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Yes / The development of students’ mathematics skills in higher education is often the topic of professional debate in learning development circles. Less prevalent are discussions taking place around the interpersonal dynamics that occur during one-to-one (tutorial) sessions. This case study explores these dynamics. It arose from the continuing professional development activities of an adviser (learning developer) at a UK university. As a result of recording one-to-one mathematics sessions it was found that the adviser was unconsciously competent and that, although she was adept at identifying her areas for development, she struggled to articulate the considerable strengths of her practice. We wanted to find a way of describing, analysing and evaluating her competence, and alighted upon the person-centred approach. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to present the synthesis of maths skills practice with this approach in the hope of stimulating further research and professional conversation in the learning development community. The report offers novel idiographic findings through the application of person-centred theory to one practitioner’s experience of delivering maths skills development. We conclude by suggesting that focusing on the relationship between adviser and student can help to create conditions conducive to successful one-to-one education.

The problem of this study was to determine whether learning styles of students affect their math achievement scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Test. The research questions addressed relevant to this study were: 1. Is there a positive correlation between students' learning styles and their achievement test scores in mathematics? 2. Is there a positive correlation between specific sub group's (as deemed by the state of Texas) and gender's learning styles and their achievement test scores in mathematics? The Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient and the Point-biserial correlation analysis was applied to the data collected from 500 fifth grade students attending a North Texas Intermediate school. The significance level was established at the .05 level. Part of the data was the student's responses to the Learning Style Inventory by Dunn, Dunn and Price. The findings established that the learning style preferences of all students in the area of persistence significantly impacted their math achievement scores. Gender and ethnicity were mitigating factors in the findings. These learning style preferences significantly impacted achievement in the following ways: * Caucasian students' preference of a high level of persistence in completing a difficult task. * Hispanic students' preference for a warm learning environment and motivational factor of pleasing the teacher. * Afro-American students' preference for kinesthetic learning. * Female students' learning style preferences appear in: - the design of the learning environment - the need for intake of food and/or drink - a high level of responsibility - a high sense of self-motivation , of teacher and of parent motivation. * Male students' learning style preferences appear in: - a warm learning environment - a high level of responsibility - the need for intake of food and/or drink - a high sense of teacher and of parent motivation - a late morning learning In summary, the author suggests that supplying the teachers with information concerning students' learning style preferences will benefit student achievement.

An examination of the characteristics of Texas middle schools has been conducted with the objective of developing a planning tool for middle staffs. This success is measured by the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), whose rating scale has three components: campus scores on the Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TAAS), campus attendance percentages, and campus dropout rates. TAAS scores and attendance rates have been the focus of this study. Two years of data were examined separately for research question. Principal component analysis reduced the number of indicators in both years' data to 20 factors/ Each of these factors received a designated based on the characteristics that the component indicators had in common. A multiple regression analysis was performed on these factors to determine the influence each had on the campus TAAS scores and attendance. The unpredictability of human subjects requires an additional step in this study to achieve valid conclusions. A comparison of the two years' results is made to discover attendance, gifted and talented programs, and teacher gender were the strongest overall positive influences on student achievement. Campus demographics, retention, and ESL/bilingual programs have the strongest association with low student achievement.

Community colleges in Western North Carolina have enrolled many displaced workers who lack basic academic skills and are unable to find jobs. This study focused on the problem of displaced workers with low academic skills who rarely advance beyond Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes for retraining in high-tech job skills. The purpose of this single case study was to determine the barriers that prevent functionally illiterate displaced workers or nontraditional students enrolled in ABE programs from completing ABE classes and advancing to retraining programs. The adult learning styles and learning impediments framework were used to study what prevented student advancement beyond the ABE programs. Eight students were purposefully identified and agreed to participate in the study. The student participants completed open-ended questionnaires, participated in semi-structured individual interviews, and were observed in a classroom environment. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive coding and thematic analysis. The study produced 2 key themes that may help students succeed: (a) ABE instructors should adapt teaching methods to adult learning styles, and (b) the primary focus of ABE programs should be on the improvement of basic English language skills. The results of this study can be used by ABE directors, ABE instructors, and community college administrators as they seek to improve adult learning in ABE programs, increase students' technical skills, and get displaced workers back to work.

