Educational success eludes many Aboriginal students today. They are not graduating at the same rate as non-Aboriginal students in Canada and in Manitoba. Métis students, although faring a bit better, are still struggling academically, socially and economically. The literature up until now has mainly focused on Aboriginal education and there is limited research on Métis education. Across Canadian society there is a high level of consensus that education is central to individual economic, socio-cultural, and psychological well being, and to the country’s well being. Many factors contribute to their lack of success including racial discrimination and stereotyping of the first peoples of our nation. This qualitative study focuses on student voice and data from six interviews of three male and three female former Métis graduates from a rural Manitoba high school and their perceived impact of school factors related to successful Métis education. This study offers insight for educators and policy makers by highlighting factors that the former students state themselves including elements such as the importance of cultural programming, accessible and caring teachers, parental involvement, and hands-on authentic learning experiences.

This study used archival data retrieved from the 1992-1993 baseball season from Ball State University. Pitching data were used from thirteen pitchers, ages ranging 18-22, from all practices (fall and winter) and games (home and away conference and non-conference). The dependent variable was the strikes per balls ratio, multiplied by number of batters faced. Two hypotheses were generated: (1) pitchers would perform better, as defined by the strikes per balls ratio, in game situations than in practice; (2) pitchers would perform better, as defined by the strikes per balls ratio, in home games than away games. Practice conditions duplicated game conditions except for the presence of an audience. Results were analyzed by a multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance (MANOVA) and followed up by a univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Sufficient data were available for windup fastballs and windup curveballs. Data wereanalyzed for (1) practice versus home and away games, (2) home versus away, conference and non-conference games, and (3) practice versus nonconference games. Data were positively skewed and were modified by a logarithmic transformation. The transformed data for practice versus nonconference games showed a significant multivariate effect, E(2, 98) = 6.90, A = .002. A univariate analysis test showed significant effects for a windup curveball, F(1, 99) = 13.33, . < .000. The univariate test for the windup fastball was not significant. These results support the hypothesis that pitchers will perform better in game conditions than in practice. The transformed data for practice versus home and away games showed a significant multivariate effect, E(4, 194) = 3.52, l . = .008. A univariate analysis showed significant effects for a windup curveball, E(2, 98) = 6.90, P_= .002. These results supported the first hypothesis which stated pitchers would perform better in game conditions than in practice. Results were not significant for the windup fastball. A moderate association between performance conditions and both dependent variables, eta2 = .13, was obtained. The association for the windup curveball was almost the same, eta2 = .12. / Department of Psychological Science

This study investigated the relationship between adaptive behavior and achievement when intelligence was statistically controlled. A random sample of 70 students of ages 6 through 11 was selected from a pool of subjects referred for individual psychological/educational evaluation. The sample, which consisted of students in a single, countywide school district in West Central Indiana, was stratified into two equal sized groups of ages 6 through 8 and 9 through 11. All subjects were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, and the Wide Range Achievement Test regression analysis showed a significant relationship between the composite of predictors including verbal IQ, performance IQ, full scale IQ, and deviation social quotient, and the criterion of reading and arithmetic, considered separately. Subsequent tests showed a significant relationship between deviation social quotient and reading and arithmetic, considered separately, when verbal IQ, performance IQ, and full scale IQ were controlled by the step down multiple regression procedure. Deviation social quotient accounted for approximately 6 and 8 per cent of the total variance in reading and arithmetic, respectively, when verbal, performance, and full scale IQs were statistically controlled.Present, results were considered tentative pending verification by further investigation of the relationship between adaptive behavior and academic achievement. Results were in opposition to prevalent adaptive behavior ideology, which suggested that adaptive behavior was an out-of-school dimension which had no relationship with academic achievement. Results tentatively suggested that consideration of adaptive behavior scores, which seemingly enhanced the prediction of reading arid arithmetic beyond that provided by intelligence, would help school psychologists formulate more responsible placement decisions. Results suggested the need for the development of new, more objective adaptive behavior assessment instruments. The tentative minding of a relationship between the Vineland, a nonschool test of adaptive behavior, and reading and arithmetic, when intelligence was controlled, presented the possibility that adaptive behavior is a generalized, nonenvironmentally specific attribute. This issue hopefully will be addressed in subsequent studies.

Educational success eludes many Aboriginal students today. They are not graduating at the same rate as non-Aboriginal students in Canada and in Manitoba. Métis students, although faring a bit better, are still struggling academically, socially and economically. The literature up until now has mainly focused on Aboriginal education and there is limited research on Métis education. Across Canadian society there is a high level of consensus that education is central to individual economic, socio-cultural, and psychological well being, and to the country’s well being. Many factors contribute to their lack of success including racial discrimination and stereotyping of the first peoples of our nation. This qualitative study focuses on student voice and data from six interviews of three male and three female former Métis graduates from a rural Manitoba high school and their perceived impact of school factors related to successful Métis education. This study offers insight for educators and policy makers by highlighting factors that the former students state themselves including elements such as the importance of cultural programming, accessible and caring teachers, parental involvement, and hands-on authentic learning experiences.

This research concerns a quantitative examination of the influencing factors on the achievement of quality on construction projects. Quality performance on construction projects has been conceived as a function of the design process that occurs before the design of the product, site team collaboration and interpersonal relationships, high work-place-supervision, on-site motivation and role definition. This conception has culminated in postulated determinants of quality achievement on construction based on a theoretical understanding. Aspects of measure of perceived design core job characteristics and site organisationand- management phenomena were factor analysed. The verification of the postulated determinants was accomplished by testing of a network of eight main hypotheses using multivariate analytical technique in multiple regression. Varied results emerged with four main hypotheses supported, two partially supported and the remaining two unsupported by data. The assertion is that manipulative actions on design core job characteristics, team collaboration and consensus with mutual understanding and agreement on project goals, mutual exchange with site supervisory staff and subordinates, and role definitions conducted within an integrated framework would contribute an aggregated beneficiary effect on quality achievement on construction projects.

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The purpose of this study is to examine the links between family background and home language factors on English reading achievement among bi/multilingual students. To explore the potential predictors of English reading achievement among bi/multilinguals, the study included literacy related resource, family socio-economic status (SES), and immigration status as constructs for family background; while for home language factors, the study looked at the orthography of home language, language preference, and multilingualism. Additionally, the study assessed the roles of school level factors (i.e., low SES students and English language learners in school) on school reading performance. The International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (IEA – PIRLS, 2006) data of Singaporean fourth grade students were used. The data were potentially nested, therefore, the models formulated in this study had multilevel structures, student- and school-levels. The results indicated that number of children’s books at home was the strongest predictor among other family background variables including parental education. However, having children’s books in English had a very small influence on English reading scores of the bi/multilingual students. More interestingly, the study found that parental immigration status did not influence students’ English reading scores. Looking at home language factors, the study found that the orthography of home language linked to English reading. Importantly, the study found that Malay language, which shares the same orthography with English (i.e., alphabetic), showed the strongest link to the students’ English reading achievement. Other variables of home language did not significantly predict English reading after controlling for parental education.

The teacher trust in clients construct embodies the collective level of teacher trust in students and parents. While teacher trust in clients has been recognized as a positive predictor of student achievement controlling for student demographics, previous studies have not tested the effect of teacher trust on student achievement in suburban elementary schools with large and diverse student populations. This study examined the relationship between teacher trust in clients and student achievement. It also examined collective teacher trust in relation to school demographics. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teacher trust in students and parents in relationship to student achievement in reading and mathematics. The secondary purpose of the study was designed to determine if demographic variables had an impact on teacher trust and student achievement. The conceptual framework of trust was based on relationships within and between social groups. Using a sample of 10,464 students nested within 97 participating elementary schools with a large and diverse student populations located in suburban public school districts in South Texas, the researcher determined the level of teachers’ trust in students and parents. Analysis indicated that teacher trust in students and parents reported higher levels of achievement on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills controlling for student ethnicity, economic disadvantaged status, prior achievement, and school size. The within school variance in mathematics achievement explained by the multilevel model was 46%, whereas the within school variance in reading achievement explained by the multilevel model was 24%. The results of the multilevel analysis revealed that between school variance in mathematics achievement explained by the multilevel model was 81%, while the between school variance in reading achievement explained by the multilevel model was 90%. Additionally, the multiple regression analysis indicated that only 72% of the variance in teacher trust was explained by student demographics. Thus, student achievement might be improved through systematic efforts to develop teacher trust in clients. The results of this study suggest improving relationships between teachers, students, and parents can have a positive impact on student performance in reading and mathematics achievement.

Thesis (MEd)--University of South Australia, 1996