the Discourse Completion Task posttest than those who did not. The findings also indicated that technology can be a valuable tool for delivering pragmatics instruction.

This investigation examined the extent to which teacher implemented systematic, explicit instruction affected the literacy achievement of kindergarten and first grade students. Two cohorts of students in a southwestern United States school district were utilized for this study. Cohort 1 (n=94) received classroom literacy instruction from the state adopted basal reading series. Cohort 2 (n=96) received literacy instruction from the basal series and an additional reading program designed to systematically and explicitly teach phonological awareness, letter name identification, and the alphabetic principle. Each cohort was followed from the middle of kindergarten through the end of first grade. Kindergarten measures included the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) tests of phonological awareness, letter naming, letter sound knowledge, and listening comprehension, and were administered at the middle and end of kindergarten. At the beginning of first grade, TPRI phonological awareness, word reading, reading comprehension, and fluency were measured. Middle of year first grade variables were TPRI reading comprehension and fluency. End of the year first grade measures were TPRI word reading, fluency, reading comprehension, and Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) word analysis, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling. A MANCOVA was conducted at each interval using English language learner status as the covariate. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine which variables best predicted end of first grade reading comprehension, word reading, and fluency. Results from the MANCOVA indicated that Cohort 2 outperformed Cohort 1 on kindergarten TPRI measures of phonological awareness, letter naming, and letter sound correspondences. Cohort 2 also performed better than Cohort 1 on first grade TPRI reading comprehension, fluency, and end of year word reading, however, there were no statistically significant differences on the ITBS measures. Conclusions and recommendations for further research and for practice are also discussed.

The Black/White Achievement gap has been a persistent problem in education. Previous research attributed this gap to students' culture (Jenks & Phillips, 1998; Ogbu, 1995a.b) or teachers' expectancy (Rist, 1970). Post-colonial literature suggests that this research itself is oppressive, and that learning is negotiating the "spaces" between students and teachers (Ellsworth, 1997); creating a hybrid "mestiza" space (Anzaldúa, 1987). The openness of immersion to diversity, and its subsequent educational benefits for African-American students (Caldas & Boudreaux, 1999) conforms to this post-colonial perspective. This mixed-methodology study examined both academic achievement and the experiences of Louisiana fourth grade students/teachers in both the regular education and the French immersion contexts. The quantitative phase compared these students' LEAP test scores. The qualitative phase was a cross-case comparison of four classrooms--an extreme class (90% of the school population in poverty) and a typical class (African-Americans of average academic achievement) in each context. Quantitative findings were that while there was a bridging of the achievement gap between the LEAP math scores of African-American immersion students and those of white students in regular education, the gap remained amongst immersion students. The qualitative phase found the regular education classroom was found to be a more fixed and assimilating context than immersion. Further, immersion students had higher collective self-esteems and a more positive view of schooling. Though Typical Immersion appeared to create a hybrid third space, the regular education context in which immersion programs were situated appeared to negatively influence these programs.