Depuis quelques années, les parents développent un intérêt grandissant et précoce pour la scolarité de leur enfant dès son jeune âge. Dans une perspective exploratoire, les objectifs de la présente étude consistent à repérer certains processus liés à l’éducation familiale qui favorisent l’adaptation socio-affective et l’intégration scolaire du jeune enfant. Le recueil de données s’est déroulé en trois phases pendant l’année scolaire 2007-2008. Les participants et les outils d’investigation varient en fonction des étapes. Pour l’étape 1, les parents (N=215) ont rempli un questionnaire sur l’accompagnement éducatif. Lors de l’étape 2, les parents et les enseignants ont complété le questionnaire PSA (version parent en cours de validation et version enseignant de Dumas, Lafreniere, Capuano, & Durning, 1997) pour établir le niveau d’adaptation socio-affective des enfants (N=59, 28 garçons et 31 filles). Pour l’étape 3, le Boehm-R (Boehm-R, 1989), une épreuve sur les compétences de base à acquérir en grande section, a permis d’évaluer les compétences scolaires des enfants en fin d’année scolaire (N=53, 24 garçons et 29 filles). La consultation de leur livret d’évaluation a permis d’obtenir des renseignements sur les acquisitions de chaque enfant/élève au cours de l’année scolaire. Les résultats démontrent une tendance d’homogénéisation de l’accompagnement éducatif paternel et maternel, même si des différences paternelles et maternelles sont constatées en fonction du niveau d’études du parent, du sexe et du rang de l’enfant, ainsi que du nombre d’enfants dans la fratrie. Par ailleurs, le sexe de l’enfant n’affecte ni son adaptation socio-affective ni ses compétences scolaires. Des liens entre l’affectivité du jeune enfant avec le score au Boehm-R sont constatés, alors que certaines dimensions de l’accompagnement éducatif du père et de la mère ont un impact sur l’adaptation socio-affective ou les compétences scolaires de l’enfant. Même si nous préconisons une certaine vigilance quant à l’interprétation des résultats de cette étude, cette dernière démontre, d’une part, la combinaison complexe des facteurs individuels et socio-économiques sur les composantes de l’accompagnement éducatif parental et, d’autre part, de l’accompagnement éducatif parental sur le développement socio-affectif et scolaire du jeune enfant. / Parents have developed an increasing interest for their child’s schooling during these past few years. The present study tries to understand family education processes which promote the socio-emotional adaptation and school skills of young children.Data has been collected during the school year 2007-2008. Participants and investigative tools vary according to the stages of the research. For the first part, parents (N=215) complete a questionnaire about their educational support towards their child. During the second part, parents and teachers complete the PSA questionnaire (parent’s version is still in validation and teacher’s version developed by Dumas, Lafreniere, Capuano, and Durning, 1997). The socio-emotional adaptation of the child (N=59, 28 boys and 31 girls) was established. For the third part, the children perform the Boehm-R test (Boehm-R, 1989) which evaluates the basic skills that a child must acquired at the end of the kindergarten (N = 53, 24 boys and 29 girls). The consultation of the booklet assessment of each child/young student yielded information on their acquisitions during the school year.The results show a trend of homogenization of paternal and maternal educational support, although paternal and maternal differences are observed depending on the level of education of the parent, the sex and birth order of the child, as well as on the sibling.However, the sex of the child does not affect his socio-emotional adjustment or academic skills. Links between the emotions of the young child with the Boehm-R score are established, while some aspects of educational support of the father and mother have an impact on the socio-emotional adjustment and academic skills of the child.Though vigilance is recommended while interpreting the results of this study, it demonstrates, on one hand, the complex combination of individual and socio-economic components of the parental educational support and, on the other hand, the educational support of parent in socio-emotional development and academics skills of young children.

