This thesis investigates the history of two Liberal Studies curricula in Hong Kong: Advanced Supplementary Level Liberal Studies (ASL LS) and New Senior Secondary Liberal Studies (NSS LS), which were introduced under two successive academic structures. The former follows the English Britain academic structure, with five-year junior and senior secondary, two further secondary years for matriculation, and a three-year undergraduate higher education. The latter resembles the Chinese academic structure with three years' junior secondary, three years' senior secondary and four year of undergraduate higher education. ASL LS formed part of the matriculation education curriculum and lasted for two years under the old academic structure; NSS LS is a component of a three-year senior secondary education under the new academic structure. The shift of academic structures in Hong Kong took place between 2009 and 2012, during which transition period both academic structures existed in parallel. This research has two main purposes. The first is to examine the history of the two Liberal Studies curricula. The second is to find out the key factors shaping the two curricula. The results and findings are mainly based mainly on documentary analysis supplemented by interviews with men and women who played significant parts in shaping the Liberal Studies curriculum. This historical research identifies three key overlapping stages in the development of Liberal Studies. The first stage relates to the formation and implementation of the ASL LS from 1992 to 2012. The second stage, beginning in September 2001, covers the consultation over and implementation (up to August 2014) of NSS LS. The third and comparatively short stage covers September to December 2014. This was initiated by the 79 day 'Occupy Central' and the 'Umbrella' movements in support of universal suffrage for the Legislative Council Election in 2016 and Chief Executive Election in 2017. While the predominant view in the academic literature locates the origins of Liberal Studies in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, Legislative Council records show that ideas about liberal studies began to emerge as early as 1978. Factors shaping the Liberal Studies curriculum are also identified at international, regional and local levels. The Liberal Studies curricula is seen as resulting from the interplay of factors at all three levels, with local level factors played the decisive role.

<p> The purpose of this study was to identify misconceptions and perceptions of best teaching practices to better bring about conceptual change in thermodynamics, a core idea within the high school physical science Next Generation Science Standards. This study identified student misconceptions related to a thermodynamics unit, focusing on misconceptions related to temperature and energy, temperature and perceptions of hot/cold, and heat capacity. I also sought to identify factors that students and I, separately, identified as affecting their thinking. Data includes a pre-test and a post-test given to high school chemistry students. The instruments included multiple-choice and free-response questions. I also kept a teacher journal of my thoughts throughout the unit. The unit was somewhat successful in addressing heat energy and temperature misconceptions as more students answered post-test questions correctly when compared to the pre-test responses. Students identified labs and out of class experiences as affecting their thinking, which I agree with and would also include activities that make students more aware of their own thinking along with group discussion and modeling.</p><p>

There are established notions about the importance of distributed leadership in school leadership practice. Theory and research on this currently popular leadership model mostly emanate from western contexts, notably Australia, UK and the USA. It has been portrayed as an emergent model, with professionals choosing to initiate leadership in schools and classrooms. It is closely linked to teacher leadership, because distribution invariably involves teachers. This thesis focuses on leadership practice in selected secondary schools in Nigeria, from a distributed perspective. It is based on research in Edo state, using a multiple case study design. Nigeria has a centralised education system and schools tend to have a typical hierarchical structure. This raises the question about whether and how distributed leadership can operate in such a hierarchical context. The findings show that distribution occurs in the four case study schools but that it is largely allocative, rather than emergent, with school principals allocating tasks and, to a lesser extent, roles, to teachers and leaders. The case studies indicate that hierarchical distribution of school leadership can be accomplished through such allocative distributed leadership, with distribution occurring to those who occupy both formal and informal leadership roles. The research raises questions about the differences between this mode of distribution and established notions of delegation and explores this distinction. The thesis examines a globally significant leadership model and applies it to the under-published context of Nigerian secondary schools. The research is likely to be relevant to other centralised systems considering whether and how to adapt their leadership and management practice.

