Introdução: a situação de risco ou vulnerabilidade social pode afetar importantes aspectos do desenvolvimento de crianças e programas de intervenção são imporantes para promover o desenvolvimento de crianças nessa situação. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: investigar o desempenho em habilidades motoras fundamentais (HMF), o estado nutricional, a auto percepção de competência (PC) e o desempenho escolar (DE) de crianças em vulnerabilidade social de acordo com: (1) sexo (2) com a idade; (3) verificar o impacto de uma intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria nesssas variáveis e (4) verificar como as associações entre o desempenho motor e escolar, o estado nutricional, a auto percepção de competência, o sexo e a idade nessas crianças se estabelecem a priori e como um programa de intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria pode promover alterações nas relações entre essas variáveis. Método: participaram deste estudo 211 crianças em situação de vulnerabilidade social, de ambos os sexos (87 meninas, 41%), com idade entre sete e 10 anos (M=8.3, DP=0.9) provenientes de escolas públicas do Ceará, Brasil. O Test of Gross Motor Development – 2 foi empregado para verificar o desempenho em HMF das crianças. O estado nutricional foi analisado por meio do índice de massa corporal (IMC) para idade. A “Self-Perception Profile for Children" foi utilizada para avaliar a PC. O desempenho de leitura, escrita e aritmética foi avaliado por meio do Teste de Desempenho Escolar. No estudo interventivo, 117 crianças compuseram o grupo de intervenção (IG), 45 meninas, 38,5%) e 94 o grupo de comparação (CG), 65 meninas, 55,6%). A intervenção foi realizada em 36 sessões / 140 minutos cada sessão (60 minutos de atividades acadêmicas, 20 minutos de descanso e lanche e 60 minutos de práticas motoras), três vezes por semana durante 12 semanas A intervenção foi implementada o clima de motivação para a maestria. Resultados: análises multivariadas de covariância (MANCOVA) ajustadas pela idade não mostraram efeito significativo do sexo nas habilidades locomotoras (=0.945 F(6,203)=1.963 p=0.073 ²=0.055). Houve efeito do sexo nas habilidades de controle de objetos (=0.848 F(6,203)=6.052 p<0.001 ²=0.152); sendo observado desempenho superior dos meninos no rebater, no chutar, no arremesso por cima e no rolar. Análises de coraviância não paramétrica de Quade não mostraram diferenças no IMC bruto entre os sexos. A maioria das crianças apresentou peso saúdável (90.8%, meninas e 91.9% meninos). A MANCOVA não mostrou efeito do sexo sobre as dimensões da PC (=0.991 F(6,203)=2.508 p=0.931 ²=0.009). A maioria das crianças reportou percepção moderada. Não houve efeito do sexo no DE (=0.980 F(4,203)=1.058 p=0.378 ²=0.020). Em ambos os sexos, os resultados indicaram desempenho categorizado como inferior (entre 65.3% e 93.5% das crianças). A análise multivariada de variância (MANOVA) mostrou efeito da idade no salto horizontal (entre 9 e 10 anos), na corrida lateral (7 em relação as outras idades), no receber (7 e 10 anos) e no rolar (7 anos em relação a 8 e 10 anos). A maioria das crianças mostrou proficiência pobre. Houve diferenças significativas no IMC na maioria das idades. A MANOVA mostrou efeito da idade no desempenho escolar (DE) com as crianças de 7 demonstrando menor desempenho na escrita comparadas as de 9 e 10 anos. Na aritmética, na leitura e no desempenho escolar geral as crianças de sete anos mostraram menor desempenho em relação as outras idades. Não houve diferenças entre as idades de 8, 9 e 10 anos no DE. A MANOVA não mostrou efeito da idade na PC As crianças reportaram auto percepção moderada. Um percentual elevado de crianças mais jovens mostrou baixo peso para idade. Em todas as idades, a maioria das crianças mostrou desempenho inferior. Sobre o programa de intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria, houve impacto significativo no desempenho motor e escolar das crianças. Os resultados não mostram impacto do programa sobre a percepção de conduta comportamental nas crianças mais velha e sobre a autopercepção de aparência física das crianças em geral. Houve aumento significativo e com moderados a altos tamanhos de efeito nas outras dimensões da autopercepção de competência e no autovalor global das crianças. A estrutura das relações entre a maioria das variáveis mostrou similaridade entre o pré e pós intervenção. Mudanças no papel que algumas variáveis exerciam na estrutura das relações também foram observadas. Após o programa de intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria. As crianças aumentaram suas competências e as suas percepções e ao final da intervenção, dentre todas as variáveis, as percepções sobre a própria aparência física, sobre a aceitação social e sobre a conduta comportamental passaram a ter um papel mais central na rede. Conclusão: meninos e meninas em vulnerabilidade social mostraram desempenho pobre na maioria das habilidades motoras, auto percepção de competências moderada e desempenho escolar pobre. Os resultados ainda sugerem uma estabilização no desempenho