The purpose of this study was to investigate special education outcomes in relation to state standardized testing. It specifically sought to determine if a relationship existed between selected data from the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) comparing district students receiving special education services TAAS scores with selected district demographic, fiscal, and special education data. The population for this study consisted of all 2001-2002 grades 3-8 and 10 public school students with the exception of charter schools, special-purpose statutory districts, and state-administered districts. The reading analysis incorporated data from 896 Texas school districts. The mathematics analysis used data from 914 school districts. Multiple linear hierarchical regression was chosen as the method for statistical analysis. Data was obtained from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as a special data pull. For both the reading and mathematics analyses, wealth and ethnicity were statistically insignificant although ethnicity individually accounted for a large percentage of the variance for both the reading (20.3%) and mathematics (13.2%) scores as well as producing negative β weights. All other predictor variables produced varying degrees of statistical significance. Community type, socioeconomic status, instructional expenditures per students, and instructional expenditures per student receiving special education services also produced negative β weights. Two variables in this study, enrollment and the percentage of students receiving special education services tested, produced positive β weights, substantial squared structure coefficients, and positive Pearson correlation coefficients. Of these two predictors, the strongest overall positive predictor for students receiving special education services success on the grades 3-8 and 10 reading and mathematics TAAS exams was the percentage of students receiving special education services tested. These percentages produced the largest positive correlations with passing rates (reading r = .283, mathematics r = .219) and the second largest regression coefficients (reading β = .224, mathematics β = .202). They individually accounted for the largest percentage of total criterion variance (reading = 33.0%, mathematics = 22.6%). For this study, these results clearly suggested that the dominant positive predictor of testing success for students receiving special education services was the percentage of students receiving special education services tested. Conversely, socioeconomic status was the dominant negative predictor.

Educators can no longer simply look at student totals to distribute instructional dollars. Databased decision-making must be instituted to overcome achievement gaps between white and non-white students. In low-socioeconomic (SES) settings, districts must increase expenditure per pupil (EPP) as low-SES rates rise for all students as district administrators must be in a position to show product rather than process. It was attempted to determine if a positive or negative relationship existed between Anglo, Hispanic, and African-American student test scores and wealth factors on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills tests in 2000 and 2002. Wealth factors studied included EPP and SES. Data analysis was carried out on 974 independent and consolidated school districts in Texas. Low-SES was found to be a negative predictor of higher test performance on standardized reading and mathematics tests. To varied degrees, low-SES affected all students from all ethnicities as well as affluent students. EPP was attributed with a positive effect on student test performance. Increases of $1,000 or more at one time produce performance increases from 0.20 to 0.40 points. In making specific recommendations, the researcher advises increasing expenditures low-SES districts, schools, and classrooms through the creation of specific district linear equations exhibited in this study. Funds must be earmarked for those students that are affected by poverty. It is also recommended to decrease the number of low-SES students by merging high-SES and low-SES students to dilute poverty's effects. Additional correlation studies that address instructional strategies and outside factors are needed. Finally, a replicating study using Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills data over a period would be beneficial.

Without dance? – dance knowledge in an expanded perspective   The vocational dancer education in classical ballet's subject-specific intended learning outcomes means many years of dance training that requires sacrifices in other school subjects and other hobbies, without work guarantee. There are more dancers than there are jobs, which is why many people stop dancing after graduation. The survey’s purpose is to investigate what happens over time with the dance knowledge that is generated during the vocational dancer education. Is it still relevant to the person's sphere of life even outside a dance context? Five people, who completed the vocational dancer education in classical ballet in 2011 and 2012 and stopped dancing after graduation, are interviewed. The results are analyzed with a phenomenographic approach, the description categories or result are analyzed to a final outcome space, which indicates, through the ballet´s genre-determined structure and a cognitive thought pattern that is characterized by a given construction to understand the meaning of structure, a unique and profound body knowledge and social adaptability as a consequence of the education. Dance practice enables social adaptability, a visualization of people's complex reality, the understanding of the value of taking varying perspectives to manage and adapt to different people and social contexts.