Transition into first-time headship is a challenge, as the new leader lets go of their former role as a teacher/deputy and at the same time prepares to adopt a new professional persona. This research explores the nature of transition as experienced by six deputies moving to be heads of independent schools which are new to them. It identifies what is distinctive about the experience and what can be learnt which may be of benefit to future generations of new headteachers and the schools they join. It focusses on the challenges inherent in making this transition, and the strategies these fledgling heads adopt as they navigate the process. Six research participants are tracked through the final months of their deputy headship and into the early months of their first headship. They simultaneously let go of their deputy role, paving the way for their successors in that role, while preparing to take on the professional responsibilities of the headteacher. Socialisation into this new role is reciprocal, as the new head affects, and is affected by, the school community they join. The new heads negotiate the tension, and attempt to find balance, between inheriting the role from their predecessor and inhabiting this role and making it their own. The time in between being appointed to headship and formally assuming the position offers these heads-elect the opportunity to begin to divest themselves of their deputy role and take on the mantle of the school leader. During this lead-in period these incoming heads devise strategies, access support, explore and experiment as they continue the process of formulating and articulating their conception of the head they hope to be, and begin their tentative steps towards realising that vision. In addition to data from semi-structured interviews, shadowing these deputies/new heads and discussion with those who worked most closely with them, and who knew them best, opened up a wider perspective on the two-way socialisation process and the nature of transition to headship.

<p> With incidences such as the Trayvon Martin shooting and the Freddie Gray death dominating the headlines, it is clear that racial tension and sensitivities are still prevalent in American society. These events highlight the struggles that many African-Americans are facing as a part of their daily lives. African-American males have had to overcome many obstacles and challenges to receive equal treatment, rights, and protections. Unfortunately, their journey for equality is long from over.</p><p> Cardinal Potter High School in Maryland was a diverse and supportive community. African-American males made up a large percentage of the student body. For many, opportunities associated with academic leadership activities had been underutilized. When it came to participation in Student Council and other formal leadership organizations, many African-American males were not choosing these organizations and mainly participated in athletics or cultural relevant clubs causing a leadership gap.</p><p> This qualitative research study looked at the various causes or influences on African-American males in participating in formal leadership activities. For this study, leadership is defined as the ability to positively influence others in an official position or through participation. By interviewing 25 graduates of the school, I was able to determine if there were structural issues within the school and societal influences that attributed to this leadership gap. Further, I explored various other factors such as media, family life, peer groups, and other areas. Finally, I was able to identify motivating factors that influenced African-American males to take leadership roles and countered internalized beliefs on masculinity, success, and leadership.</p><p> The following research questions helped to direct this study: 1. What factors do African-American male alumni of Cardinal Potter High School attribute to the underrepresentation of African-American males in student academic leadership roles? 2. What factors of school culture do participants attribute to this leadership gap? 3. What aspects of the African-American community contribute to promote African-American male leadership?</p>

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This dissertation was designed to determine whether mentoring programs which might be used in middle schools could be successful in increasing self concept in order reduce violent behavior and improve academic performance. The significance of this study lay in its intent to assess the outcomes of a semester-long intervention by collegiate mentors to effect a reduction in middle school violence by building self concept and improving academic success. Although there has been a substantial amount of literature documenting the linkages between violent behavior and self concept, and between self concept and academic success, there is little or no direct evidence that this destructive cycle can be broken through a mentoring program.;This research addressed deficiencies in earlier studies by selecting the sample pool to include only students with parallel histories of violent behavior and a lack of academic success. Students in both the treatment and control groups were evaluated in terms of self-esteem through the use of the Bracken Multidimensional Self Concept Scale both before and after treatment. Student outcomes were monitored in the same terms used to select them for participation. The results were analyzed by performing a t-test for independent means in order to determine whether there were significant differences between the experimental and control groups with regard to grades, self concept, and violent behavior after the treatment. Where initial differences were found to have existed, analysis of covariance was utilized to control for these differences. A chi-square analysis was used to determine whether there was a significant difference before and after the study in terms of expulsions and exclusions.;The study concluded that the mentored students in the experimental group showed significant increases in the dimensions of academic and total self concept. The mentored students also demonstrated a significant decline in violent incidents and exclusions. Changes in grades were not found to be significant. This study supported the idea that a low-cost mentoring program for middle school students is an effective method of raising self concept and reducing violent behavior.

