Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur arbetet med musik ser ut i fritidshem utifrån ett lärarperspektiv. Utgångspunkten i studien har arbetats fram genom fyra centrala forskningsfrågor som berör hur lärare i fritidshem uppfattar att musik kan användas som ett pedagogiskt verktyg, vilka faktorer som påverkar hur lärare använder musik i fritidshem, vad lärare har för insikt i elevers musikintresse samt vilka problem eller svårigheter som lärare ser i arbetet med musik i fritidshem.För att analysera resultatet på det insamlade datamaterialet har studien använt sig av tidigare forskning, litteratur samt ett vetenskapsteoretiskt perspektiv. Studiens teori utgår från det sociokulturella perspektivet (Hwang och Nilsson, 2011) för att upprätta en analys, inom det sociokulturella perspektivet har appropriering (Säljö, 2000) varit ett viktigt inslag för att analysera resultatet, vilket kortfattat innebär innebär att ta till sig och bli förtrogen med sociokulturella redskap i olika sociala praktiker. De sociokulturella redskap som visar sig i föreliggande studie är exempelvis: instrument, digitala verktyg och lokaler.Studien kan visa att lärarna i fritidshem har olika arbetssätt och tankegångar kring arbetet med musik i fritidshem, men samtliga tillfrågade har någon form av agenda de utgår från i sitt personliga arbete med musik i verksamheten. Lärarna i fritidshem visar att de aktivt arbetar med att ta tillvara på elevers intresse när de spontant uttrycker en vilja att arbeta med musik i fritidshemmet. Studien visar även att arbetet med musik skiljer sig mycket i svårighetsgrad och hur pass väl utrustade lärarna är i form av kunskap och tillgång till material för att framhäva musik som ämne i fritidshemmet.Studien har som avsikt att belysa hur musik kan användas i fritidshem och varför det är viktigt att musik får ta plats i verksamheterna på samma sätt som andra ämnen i grundskolan.

As the number of at-risk students' increases, challenges for teachers, administrators and policymakers increase too, including the need to develop productive programs to help reduce some of the negative outcomes to which at-risk youth are already predisposed. Mentoring programs offer opportunities for at-risk youth to socialize and learn in a safe environment that exposes them to other members of the community. This study explores some of the components that constitute "effective mentoring", with regards to mentoring programs for at-risk youth. It compares two mentoring organizations, Strong Women Strong Girls and The DREAM Program using several of the benchmark criteria for effective mentoring programs set forth by the National Mentoring Partnership. It concludes with recommendations and suggested next steps on the federal, state and local levels toward enhancing current mentoring programs. The findings include, that Strong Women Strong Girls and The DREAM Program meet the majority of the established benchmark criteria. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy / MA; / Thesis;

Thesis (D. Ed.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 12, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-288).

The goal of this study is to provide a better understanding of the impact of outreach programs designed to impart technology skills to middle-school students from underserved communities, on both participants and their families. An outreach program, called Hi-Tec CompNow, was chosen for this study. This program was conducted as an after-school program for middle-school students from underserved communities in central Texas wherein participants learn computer hardware and software skills during a ten-week period. The study utilized (a) an interpretive analysis of the data generated from a questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the program to obtain participants‟ computer beliefs, (b) program observations recorded by the researcher during program sessions, and (c) interviews conducted by the researcher with participants and their families after program completion. Results of the study showed that the majority of participants experienced some increase in their CSE beliefs at the end of the program, but the changes were not statistically significant. The study further illustrated that participants interviewed by the researcher expressed increased confidence in computers, spent more time on home computers, and were able to resolve computer issues in their homes. Parents were pleased with the program as well and generally expressed increased confidence in their children‟s computer skills. The study identified some of the program attributes which seemed to have led to enhanced CSE beliefs in most participants. These included hands-on experiences and teacher demonstrations of computer skills. In addition, the study found that student encouragement through family support and commitment had a positive impact on participants‟ CSE beliefs, while negative family input had a negative impact. Lack of culturally-responsive learning content, participants‟ lack of use of the dial-up Internet service provided cost-free for a year, and perceptions that the computers provided by the program were outdated and thus not fully functional were factors which seemed to have undermined the program‟s impact on digital equity. Additionally, the program provided software which focused on document creation, spreadsheet-based analysis, and presentations. However, the study also revealed that most participants utilized home computers for more “recreational” purposes, e.g. playing games, and playing and/or editing music, games, and videos. The study suggests that well-intentioned outreach programs such as Hi-Tec CompNow are making laudable efforts to bridge the digital divide. However, they need to reinvent themselves to ensure underserved populations do not get left behind in a digital world that has moved beyond the desktop computer. To enhance the digital literacy of the underserved, digital equity programs must provide opportunities to build their skills in multimedia, mobile media and online participation in addition to fostering access to newer computers of good quality with high-speed and wireless Internet. / text

This thesis investigates the impact of after-school programs on youth in rural communities. A case study of the Fusion Youth Activity and Technology Centre in Ingersoll, Ontario was conducted to explore the relationship between program participation and the development experiences of youth participants ages 12 to 18 years. The Youth Experience Survey created by Hansen and Larson (2002) was selected for this study to assess the positive and negative youth development experiences of Fusion youth participants, measuring experiences within conceptual domains of Identity Work, Initiative, Basic Skills, Positive Relationships, Team Work and Social Skills, Adult Networks and Social Capital, and Negative Experiences. The study found that all domains measuring positive youth development experiences were positively correlated, with the strongest experiences associated with the domains of Identity Work, Basic Skills, Positive Relationships, and Team Work and Social Skills. In addition, the study concluded that participants’ youth development significantly increased with duration of membership and intensity of participation at Fusion.

A recent trend shows that activity levels in children are declining while obesity levels are increasing. To address this problem, after school programs are being introduced to increase activity levels in preadolescents and promote healthy lifestyles. Existing studies have suggested that a better understanding of the psychosocial influences on physical activity (PA) during preadolescence could assist efforts in school settings to promote lifelong PA. This study used a sample of third grade students to investigate the relationships between the psychosocial correlates of PA, Gender, Extracurricular PA Participation, Intention to Be Physically Active, and BMI among third grade children. Results indicated that Gender, Beliefs (about the consequences of being active), and Self-Efficacy were associated with Extra Curricular PA Participation while Beliefs and Self-Efficacy were related to Intention to Be Physically Active. This suggests that third grade children’s Extra Curricular PA Participation and Intentions to Be Physically Active can be improved by enhancing children’s Self-Efficacy and Beliefs about the consequences of being active. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2007. / Advisors: Judith L. Irvin, Sande Milton, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references: (leaves 109-120) Also available online.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (January 19, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-60)