de HMF, na PC, atrasos no DE além de alta prevalência de baixo peso nas crianças mais jovens em situação de vulnerabilidade social A intervenção com o clima de motivação para a maestria repercuteu positivamente no desempenho motor e acadêmico e nas auto percepções da competência das crianças que vivem a vulnerabilidade socioeconômica, reforçando o papel das intervenções que ajudam as crianças a se tornarem mais precisas e a percepção das próprias competências nos diferentes domínios do comportamento humano. o clima de motivação para a maestria causou impacto positivo sobre a maioria das variáveis investigadas reforçando a implementação de estratégias motivacionais efetivas e práticas apropriadas que permitem à criança experiências que respeitem seus recursos e restrições físicas e gerem satisfação, autonomia e motivação para realização. Ainda, no presente estudo, uma vez que as crianças aumentaram suas habilidades e suas percepções de competência talvez elas passaram a ter mais necessidade de utilizar as informações oriundas de parâmetros externos para manterem reforçando positivamente os julgamentos sobre a própria competência. / Introduction: The risk situation or social vulnerability can affect important aspects of child development and intervention programs are important to promote the development of children in this situation. The objectives of this study were: to investigate the performance in fundamental motor skills (HMF), nutritional status, self-perception of competence (CP) and school performance (SD) of children in social vulnerability according to: 1) gender; 2) with age; (3) to verify the impact of an intervention with the climate of motivation for mastery of these variables, and (4) to verify how the associations between motor performance and schooling, nutritional status, self-perception of competence, sex and age in these Children are established a priori and as an intervention program with the mood of mastery motivation can promote changes in the relationships between these variables. Method: 211 children in socially vulnerable situations (87 girls, 41%), aged seven to 10 years old (M = 8.3, SD = 0.9) from public schools in Ceará, Brazil participated in this study. The Test of Gross Motor Development - 2 was used to verify the performance in HMF of the children. The nutritional status was analyzed by means of the body mass index (BMI) for age. The performance of reading, writing and arithmetic was assessed by means of the School Performance Test. In the intervention study, 117 children comprised the intervention group (GI), 45 Girls, 38.5%) and 94 the comparison group (CG), 65 girls, 55.6%) The intervention was performed in 36 sessions / 140 minutes each session (60 minutes of academic activities, 20 minutes of rest and Snack and 60 minutes of motor skills), three times a week for 12 weeks, and the motivation climate for mastery was implemented. Results: multivariate analyzes of covariance (MANCOVA) adjusted for age did not show significant effect of gender on locomotor skills ( = 0.945 F (6.203) = 1.963 p = 0.073 ² = 0.055). There was gender effect on the control abilities of objects ( = 0.848 F (6.203) = 6.052 p <0.001 ² = 0.152); Being observed superior performance of the boys in the rebater, in the kick, in the throw over and in the roll. Quade's non-parametric analysis showed no difference in gross BMI between the sexes. The majority of the children presented healthy weight (90.8%, girls and 91.9% boys). MANCOVA did not show sex effect on PC dimensions ( = 0.991 F (6.203) = 2.508 p = 0.931 ² = 0.009). Most children reported moderate perception. There was no effect of sex on ED ( = 0.980 F (4.203) = 1.058 p = 0.378 ² = 0.020). In both sexes, the results indicated performance categorized as inferior (between 65.3% and 93.5% of the children) The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed the effect of age on the horizontal jump (between 9 and 10 years), on lateral running (7 in relation to other ages), on receiving (7 and 10 years) and on rolling (7 years in To 8 and 10 years). Most children showed poor proficiency. There were significant differences in BMI at most ages. MANOVA showed an effect of age on school performance (SD) with the children of 7 demonstrating a lower performance in writing compared to 9 and 10 years. In arithmetic, reading, and overall school performance, seven-year-olds showed lower performance than other ages. There were no differences between the ages of 8, 9 and 10 years in ED. MANOVA showed no effect of age on CP. The children reported moderate self-perception. A high percentage of younger children showed low weight for age. In all ages, most children showed inferior performance. Regarding the intervention program with the climate of motivation for mastery, there was a significant impact on children's motor and school performance. The results do not show the program's impact on the perception of behavioral behavior in older children and on the self-perception of the physical appearance of the children in general. There was a significant increase and with moderate