Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2005. / Title from title page screen, viewed September 27, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Michael A. Lorber (chair), Joaquin A. Ruiz-Vila, Temba Bassoppo-Moyo, Adel Al-Bataineh. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-70) and abstract. Also available in print.

The results of the Advanced Placement exams given to students in 2006 were disaggregated according to gender. The level of performance was compared between males and females using Cohen's d. The standardized differences between male and female performance group levels were compared to previous results for the 1992 Advanced Placement (AP) exams. One purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the male-favored results that existed in 1992 still existed in the 2006. This study found that differences still exist in results based on gender and no real progress has been made in reducing the gap in achievement between males and females. A second purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the local data to the national data set to see if scores in Brazosport were similar to scores collected at the national level. To determine if similar results would be obtained at the local level the results of 267 Advanced Placement exams taken by 190 students from Brazsosport Independent School District in 2006 were disaggregated according to gender. The level of performance was compared between males and females using Hedge's g. Because of limited sample size, only 9 Advanced Placement exams were reviewed at the local level. This study found that the results from Brazosport were, in many cases, quite different from those found on the national level and there was no pattern to explain the variation among the differences. This study supports the collection of local data for monitoring gender bias that might exist on Advanced Placement exams. The data collected in the current study indicates that individual district progress in overcoming gender differences that historically have existed in specific scores on the AP exam might be overlooked if only national data is reviewed.

Over the last forty years, the U.S. community college system has expanded, allowing disadvantaged groups greater access to higher education. With that expansion, a body of research has emerged examining community college students' educational outcomes. However, the research is limited in understanding the academic persistence of low-income students and community college student in particular. The purpose of this comparative, qualitative study is to explore some of the unanswered questions about how low income white and Latino students' experience academic persistence similarly and differently and understand how gender influences the challenges students may face during college. This study draws from interviews of 22 (11 White/11 Latino/a) low-income community college students at a rural, Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in the West. All students share similar challenges because of their class constraints, but Latino/a students in particular face challenges of racism and discrimination that carried over into their college careers. Faculty and family are the key sources of support for all students, which mediate some of the challenges. Variation is seen between the experiences of males and females, as traditional gender roles are reinforced and maintained in the family. This study offers insights into how structural inequality creates barriers for students from their perspective and gives recommendations for practitioners on how to mediate some of these challenges and increase student persistence.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

It is the primary purpose of this study to determine any differences in the achievement abilities and teacher ratings of the boys and girls of equal intelligence quotients in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades of the Alvord Elementary School, Alvord, Texas. A secondary purpose is to make a study of the environmental background of a number of pupils in order to determine certain other factors that might be considered as producing some influence upon the success or failure of the boy or girl.

Female students are found to have much higher English achievement and most of the learning process parameters, including Formal Motivation Intensity, opinion on MOI (medium of instruction) in English lessons, attitude of interest, attitude of essential, attitude towards bilingualism, motivation for learning English, Instrumental Orientation and Communicative Orientation. / Girls out-performed boys in reading at the age of 15 in all 43 countries included in a credible study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and UNESCO. Male underachievement generally alarms educators. In Hong Kong, proficiency in English language more or less assures a better future, higher academic path and job security. Is there any sex difference in English language achievement in secondary three? If so, what are the factors and causes in the learning process responsible for this difference? / In accordance with the above findings, it is suggested that more effort should be put to stimulate boys to establish their learning goals, to arouse their interest and develop positive attitudes towards learning English; to activate their intrinsic motivation for learning English. Interventions at policy level are needed. / In the causal relations between English achievement and learning process parameters, female and male students show significant differences. The causal path from Motivation to S3 English Achievement is 0.43 (t-value = 34.52) in females and 0.37 (t-value = 28.65) in males. It means when controlling Motivation, females can have higher achievement in S3 English. The causal path from Instrumental Orientation to Motivation is 0.67 (t-value=31.80) in females and 0.79 (t-value=29.33) in males. The causal path from Communicative Orientation to Motivation is 0.40 (t-value=20.32) in females and 0.27 (t-value=10.72) in males. It also means that when controlling Instrumental Orientation, male students can have higher Motivation of learning English. If Communicative Orientation is controlled, female students can have higher Motivation of learning English. / The present study aims at exploring the sex differences in English learning achievement, and in the learning process parameters in secondary 3. Gardner's socio-educational model serves as the theoretical model for multi-causal path analysis. The English learning achievement is related to motivation and then to learning orientations. According to local researches about English learning, Instrumental Orientation is added to Gardner's model for multi-group comparison. / The total effect from Instrumental Orientation to S3 English achievement is 0.13 (t-value=11.69) in females and 0.05 (t-value=4.24) in males. Total effect from Communicative Orientation to S3 English achievement is 0.08 (t-value=9.68) in females, and 0.02 (t-value=3.87) in males. / Fung Kam Yin. / "November 2006." / Adviser: Tsang Wing Kwong. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3277. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 357-378). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

