Using a multimodal approach, this study examines the ways learning styles contribute to the dynamics of writing groups and the effects of those groups on the development of writing maturity in two classes of sophomores at a mid-sized midwestern rural high school. Students' learning styles were assessed through testing with the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. Then using the middle two dimensions, the perception and judgment dimensions, one section of students was assigned to writing groups of widely diverse learning styles, and a second section was assigned to groups with similar learning styles. Group effectiveness and writing maturity were then evaluated by measuring changes in students' scores from a pre-semester administration of the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test to a post-semester administration, changes in students' essay grades and course grades, changes in students' evaluations of their groups' effectiveness from the beginning of the semester to the end, students' behavior as recorded in the teacher-researcher's daily journal, students' evaluations of writing groups as articulated in post-semester interviews, and the maturity level of students' writings.Results indicate that students worked most effectively in writing groups that consisted of dominant N's or dominant S's or included an I with an N auxiliary in a dominant-N group or S auxiliary in a dominant-S group. Almost as effective were pairs with the two middle dimensions in common. More mature students could work effectively with students who shared only one middle dimension. Social problems or gender issues could disrupt the dynamics expected between types. Each type needed different responses from a writing group. These needs did not necessarily reflect the teacher's expectations for writing group work. / Department of English

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of specific textual and contextual materials to bridge the gap between the student's present level o proficiency in a target language and the level of proficiency required to perform a listening comprehension task in that language. This study also tested for interaction between the use of the textual and contextual materials and the learning modality of the students. In addition, confounding effects by either learning modality and foreign language classroom anxiety were controlled.Listening comprehension was assessed by a fourteen-item multiple-choice test in Spanish developed by the researcher. Learning modality was established by the Edmonds Learning Style Identification Exercise developed by H. Reinert. Foreign language class anxiety was measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale developed by Elaine Horwitz, Michael Horwitz, and Joann Cope.A group of 198 college students enrolled in nine second-semester Spanish classes at Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana participated in the study. Three classes were randomly assigned to each of the three treatments: the contextual cue, the textual cue, and neither one.A three factor 3 x 3 x 2 fixed effects factorial design was used to analyze the data gathered in the study. Four null hypotheses were tested. The .05 level of significance was established as the critical probability level for the non-acceptance of the hypotheses.Findings1. There are significant effects attributable to a textual cue on recall measures of listening comprehension.2. There are no significant effects attributable to a contextual cue on recall measures of listening comprehension.3. There are no significant interactions between the use of the textual cue and the learning modality of the students.4. There are no significant interactions between the use of the contextual cue and the learning modality of the students.5. There are no significant effects attributable to learning modality on recall measures of listening comprehension.6. There are significant effects attributable to foreign language classroom anxiety on recall measures of listening comprehension.Conclusions1. Textual cues support listening comprehension tasks but contextual cues do not.2. The effect of a semantic cue can not be affected by the learning modality of the student.3. Learning modality by itself does not affect student comprehension of a listening task.4. Foreign language class anxiety inhibits student performance during a listening comprehension task. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Otago, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2293. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-160).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: O. Roger Anderson. Dissertation Committee: Warren E. Yasso. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-119).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Leah Blumberg Lapidus. Dissertation Committee: Harold F. Abeles. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-113).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-74).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-74). Also available in print.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-162).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin -- La Crosse, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-50)