to high effect sizes in the other dimensions of self-rated competence and the overall self-worth of children The structure of the relationships between the majority of the variables showed similarity between the pre and post intervention. Changes in the role played by some variables in the structure of relationships were also observed. After the intervention program with the mood of motivation for mastery. Children increased their skills and perceptions and at the end of the intervention, among all variables, perceptions about one's physical appearance, social acceptance and behavioral behavior began to play a more central role in the network. Conclusion: boys and girls in social vulnerability showed poor performance in most motor skills, self-perception of moderate skills and poor school performance. The results also suggest a stabilization in the performance of HMF, PC, delays in ED in addition to high prevalence of underweight in younger children in situations of social vulnerability. Intervention with the motivation climate for mastery had a positive impact on motor and academic performance and self-perceptions of the competence of children living with socioeconomic vulnerability, reinforcing the role of interventions that help children become more precise and the perception of their own Competence in the different domains of human behavior. The motivation climate for mastery has had a positive impact on most of the investigated variables, reinforcing the implementation of effective motivational strategies and appropriate practices that allow the child experiences that respect their resources and physical constraints and generate satisfaction, autonomy and motivation for achievement. Also, in the present study, since children have increased their abilities and perceptions of competence, they may have become more in need of using information from external parameters in order to positively reinforce the judgments about their own competence.

Os anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental são decisivos no sentido de que podem influenciar o desempenho acadêmico e psicossocial dos alunos ao longo da sua trajetória escolar. A maneira como um aluno vivencia esta inserção, assim como os desfechos resultantes deste momento, pode influenciar seu desenvolvimento em anos posteriores. Baseado em achados prévios, o presente trabalho, sob o enfoque do modelo Bioecológico de Desenvolvimento de Bronfenbrenner, foi concebido com o objetivo de investigar o percurso escolar de crianças nos três primeiros anos do ensino fundamental, tendo em consideração variáveis relacionadas: à Pessoa (Criança), ao Contexto (Família e Escola), ao Processo e ao Tempo. Seguindo metodologia longitudinal, as crianças no 1º ano (n=186), no 2º ano (n=176) e no 3º ano (n=151) do Ensino Fundamental foram avaliadas em termos de habilidades sociais, problemas de comportamento e competência acadêmica (Social Skills Rating System - SSRS-BR versão para professores), potencial cognitivo (Matrizes Progressivas colorida de Raven), sintomas de estresse infantil (Escala de Estresse Infantil), percepção de estressores escolares (Inventário de Estressores Escolares) e desempenho acadêmico (Provinha Brasil -2009). As famílias de 122 alunos responderam ao questionário Critério Brasil para levantamento do nível socioeconômico e ao Inventário sobre Recursos do Ambiente Familiar por ocasião do 1º ano. Também foram levantados o IDEB e a localização de cada escola. Como procedimento de análise de dados, foram utilizadas estatísticas descritivas, correlações, comparações, regressão e medidas repetidas. Considerando o conjunto dos resultados encontrados é possível inferir que os alunos acompanhados neste estudo, ao longo dos três primeiros anos do ensino fundamental, apresentam repertório social, poucos problemas de comportamento e no geral têm competência acadêmica acima da média, segundo a avaliação das professoras. Eles percebem poucas ocorrências ou intensidade de situações cotidianas da escola como estressoras, de forma estável nos três momentos em que foram avaliadas. O 2º ano apresentou maiores médias e também o maior percentual de crianças com sintomas de estresse, e o 3º ano, a menor média e também a melhor distribuição em termos de evolução dos sintomas. Tanto o potencial cognitivo, quanto a Provinha Brasil, foram melhorando as médias ao longo dos anos. Nas análises de comparação as meninas têm médias superiores em habilidades sociais, competência acadêmica e desempenho acadêmico. Os meninos apresentam, em média, mais comportamentos externalizantes. Alunos que frequentaram dois anos apresentam mais habilidades de autodefesa, maior competência acadêmica e desempenho acadêmico e menos sintomas de estresse infantil do que alunos que frequentaram um ano. Os recursos da família predizem o desempenho dos alunos nos três anos, salientando-se o RAF 1 Interação pai-criança, que aparece como preditor nos dois primeiros anos. No 2º ano, a localização da escola na periferia é um preditor negativo para desempenho acadêmico. Os resultados indicam que os recursos das