The strength of the relationship between various measures of self, such as self-esteem, self-concept, self-acceptance, and achievement has been studied extensively with varying results (see Hansford & Hattie, 1982). This variation may be attributable to the use of different self and achievement measures, ranges in the age of those studied, and not controlling for socioeconomic status, ethnicity/race, gender, or school effects. The main goal of my thesis was to estimate the strength of the relationship between self-esteem, and achievement when gender, ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status, aspects of the parent-child relationship and school contextual effects were controlled. Analyses were conducted on two large data sets. The first was taken from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) - 1988 and consists of 21,039 grade 8 students sampled from the United States. The second data set was taken from the School-Based Prevention Project (SBPP) - 1995 and consists of 6,795 grade 8 through 12 students from 20 schools in British Columbia, Canada. For both data sets, 7 of 10 items from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965) were used to measure self-esteem. Analyses of the NELS data set yielded three notable findings: (1) the strength of the self-esteem/ achievement relationship is not equivalent across gender-ethnic/racial groups, (2) the self-esteem/ achievement relationship varies when grades versus tests scores are used as achievement measures, and (3) the variability in self-esteem is largely within-schools. Variables controlled in these analyses were gender, ethnicity/race and socioeconomic status. Analyses of the SBPP data yielded four notable findings: (1) the strength of the self-esteem/ achievement relationship varies across a new measure of coping styles, (2) relational factors reduce the strength of the self-esteem/achievement relationship, (3) relational factors explain much more of the variance in self-esteem than does achievement, and (4) almost all the variance in self-esteem is within schools. Variables controlled in these analyses included gender, grade-level, socioeconomic status, perceptions of Mother's and Father's love, and coping styles. The theoretical implications of these results are discussed in terms of attachment theory (Ainsworth, 1969), coping styles (Horney, 1950), and the need to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).

The strength of the relationship between various measures of self, such as self-esteem, self-concept, self-acceptance, and achievement has been studied extensively with varying results (see Hansford & Hattie, 1982). This variation may be attributable to the use of different self and achievement measures, ranges in the age of those studied, and not controlling for socioeconomic status, ethnicity/race, gender, or school effects. The main goal of my thesis was to estimate the strength of the relationship between self-esteem, and achievement when gender, ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status, aspects of the parent-child relationship and school contextual effects were controlled. Analyses were conducted on two large data sets. The first was taken from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) - 1988 and consists of 21,039 grade 8 students sampled from the United States. The second data set was taken from the School-Based Prevention Project (SBPP) - 1995 and consists of 6,795 grade 8 through 12 students from 20 schools in British Columbia, Canada. For both data sets, 7 of 10 items from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965) were used to measure self-esteem. Analyses of the NELS data set yielded three notable findings: (1) the strength of the self-esteem/ achievement relationship is not equivalent across gender-ethnic/racial groups, (2) the self-esteem/ achievement relationship varies when grades versus tests scores are used as achievement measures, and (3) the variability in self-esteem is largely within-schools. Variables controlled in these analyses were gender, ethnicity/race and socioeconomic status. Analyses of the SBPP data yielded four notable findings: (1) the strength of the self-esteem/ achievement relationship varies across a new measure of coping styles, (2) relational factors reduce the strength of the self-esteem/achievement relationship, (3) relational factors explain much more of the variance in self-esteem than does achievement, and (4) almost all the variance in self-esteem is within schools. Variables controlled in these analyses included gender, grade-level, socioeconomic status, perceptions of Mother's and Father's love, and coping styles. The theoretical implications of these results are discussed in terms of attachment theory (Ainsworth, 1969), coping styles (Horney, 1950), and the need to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study explored how location and gender influence the performance of students in Physics in Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of four schools randomly selected from the co-educational schools in the public schools. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observation, focus group interviews of the students and documents obtained from the school principals on students’ academic performance in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 2011-2015. The validity and the reliability of all these instruments were established. The data obtained through interviews were interpreted qualitatively. The documents obtained from the selected schools were also analyzed. The results of the study revealed that the urban students perform better in Physics than the rural students. The study also revealed that the gender of the students affects their performance in Physics with male students performing better than female students. Frantic efforts should be made to ensure conducive learning environment and equivalent learning opportunities to both male and female students. / Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe plek en geslag die prestasie van studente in Fisika in die Akure Suid-plaaslike regering, Ondo-staat, Nigerië, beïnvloed. Die steekproef het bestaan uit vier skole wat lukraak gekies is uit die mede-opvoedkundige skole in die openbare skole. Data is ingesamel deur onderhoude, klaskamerwaarnemings, fokusgroeponderhoude van die studente en dokumente wat van die skoolhoofde verkry is oor studente se akademiese prestasie in die Wes-Afrikaanse Senior Sekondêre Sertifikaat-eksamen (WASSCE) vanaf 2011-2015. Die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van al hierdie instrumente is vasgestel. Die data wat deur onderhoude verkry is, is kwalitatief geïnterpreteer. Die dokumente wat van die geselekteerde skole verkry is, is ook ontleed. Die resultate van die studie het getoon dat die stedelike studente beter in Fisika verrig as die landelike studente. Die studie het ook onthul dat die geslag van die studente hul prestasie in Fisika beïnvloed, met manlike studente wat beter presteer as vroulike studente. Vreemde pogings moet aangewend word om bevorderlike leeromgewing en gelykwaardige leergeleenthede vir beide manlike en vroulike studente te verseker. / Lolu cwaningo luhlolisise ukuthi indawo kanye nobulili bathonya kanjani ukusebenza kwabafundi e-Physics e-Akure South Local Government, e-Ondo State, eNigeria. Isampula lalinabashumayeli izikole ezine ngezikhathi ezikhethiwe kusukela izikole co-ezemfundo ezikoleni zikahulumeni. Idatha abangu eziqoqiwe ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo, ekilasini observation, izingxoxo somnqopho sokufundisa isiqhema lwabafundi futhi imibhalo etholakala othishanhloko esikoleni ekusebenzeni abafundi 'academic eNtshonalanga Afrika Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) kusuka 2011 kuya ku-2015. De geldigheid en de betrouwbaarheid van alle deze instrumenten efen-widegesteldeld. Imibuzo yezintambo ze-data verkregen yesikhala esiphezulu se-geïnterpreteerd. De dokumenter fra de udvalgte skoler blev også analysisret. Imiphumela cwaningo lwembula ukuthi abafundi ezisemadolobheni basebente kancono Physics ngaphandle abafundi basezindaweni zasemakhaya. Lolu cwaningo lwembula nokuthi ubulili abafundi Ithinta hun ukusebenza Physics ne abafundi besilisa kokwenza Ukuze ungcono abafundi besilisa nabesifazane. Imizamo eqondile kufanele kwenziwe ukuze kuqinisekiswe imvelo yokufunda kanye namathuba okufunda okulinganayo kokubili abafundi besilisa nabesifazane / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialization in Natural Sciences)