Research over the past twenty years supports the teacher as the critical factor in the implementation of educational programs. The primary purpose of this mixed design study was to determine teachers' perceptions in implementing the required Algebra I program that was mandated by the state of Virginia in 1995. The research was examined through the lens of the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): communicating mathematically, making mathematical connections, becoming mathematical problem solvers, and reasoning mathematically. This study was limited to ninth grade Algebra I teachers in a school division in Virginia. Two Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) instruments were used in this research. The Stages of Concern (SoC) Questionnaire determined the teachers' concerns regarding implementation of the required Algebra I program. The Levels of Use (LoU) focused interview data supported the teachers' areas of concern. In addition, the grounded theory method was used to analyze the observation and interview data. Results were presented as narrative descriptions from which major categories of concerns emerged. Findings revealed that the NCTM recommendations of communicating mathematically, making mathematical connections, becoming mathematical problem solvers, and reasoning mathematically were not implemented in the required Algebra I program. Teachers were unaware that the required Algebra I program was designed to meet the needs of a changing population. This study supports the need for comprehensive and ongoing training for teachers if the needs of a more diverse population are to be realized in a required Algebra I program.

In response to accountability issues mandated by federal and state legislation, educators are looking at various aspects within schools to identify relationships between school variables and student performance. This study addressed this issue by investigating the relationship between organizational citizenship behaviors of middle school teachers and student achievement, and organizational citizenship behaviors of middle school teachers and school climate within 82 middle schools throughout the state of Virginia. This study also explored the relative effects of student socio-economic status (SES) and organizational citizenship behaviors on student achievement. The Organizational Citizenship Behavior in School Scale (OCBS) was used to measure teacher organizational citizenship behavior. The School Climate Index (SCI) was used to measure school climate. The eighth grade Virginia Standards of Learning math and English Tests were the measurement tools for student achievement.;A significant relationship was found between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and student achievement in both English and math. There was also a significant relationship between OCB and school climate. Additional correlational analysis found significance between organizational citizenship behaviors and each of the four dimensions of school climate: collegial leadership, teacher professionalism, academic press, and community engagement. Further stepwise regression analysis indicated that SES had a significant independent effect on student achievement in both math and English. Organizational citizenship behaviors had a significant independent effect on student achievement in English when controlling for SES.

The purpose of this study was to analyze a prominent alternative education practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia through an analysis of the Virginia Department of Education's Individual Student Alternative Education Plan (ISAEP) program and the alternative education environment it provides. This was a descriptive study using non-experimental survey research using quantitative and qualitative data to study the phenomena as it exists. Participants included 132 ISAEP program leaders attending the 6th Annual Conference in July, 2012. The study revealed that the ISAEP program is consistent with how alternative education is defined both in Virginia and nationally as it has characteristics similar to those that research informs educators about effective programs. The program blends academics, vocational, career and technical education and training and characteristics such as voluntary enrollment, student-centered individual programming, a functional curriculum with GED completion, and the presents of caring, knowledgeable adults. The program is taught by licensed staff, most of whom hold degrees higher than a Bachelor's and who hold multiple endorsements. All ten exemplary practices were seen as important and moderately positive relationships were found between program leaders' perception of exemplary practices and current practices for seven of ten practices. A weak relationship was found with the practice of leadership and current practice. Leadership was seen as the practice that could most positively impact the quality and effectiveness of the ISAEP program. There was little correlation between importance and practice with respect to Student Assessment. Collaboration with Community and Program Evaluation were practices reported to be least evident.