crianças podem atuar como fatores de proteção nos anos iniciais da escolarização e sugerem que políticas públicas possam contribuir para o estímulo e desenvolvimento dessas habilidades e competências. / The early years of Basic Education are decisive as they may influence academic and psychosocial performance of students along their scholastic course. The manner that a student experiences this insertion, as well as the results obtained from this moment, may influence his development in years to come. Based on previous findings, the present study, from the standpoint of the Bronfenbrenner Bioecological Development model, was developed with the aim of investigating children´s scholastic course in the first three years of basic education, considering variables related to the Person (Child), Context (Family and School), Process and Time. Children were evaluated longitudinally in the 1st (n=186), 2nd (n=176) and 3rd year (n=151) of Basic Education in their social skills, behavior problems and academic competence (Social Skills Rating System - SSRS-BR - teachers version), cognitive potential (Ravens colored Progressive Matrices), stress symptoms (Scale of Child Stress), perception of school stressors (Inventory of School Stressors) and academic performance (Provinha Brasil 2009). The families of 122 students answered the Brazil Criterium questionnaire for socioeconomic status and answered to the Home Environment Resources Scale - HERS in their first year of Basic Education. The IDEB and location of each school were also taken into account. In the procedure for data analysis, descriptive statistics, correlations, comparisons, regressions and repeated measures were used. From the results as a whole it is possible to infer that the children followed in this study along the first three years of basic schooling present social repertoire, few behavioral problems, and in general they have an academic achievement above average, according to the teachers evaluation. The students perceive few everyday school situations as stressors, and the stressors appeared stable through the three occasions of evaluation. The 2nd year showed higher averages and also the biggest percentage of children with stress symptoms, and the 3° year, the lowest average and also the best distribution in symptoms evolution. Both the cognitive potential and the score on the Provinha Brasil improved throughout the years. Girls have shown higher averages in social skills, academic performance and academic competence. Boys present, in average, more externalizing behavior. Students who have been to preschool for two years show more self-defense skills, more academic competence and academic performance, and less symptoms of stress as compared to students who have been to preschool for only one year. Family resources predict the students performances in the three years of school, stressing that the factor Father-child Interaction appears as predictor in the first two years of school. In the 2° year, students from schools located in the citys outskirts showed a smaller academic performance compared to the schools located in the citys center. The results show that the childrens resources can act as protection factors in the early years of schooling and suggest that public policies may contribute to the stimulus and development of these skills and competences.

O Brasil é comumente associado ao país da diversidade. Seja ela de cunho cultural, histórico, racial ou social, fato é que a diversidade existe em larga extensão no país, inclusive nos meios acadêmicos. Na academia, tal como na sociedade, a inserção de indivíduos diferentes desemboca no estranhamento e nas atitudes preconceituosas. Este preconceito, por sua vez, influencia o desempenho acadêmico do estudante, pois a literatura revela que quanto maiores o preconceito e a discriminação do corpo docente da escola, menores são as notas do aluno. Alguns outros estudos têm procurado identificar a relação entre o desempenho acadêmico e a crença de auto-eficácia. A auto-eficácia pode ser definida como a crença do indivíduo sobre a sua capacidade de desempenho em atividades específicas. São quatro as fontes de desenvolvimento da auto-eficácia: experiências positivas; experiências vicárias; estados fisiológicos e emocionais das pessoas; e persuasão verbal. Das quatro fontes, as experiências positivas são, segundo a literatura, a mais importante e impactante no desenvolvimento e manutenção da auto-eficácia. A Síndrome do Impostor, também chamada de Fenômeno Impostor, tem sido exaustivamente estudada no cenário internacional sob os mais diversos aspectos - educacionais, emocionais, profissionais, etc. Os impostores, assim chamados os portadores da síndrome do impostor, não acreditam que são inteligentes, acreditam que as outras pessoas superestimam suas capacidades, mesmo que as evidências apontem que sejam altamente capazes, e atribuem as suas realizações à sorte ou esforço demasiado. Uma vez que as pessoas são influenciadas mais pela forma como elas lêem suas performances de sucesso, do que pelo sucesso, por si só, as teorias da auto-eficácia e a síndrome do impostor convergem na medida em que a teoria da auto-eficácia apresenta relação com a avaliação dos resultados das ações e a síndrome do impostor, na atribuição do sucesso ou fracasso à capacidade ou ao esforço. Esta pesquisa investigou a influência do fenômeno impostor e da auto-eficácia no desempenho acadêmico dos alunos minoritários, assim entendidos os estudantes bolsistas, principalmente do ProUni e ENADE, dos cursos de Ciências Contábeis e Administração de Empresas. Os instrumentos de pesquisa consistiram em um questionário composto pelas escalas CIPS - Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale - desenvolvida por Clance (1985) e pela Escala de auto-eficácia na formação superior (Polydoro & Guerreiro-Casanova, 2010). A população estudada era composta por 492 alunos dos cursos de Ciências Contábeis e Administração de quatro instituições de ensino privadas, todas estabelecidas no Estado de São Paulo, sendo duas da região metropolitana e duas de cidades do interior. Os estudantes pesquisados revelaram graus substanciais da síndrome do impostor. O teste do Qui-quadrado foi utilizado para determinar não só as relações entre a síndrome do impostor, a auto-eficácia e o desempenho acadêmico, como também suas relações com as demais variáveis sócio-demográficas. Crenças mais robustas de auto-eficácia impactaram em melhores desempenhos acadêmicos, enquanto que maiores níveis de SI desembocaram em desempenhos menos satisfatórios. A correlação de Pearson indicou que a síndrome do impostor apresentou uma relação negativa com a crença de auto-eficácia. Estes resultados sugerem que possivelmente os aspectos culturais do país influenciam o desenvolvimento e a relação entre a síndrome do impostor, a auto-eficácia e o desempenho acadêmico, o que faz jus a novos estudos futuros. / Brazil is usually known as a country of diversity. This diversity can be cultural, historical, racial or social, whatever, diversity exist in a huge part of the country, as well as between academicians. In Academy, like in the society, the input of different people creates a wave toward to conflicts and preconceptions. Furthermore, this preconception acts directly over the student academic performance, so, some studies indicate how much higher the preconception level, lowest is student performance. The focus of some studies is the identification of the relation between the academic performance and the belief of self-efficacy. The self-efficacy is defined as individual belief about the self-performance capability in specifics activities. There are four sources of development of self-efficacy: positive experiences, vicarious experiences, physiological and emotional comportment of people; and verbal persuasion. Positive experiences are the most important sources in development and maintenance of the self-efficacy. The impostor syndrome, known as impostor phenomenon, has been exhaustively studied by the international community under different point of views - educational, emotional, professional etc. The impostors, as are named the people with the symptom of the impostor syndrome, believe they are not intelligent enough. They believe that the other people overestimate their abilities despite the fact the evidences demonstrate that they are absolutely capable, connecting their achievements only with lucky or efforts. In a situation that the people are more influenced by the focus that they see their performance of success, than the real success, the self-efficacy theory and the impostor syndrome converge in the same point that the self-efficacy presents relation with the analysis of results of the actions and the impostor syndrome, in the attribution of success or failure to the capability or effort. This study has investigated the influence of the impostor phenomenon and the self-efficacy effect over the academic performance of scholarship students, mainly the students sponsored by ProUni and ENADE, members of Class of Accounting and Business Management. The instruments of the survey were both a range of questions composed by CIPS scales - Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale - developed by Clance (1985) and the Scale of self-efficacy in higher education (Polydoro & Guerreiro-Casanova, 2010). The population submitted to the study was composed by 492 students of Accountant and Business Management of four universities located in São Paulo State. The study has shown important degrees of the impostor syndrome, the self-efficacy and the academic performance, as well as their relations with the socio-demographic variants. Stronger self-efficacy belief impact in better academic performance, whereas higher levels of Impostor Syndrome creates not so satisfactory performances. The correlation of Pearson has indicated that the impostor syndrome has presented a negative relation with the self-efficacy belief. These results suggest that possibly the cultural aspects influence in the development and in the relations between impostor syndrome, the self-efficacy and the academic performance, that requires new future studies.

abstract: Public institution facility operations and maintenance is a significant factor enabling an institution to achieve its stated objectives in the delivery of public service. To meet the societal need, Facility Directors must make increasingly complex decisions managing the demands of building infrastructure performance expectations with limited resources. The ability to effectively measure a return-on-investment, specific to facility maintenance indirect expenditures, has, therefore, become progressively more critical given the scale of public institutions, the collective age of existing facilities, and the role these institutions play in society. This research centers on understanding the method of prioritizing routine work in support of indirect institutional facility maintenance expense through the lens of K-12 public education in the state of Arizona. The methodology documented herein utilizes a mixed method approach to understand current facility maintenance practices and assess the influence of human behavior when prioritizing routine work. An evidence-based decision support tool, leveraging prior academic research, was developed to coalesce previously disparate academic studies. The resulting process provides a decision framework for prioritizing decision factors most frequently correlated with academic outcomes. A purposeful sample of K-12 unified districts, representing approximately one-third of the state’s student population and spend, resulted in a moderate to a strong negative correlation between facility operations and student outcomes. Correlation results highlight an opportunity to improve decision making, specific to the academic needs of the student. This research documents a methodology for constructing, validation, and testing of a decision support tool for prioritizing routine work orders. Findings from a repeated measures crossover study suggest the decision support tool significantly influenced decision making specific to certain work orders as well as the Plumbing and Mechanical functional areas. However, the decision support tool was less effective when prioritizing Electrical and General Maintenance work orders. Moreover, as decision making transitioned away from subjective experience-based judgment, the prioritization of work orders became increasingly more consistent. The resulting prioritization, therefore, effectively leveraged prior empirical, evidence-based decision factors when utilizing the tool. The results provide a system for balancing the practical experience of the Facility Director with the objective guidance of the decision support tool. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Construction Management 2019

Research endeavoring to determine the effect of a mild sensorineural hearing-impairment on academic performance has resulted in conflicting conclusions. To date, there has been limited research on the educational implications of a mild hearing loss in the elementary grades but very few studies have utilized a normal-hearing control group to compare with the hearing-impaired and none have examined whether a relationship exists beyond sixth grade. This study measured the academic performance of mildly hearing-impaired children by comparing them with their normal-hearing counterparts. The achievement scores of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills from twelve pairs of children in the 5th through 8th grades were compared. The results revealed no statistical significance between the two groups for grade levels, age, or subject matter areas. However, the grade equivalent mean score of the hearing-impaired group was poorer than that of the normal hearing control group in the 4th and 5th grade. Scores on sub-tests were also lower for the hearing-impaired students during these same grades. After 5th grade a pattern was not observed, with this small number of students. The study discusses the implications of these results indicating the hearing-impaired student is at academic risk through 5th grade.

In Vietnam, the number of grandparents who become full -time surrogate parents to their grandchildren has significantly increased. When parenting is left to grandparents, they play the same role as biological parents. They significantly affect the educational functioning, developmental outcomes, and well-being of their grandchildren. Using data from in-depth interviews with 16 participants who are raising their grandchildren, the current study provides insight into children’s education in the grandparents-headed households in Vietnam. The more grandparents are involved in their grandchildren’s educational process, the more likely their grandchildren are to achieve academic success. I have found that there is a strong relationship between grandparents’ age, as well as their perspectives/values on education, and how they engage in children’s academic performance. My study highlights the importance of transmitting cultural and social capital which children primarily absorb in family settings. Sociocultural theory has maintained that custodial grandparents’ cultural and social resources, which they transmit to their grandchildren, significantly affect their educational progress. In Vietnamese grandfamilies, grandparents are not a primary learning resource for their custodial grandchildren. However, they can provide external resources such as the relationship with homeroom teachers and kinship as social capital. The present qualitative study should be seen as laying the groundwork for future research. Social capital theory is recommended as the theoretical framework for future research.

English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest-growing population in California schools, with a high percentage of students not meeting the standard of the English language arts performance on the California Standardized Test (CST). This project study investigated the problem in a California school district where it was unknown whether the intervention strategies provided to teachers gave them the curricular skills needed to address the instructional needs of ELLs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether teachers' self-reported instructional preparedness to teach ELLs was related to ELLs language arts performance. The study was grounded in Marzano's model of teaching effectiveness, which guided the anonymous survey given by the district to assess teacher instructional needs for ELL and helped define the independent variables. Archival data from the teacher survey and the CST were analyzed by using a simple linear regression and factor analysis in response to the research questions, which explored whether a relationship existed between self-reported teacher preparedness and the standardized test scores of ELLs students. Findings indicated no relationships between teacher preparedness to instruct ELLs and language arts performance on the CST. A significant finding on the teacher self-reported survey was that English language arts is a topic of concern to teachers and warrants additional training. To address this, a professional development project was created and influenced by Marzano's model of teaching effectiveness to address the best instructional practices for ELLs. Better preparation of teachers to instruct ELLs may promote positive social change by increasing student performance in English language arts and providing better opportunities for college and career that ultimately benefit the community.

Substance abuse, once primarily visible in the U.S. adolescent male population, is an increasing concern for the adolescent girls' population. Mental health challenges, behavioral problems, and academic failure are issues adolescent girls may encounter when they engage in substance abuse. The incidence and impact of drug use on female students' academic and social development at a large suburban school district was unknown. Vygotsky's social development theory and Bandura's social learning theory provided the framework for this cross-sectional survey study that addressed the relationships between adolescent girls' drug use and their academic performance and social development. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to examine data from the Dane County Youth Assessment Survey. The sample included the study district's adolescent girls' population consisting of 9,061 students. Results indicated significant relationships between girls' adolescent drug use and social development and academic performance. Increased drug use was related to lower social development and lower academic achievement. Results were used to develop an adolescent girls' drug prevention program that addressed the effects drugs have on adolescent girls' academic and social development. Implications for positive social change include providing a prevention program to the local district that may help inform adolescent girls so they can make healthier decisions in social settings.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is essential for providing quality and competent care in the nursing profession. Because nurses need to be competent in EI, it is important to determine if inherent factors and academic performance contribute to the development of EI. The purpose of this study, guided by the 4-branch ability model of EI by Mayer and Salovey, was to examine the relationship of EI levels and academic performance, gender, and ethnic background in associate degree nursing (ADN) students who attended a community college. Using convenience sampling, 110 ADN students completed the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test and sociodemographic data. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test, and analysis of variances which indicated no statistical significance between EI levels and academic performance, gender, and ethnic background. Although the findings did not show statistical significance, drawing attention to EI among nursing students and nurse educators may increase nurse educators' awareness of the importance of cultivating EI in nurses and the need to incorporate concepts of EI into the nursing curricula. Doing so can effect positive social change because nurses with higher EI may be better able to understand and manage the emotions of others and themselves in stressful situations. The concept of EI is important to incorporate into nursing curricula to provide the nursing student opportunities to practice and apply the concepts learned in an educational setting. Doing so may improve students' preparation to use EI in their nursing careers. Future research could be done to determine if EI levels change throughout a nursing program and to determine if EI skills are taught in nursing programs.

Thesis (M.A. ( Research Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2014 / The study investigated the academic performance of orphaned primary school learners between the ages of eight and ten in Mankweng circuit. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative component of the study included the sampling of 200 learners from ten schools in Mankweng circuit. One hundred learners formed the experimental group (orphans) whilst another hundred were placed in the comparison group (non-orphans). Availability and quota sampling was used for sampling the experimental group and simple random sampling was used to sample the comparison group. Four learning areas chosen for the study include Sepedi, Numeracy, English and Lifeskills. In all learning areas, it was found that the comparison group fell within level 2 (50-69) area whilst the experimental group fell within level 1 (0-49) area suggesting that the comparison group is performing better than the experimental group. The qualitative component of the study involved sampling ten educators from ten sampled primary schools in Mankweng Circuit, i.e. one educator per school. The main theme that emerged from these transcripts was the educators’ view that orphaned children tend to perform poorly at school when compared to non-orphaned children. Furthermore, the educators were of the view that orphaned children are more likely to show poor grades, lack of concentration and inability to write schoolwork when compared to non-orphans. The educators were also of the view that orphaned children were more likely to display behavioural and emotional problems when compared to non-orphans. Educators also suggested that guardians of orphaned learners are not coping well, and as such, are unable to adequately attend to the needs of these children. In conclusion, interventions at school, government as well as community levels are suggested. A suggestion is also made regarding the support that should be provided for grandparents (guardians) who tend to be drained as a result of having to look after orphaned children.