A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the relationship between achievement in specific nursing courses and subsequent performance on the NCLEX-RN of students identified as at-risk. A sample of 236 graduates from a baccalaureate degree nursing program in a large midwestern university were divided into two groups, students at-risk and students not-at-risk. Answers to six research questions were sought. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance and two-tailed t tests at the .05 level of significance were utilized to test the data.Findings indicated that: (1) There was a significant difference in the performance in the first two major nursing courses between not-at-risk students and at-risk students with not-at-risk students scoring higher. (2) There was no significant difference between the grades received by at-risk students with transfer credit and at-risk students without transfer credit in the first two major nursing courses. (3) There was a significant difference in the performance in the first two major nursing courses with not-at-risk students with transfer credit achieving higher grades than not-at-risk students without transfer credit. (4) There was a significant difference in the NCLEX-RN scores between the two groups, with not-at-risk students scoring higher than at-risk students. (5) There was no significant difference in the scores on the NCLEX-RN between the two groups, at-risk students without transfer credit and at-risk students with transfer credit. (6) Not-at-risk students with transfer credit scored significantly higher on the NCLEX-RN than not-at-risk students without transfer credit. / Department of Educational Leadership

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is a relatively new instrument designed to measure the cognitive abilities of children ages 2 1/2 to 12 1/2. The battery was predominantly based upon Luria's theory of cognitive processing which proposes a simultaneous and sequential dichotomy for the analysis of information. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have generally supported this theory. However, across different age groups and with special populations, analyses have been inconsistent.Few alternative structures for the battery have been tested, especially with special populations.The purpose of the present study was to assess the viability of a two factor structure based upon the modality of input for a group of students referred for learning difficulties. One hundred and twelve students, ages 7 to 12 1/2, who had been referred by teachers because of learning difficulties were used in the study. The thirteen subtests of the K-ABC were specified as being associated with a visual input factor, an auditory input factor, or both. Confirmatory factor analysis, as performed by the LISREL VI computer program, was then used to test this hypothesis. Unreasonable parameter estimates led to the rejection of the model for this sample. This lack of confirmation is discussed in terms of high correlations among estimates, misspecification of the model, sample homogeneity, and lack of independence among the subtests in terms of input modality. It was concluded that input modality was not a major factor in performance on the battery for this particular sample.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an intentional, formal peer education program on the performance of psychomotor skills of 22 undergraduate students enrolled in an upper extremity assessment course. Using a randomized pretest-posttest control group design, student performance on a practical exam of psychomotor skills related to the orthopedic assessment of the wrist and hand was evaluated. Both the peer teacher and Approved Clinical Instructor (ACI) groups received an instructor-led introduction and practice of psychomotor skills in the traditional laboratory classroom setting. Participants in the peer teachers groups attended two one-hour review sessions over the course of two weeks that were staffed by upper division peer teachers, while participants in the ACI group attended similar sessions that were staffed by an ACI. There were no differences between the groups on the pretest scores as indicated by a t-test (p>.05). A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant difference (p<.05) in the scores of participants of both groups on all tasks from the pretest to the posttest. ANOVA measures indicated no significant differences (p>.05) between the groups on any of the posttest tasks related to wrist and hand assessment. The Athletic Training Peer Education Assessment Survey revealed that most (n=8, 66.7%) of the students in the peer teachers group indicated that they felt less anxious when performing laboratory skills in the presence of peer teachers as compared to performing them in front of the classroom instructor, and most (n=7, 58.3%) felt more self-confident when practicing laboratory skills with a peer teacher. Over half (n=8, 66.7%) of the students also responded that being taught laboratory skills by peer teachers increased their interaction and collaboration with other students more than being taught by the classroom instructor. Peer education appears to be a valid teaching-learning method that may be incorporated into an athletic training education program as a means to foster the learning and performing of athletic training psychomotor skills, encourage collaboration among students, and decrease anxiety of novice learners. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among locality of school, type of school, gender of student, school GPA (GPA), aptitude (MEANAPT), Cambridge English Language (CAMENG), Cambridge class (CAMCLASS), and Cambridge aggregate (CAMAGGR). A second purpose of this research was to determine the relationship among GPA, MEANAPT, CAMENG, CAMCLASS, CAMAGGR, university registration status (STATUS), and average university grade (UNIMEAN) after 2 years at the University of Swaziland (UNISWA). The study was divided into two parts. In the first part, locality of school, type of school, and gender of student were the independent variables; GPA, MEANAPT, CAMENG, CAMCLASS, and CAMAGGR were the dependent variables. In the second part, performance at UNISWA, as measured by either STATUS or UNIMEAN, was the dependent variable; CAMENG, CAMCLASS, CAMAGGR, GPA, and MEANAPT were the independent variables.Answers to questions on Part 1 of the study were determined by computing means, standard deviations, and F-tests for differences between means for GPA, MEANAPT, CAMENG, CAMCLASS, and CAMAGGR for each of the general questions. Data were analyzed using Pearson r and multiple regression to answer Part 2 questions.The results of this study indicate that students enrolled in rural and government schools were outperformed by those attending urban and government-aided schools on all the measures. Although males outperformed females on the local Swaziland measures, school GPA and aptitude, there were no significant differences between males and females when the Cambridge examination scores were considered. The Cambridge examination appears to be neither efficient nor economical when used to identify the successful African student once he or she has been admitted to a local university. The same is true for the measures designed and currently used by local Swaziland educators. Swaziland officials may have to look elsewhere for predictors of university performance. / Department of Educational Psychology

