This study examined factors that relate to the persistence of first-generation undergraduate students in a 4-year public university in the Southeastern United States. Results were analyzed from a 2011 two-part survey: CARES-I (College Assessment of Readiness for Entering Students-Intent) and CARES-A (College Assessment of Readiness for Entering Students-Actual/Achieved. Semistructured interviews were conducted with first-generation undergraduate persisters, administrators, and professors. There was no statistically significant difference in persistence between continuing-generation and first-generation students. None of the factors, with the exception of performance goals on CARES A, were found to relate to persistence. Significant positive correlations were found between persistence and residential status, a learning strategies course, gender, high school GPA, and first semester in college GPA. The learning communities program was not found to significantly relate to persistence. The CARES surveys were found to be weak for predicting persistence. There was no significant interaction between any of the factors, persistence, and first-generation and continuing-generation, except for performance goals on CARES I and self-efficacy on CARES A. Findings from the interviews indicated that self-efficacy was highly important to graduation. The students had clear academic and professional, learning, monetary, and social outcome expectations. Student performance goals varied in amount of time, use of learning strategies, and organizational tools. Of the organizational variables, academic and social integration positively impacted persistence. However, the participants wished to have had higher grades as freshmen, found the STEM courses tough, had no informal interaction with administrators or professors, and did not use office hours enough. Students spoke positively of institutional programs, clubs, services, and organizations such as Supplemental Instruction (SI), the Math Lab, and Writing Center. Administrators and professors expressed a need for more information and responsiveness to persistence factors. Persistence was not impeded by family, friends, or work, whereas financial issues were prevalent. Although demographic variables did not negatively impact persistence, exo and macrosystem factors beyond the doors of the university emerged. Recommendations and options are provided for further research and for the university to improve persistence. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

Mexican immigrant students are entering American schools in great numbers. Many of them come to high schools with a good educational background, but there is little knowledge about them and about the factors that contribute to their incorporation into social life in the United States. While the drop out rate of Mexican-American students in high school has remained the highest among all ethnic groups, recent immigrants are pressuring schools to meet their needs immediately. Failure to respond adequately to their needs may result in an increase in the already high drop out rate and a perpetuation of the cycle of poverty among the Mexican-American population. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to the incorporation of Mexican immigrant high school students to United States society. The design of the study is a qualitative multiple case study with a phenomenological perspective. Five Mexican immigrant high school students were selected according to specific criteria. Data was collected through in-depth, open-ended interviews, observations, and documentation. Special consideration were given to the role played by the high school in promoting the academic success of Mexican immigrant students and the contribution of native culture to the process of incorporation into United States society. This study makes contributions to knowledge about Mexican immigrant high school students that can help educators improve the services needed by this fast growing segment of the population. / text

This study explores the schooling experiences in South Africa of migrant children from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Migration has been an area of interest within political, social and academic circles. In recent times, studies have been and are being conducted on issues on migration especially with the aim of exploring migrants’ experiences and challenges. This study addresses the experiences of migrant children from the Democratic Republic of Congo in schools in South Africa and their social identity as migrants. It aims to bring these issues into focus and to encourage further research and debate with the aim of finding ways of ensuring better schooling experiences for these migrant children. As its objective, and in line with the aspirations of inclusion and diversity of the present system of education in South Africa, this study: enables an insight into the Congolese migrant children’s school experiences and the resulting challenges for schooling in South Africa, provides an avenue to explore these challenges and experiences in the light of educational policies in place in South Africa and how these challenges affect the children’s education, raises critical issues regarding inclusion and diversity in the South African educational context, and contributes to ongoing debate, awareness and research interest in the area of study. The study addresses the extent to which the inclusive schooling system in South Africa does in reality include these migrant children. This study is situated within the critical paradigm and engages Social Identity Theory as its theoretical framework. It employs a case study methodology to explore the schooling experiences of migrant children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The theoretical framework as well as the methodology used in this study makes provision for a critical engagement in the analyses of these experiences. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2010.

Thesis (MEd (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / This investigation form part of an international about the facilitative role of school management regarding the emergence of immigrant children at schools The purpose of this study is to determine how selected school communities respond to their role with regards to the management and facilitation of immigrant learners in schools. In order to accomplish this, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. Descriptive survey techniques were applied on the basis of their flexibility. Questionaires, informal discourse, formal interviews and the case study were utilised to establish the opinions, attitudes, preferences and perceptions of communities regarding the immigration of learners. This was done against the backdrop of an extensive and comprehensive literature review. Throughout the study an attempt was made to remain as faithful as possible to the facts through empirical research, and to minimise prejudice, stereotyping and preferences through using rational thinking. Internal testing was used to ensure validity and reliability. According to the current research, the responses regarding migration by learners are very diverse. The responses are realised within the following contexts: accessibility or inaccessibility of schools, culture, politics, ideology, ethnicity, religion, language and even racial classification. Although geographical location is not a significant factor, social stratification patterns as well as the status play a role in this regard. The researcher concludes that the targeted school communities still lack the expertise, experience and ability to handle, facilitate and settle issues relating to multi-cultural diversity. Research findings show that this state of affairs is largely due to a lack of undestanding of transformation in the school context as well as regarding the implementation and execution of this transformation.

Due to the ever growing numbers of immigrants entering this country, school districts are faced with ever greater challenges for educating newly arrived immigrant students. Often these students arrive with little to no English ability and little to no school experience. Several educational program models, including ESL and bilingual education, have been popularized in school districts experiencing immigrant population growth. Recently, a supplemental model, the newcomer center/program, has gained popularity. The newcomer model seeks to educate and nurture newly arrived immigrant students with little to no English ability in the social and school expectations of the United States. Due to difficulties in conducting research and the relative newness of the program, there is a lack of quantitative research on the effectiveness of the newcomer model. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the newcomer program in one city school district by comparing students who had completed the newcomer program to students who had been unable to attend and were instead directly mainstreamed into their regular assigned schools. The study used a questionnaire design in which the mainstream teachers were asked to rate the students using a Likert scale. Students were rated on their social and school adjustment. In addition to comparing students by program model group (newcomer and pre-beginner), statistical analyses were also used to determine any possible differences among gender, language groups and student ages. Although no significant difference was found between the group of students who successfully completed the newcomer program and the group of students who were directly mainstreamed, there were a few significant findings among gender, age and language comparisons.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Low achievement, low attendance, and high dropout levels characterize immigrant student populations in cosmopolitan Canadian schools. This thesis identifies the lack of understanding in the community in urban multicultural Alberta as the prime cause of the struggle encountered by new immigrant students in school. The thesis incorporates the experiences of six new immigrant students to promote an authentic curriculum of learning and teaching to meet the needs of these learners. It posits that an authentic curriculum is unlikely without input from learners. The method used Hans-Georg Gadamer’s approach to hermeneutics and phenomenology, with the researcher asking the six African participants to share their stories in the African storytelling fashion in which no one dominates the discussion. The conversations were analyzed and interpreted to provide insight into the life-worlds of the participants. Ted Aoki’s multilayered curriculum of curriculum-as-planned, curriculum-as-lived experience and the “zone of between” are seen as a beneficial practice inclusive of all students. / viii, 139 leaves ; 28 cm

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Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa attracts a significant number of refugees and immigrants from poverty-stricken and war-ravaged African nations who come in search of greener pastures. As this population continues to grow, immigrant learners have begun to experience South African schools in an array of uniquely challenging ways (Vandeyar, 2010). This influx of foreigners has increased the diversity in South African classrooms and presents challenges for the foreign learner as well as for the school. While several studies have been undertaken to examine educational factors relating to the education of foreign learners in South Africa, the psychosocial experiences of these learners have not received research attention. The present study sought to understand the psychosocial experiences of immigrant learners in South Africa. The theoretical framework of the study was guided by Erikson’s psychosocial theory. Within the framework of Erikson’s psychosocial theory (Passer & Smith, 2008; Plotnik, 1993), psychological factors such as self-esteem, self-identity, self-efficacy and confidence, as well as social factors such as language, culture and peer relations, were explored in an attempt to understand their adjustment to learning in a culturally different environment. A basic qualitative research design was utilised. Participants were voluntarily recruited at a primary school in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to identify nine immigrant learners between the ages of six and twelve, who had at least attended the first-grade level in their native countries, for participation. Data were collected through the draw-and-tell technique, interviews and observations and analysed by means of thematic content analysis. The recurring themes derived from the interviews indicated that immigrant learners experience psycho-social challenges that involve the accent of the English language, establishment of friendships and bullying. These challenges have had a negative impact on their self-confidence, self-efficacy and self-esteem and their characters have also been changed in trying to adapt to the environmental demands. It is anticipated that the findings of the study will contribute to the development of meaningful support strategies for immigrant learners. The recommendations made include that the school must devise school policies which promote acknowledgement and acceptance of diversity within the school. There is a need for activities that accommodate diverse learners within the school. Learners need to share and enlighten each other about their cultural values and morals. Activities may involve role-plays at assembly, and having different weeks of commemorating or celebrating the different cultures of different learners within the school. The host learners also need to participate in these activities. Adopting the circle of courage philosophy, that is, sense of belonging, respect, generosity and industry, should be the starting point for the school and all learners. Bringing in the circle of courage can assist the whole school in accepting and understanding one another. The circle of courage is a model of empowerment; it is a philosophy in support of ‘reclaiming environments’ for learners. Future studies should investigate the identified themes using a quantitative approach, as well as undertake a comparison of the immigrant learners’ experiences with those of the host learners. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika het groot aantrekkingskrag vir ‘n aansienlike aantal vlugtelinge en immigrante vanaf armoede- en oorlog-geteisterde volkere in Afrika wat ‘n beter heenkome soek. Namate hierdie bevolking toeneem, kry immigrantleerders in skole in Suid-Afrika met ‘n unieke reeks uitdagings te doen (Vandeyar, 2010). Die instroming van vreemdelinge het die diversiteit in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers laat toeneem en stel uitdagings aan die buitelandse leerder sowel as aan die skool. Alhoewel verskeie studies reeds is onderneem om opvoedkundige faktore met betrekking tot die opvoeding van buitelandse leerders in Suid-Afrika aan te spreek, het die psigososiale ervarings van hierdie leerders nog nie die aandag van navorsers gekry nie. Die huidige studie verteenwoordig ‘n poging om die psigososiale ervarings van immigrantleerders in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Die teoretiese raamwerk van die studie is deur Erikson se psigososiale teorie gerig. Binne die raamwerk van Erikson se psigososiale teorie (Passer & Smith, 2008; Plotnik, 1993), word psigologiese faktore soos selfagting, self-identiteit, selfdoeltreffendheid en vertroue, en sosiale faktore soos taal, kultuur en verhoudings met die portuurgroep ondersoek in ‘n poging om die leerders se aanpassing aan die leer in ‘n omgewing met ‘n verskillende kultuur te verstaan.. ‘n Basiese kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp is gebruik. Vrywillige deelnemers is by ‘n primêre skool in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie van Suid-Afrika gewerf. Nege immigrantleerders van tussen ses en twaalf jaar oud wat reeds vir minstens een jaar in hul land van herkoms skoolgegaan het, is deur middel van ‘n doelgerigte steekproeftrekking vir deelname geïdentifiseer. Data is met behulp van die teken-en-vertel tegniek, onderhoude en waarneming ingesamel en met behulp van tematiese inhoudsontleding geanaliseer. Die terugkerende temas wat in die onderhoude na vore gekom het, het aangedui dat die immigrantleerders psigososiale uitdagings betreffende die aksent van die Engelse taal, stigting van vriendskappe en afknouery ondervind het. Hierdie uitdagings het hul selfvertroue, selfdoeltreffendheid en selfagting nadelig aangetas en hulle het geaardheid laat verander in die poging om by die eise van die omgewing aan te pas. Die verwagting is dat die bevindings van die studie ‘n bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van betekenisvolle ondersteuningstrategieë vir immigrantleerders sal lewer. Voorstelle wat gemaak word behels dat die skool ‘n beleid moet daarstel wat erkenning en aanvaarding van diversiteit in die skool bevorder. Daar is ‘n behoefte aan aktiwiteite wat diverse leerders binne die skool akkommodeer. Leerders behoort hul kulturele en morele waardes met mekaar te deel en mekaar daaroor in te lig. Aktiwiteite sou rolspel gedurende byeenkomste kon insluit, en verskillende weke sou daaraan toegewy kon word om die verskillende kulture van verskillende leerders in die skool te gedenk of te vier. Die gasheer leerders moet ook by hierdie aktiwiteite betrek word. Aanvaarding van die Circle of Courage filosofie, wat die gevoel van saamhorigheid, respek, ruimhartigheid en ywer omvat, behoort die beginpunt vir die skool en al die leerders te word. Om die Circle of Courage in te voer kan die hele skool help om mekaar te aanvaar en te verstaan. Die Circle of Courage is ‘n model vir bemagtiging; ‘n filosofie wat die ‘terugwinning van omgewings’ vir leerders ondersteun. Toekomstige studies behoort met behulp van ‘n kwantitatiewe benadering ondersoek in te stel na die geïdentifiseerde temas, en ook ‘n vergelyking van die ervarings van die immigrantleerders en gasheer leerders te tref.

East Desert Unified School District (EDUSD) serves many immigrant, migrant, and first generation students. The objective of this thesis is to identify the community processes and channels used that it serves. Organizationally, the interractions between the district and its communities will be studied from a systems perspective. Intercultural communication theories and organizational communication theories provide lenses for examining the communication processes occuring between the communbity and organization within the district, the parents resource service center alone with children and Family Services are grant supported and provide outreach services to community members.