The focus of this study was to assess the ability to predict performance on the Indiana Statewide Test for Educational Progress (ISTEP) from oral reading fluency scores on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Oral Reading Fluency Test (ORF). The scores of both assessments from 306 Indiana students from four different elementary schools were examined. Results of these students’ end of year (EOY) ORF scores were compared to their ISTEP scores in third grade in 2008-2009. During that school year ISTEP was administered twice, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Results from both tests were analyzed using linear, multiple, and logistic regression models. The results showed r values between the ORF scores and the English/Language Arts portion of ISTEP to be .76 (Fall) and .72 (Spring). The correlations between ORF and ISTEP Math were .54 (Fall) and .61 (Spring). Regression coefficients ranged from 1.30 – 1.13 indicating a positive linear relationship between the results of the two assessments. The scores from demographic subgroups were also examined and some differences in the strength of the relationships were found among the groups. The oral reading fluency test was a better predictor for students generally considered at-risk (non-white, disabled, and non-English speaking). Logistic regression results showed a moderate to strong ability to predict whether or not students would pass ISTEP based on DIBELS scores. After using Beta values to calculate probabilities, it was found a DIBELS ORF score of 100 would provide a strong probability a student would pass ISTEP, both in English/Language Arts and Math. The results imply the need to monitor students’ oral reading and provide timely interventions when they struggle, and to focus more on helping children learn to read and less on preparing for ISTEP. / Department of Educational Leadership

No description available.

No description available.

This study investigated the relationship between pragmatic ability and proficiency in 16 Japanese learners of English. Two measures of pragmatic ability were developed: a multiple-choice questionnaire designed to probe pragmatic awareness of various speech acts and a set of oral role-plays designed to elicit two requests, two apologies and one refusal. These measures were also administered to eight native speakers in order to establish a scoring system for the pragmatic awareness test and target norms for the role-plays. A background questionnaire was given to all participants while a proficiency test, Combined English Language Skills Assessment in a Reading Context, or CELSA was administered only to the Japanese participants. / The findings in this study demonstrated that there was not a strong relationship between proficiency and pragmatic ability, nor was there one between pragmatic awareness and production. The measures were moderately correlated but they also exhibited a great deal of variation from learner to learner. / Certain linguistic abilities were observed to be valuable regarding pragmatic ability, such as being able to make conventionally indirect requests. Learners were more direct in their speech acts than native speakers. They also used fewer and less varied strategies and lexical modification, with the exception of the politeness marker, please, which they over-used. / There was evidence both in terms of the pragmatic awareness measure and in the analysis of the production that over-directness decreased with increasing proficiency. The two assessment instruments produced different kinds of errors at different levels of proficiency, pointing to the possibility that they were tapping the abilities associated with pragmatic awareness and production at different stages of development. / This research has implications for both testing and teaching pragmatic ability.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-107). / Microfiche. / viii, 107 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-151). / Electronic reproduction. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xi, 151 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm