The focus of this study is to add to the outcome research on effective school counseling interventions and to specifically evaluate the effectiveness of the Student Success Skills (SSS) small group intervention with students identified as having drop out potential in the 9th grade. This study analyzed two years of pre-existing, non-identifiable student data (N = 167) collected by school counselors at one high school in South Florida. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine differences in academic grades, standardized test scores, and absences between the students who did participate in the SSS small group intervention when compared to those students who did not participate. Statistically significant differences were found between groups in all three dropout potential factors (GPA, test scores, and absences) supporting the use of SSS small group school counseling intervention with students at risk for dropping out. Effect size estimates were reported for each of the measures. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

Physical activity has been demonstrated in the literature as an effective way to reduce the risk for development of chronic disease. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change has been developed as a means to predict and facilitate movement into healthier lifestyle behaviors. The model is centered on "stages of change", which describe a continuum of readiness to engage in a health behavior change. Stages contain temporal, qualitative, and quantitative characteristics. This was a six-month study that evaluated the effectiveness of stage-matched (theorized to be pertaining only to the maintenance stage of change) vs. generic (theorized to be pertaining to anyone, regardless of stage) newsletters in assisting subjects to attain the Maintenance stage of change. It also sought to identify further qualitative characteristics that can differentiate between the Action and Maintenance stages of change. Results indicated that monthly stage-matched newsletters were no more effective in helping subjects reaching Maintenance than were the generic newsletters. Exerciser self-schema was related to stages of change, but those relationships differed from baseline to six-month follow-up, indicating development of exerciser self-schema during the study period. Implications of this are discussed. Other concepts discussed included "structure" of change process, in that three new scores were developed and correlated with self-efficacy as well as intercorrelated. Motivation was also evaluated and compared across levels of success at adhering to exercise during a three-month period. Limitations of the study and implications are discussed.

Black engineering and science students in colleges and universities have not been researched sufficiently to determine the reasons for their success or failure. This was an exploratory study focusing on those factors that influenced non-persistence of African-American science and engineering students at the University of the District of Columbia from 1987 to 1991. The subjects for this study were eight (8) African-American students who matriculated at the University of the District of Columbia from 1987 to 1991. The students were enrolled in the College of Physical Science, Engineering, and Technology during that period of time. A survey of 59 questions grouped into five categories was administered as an interview over the telephone and by mail. The survey revealed the following: (a) Students own experiences lead to mind changes about career aspirations, and these aspirations are not always in concert with parents; (b) academic success is no guarantee of persistence; (c) negative experiences do not dampen perceived need for further education; and (d) non-persistence is caused by lack of preparation, desire to transfer, disillusionment, financial difficulties, and changes in the environment. In that the study involved only eight students, the data was not sufficient to warrant definitive recommendations for curriculum changes, program changes, or approaches being used by pre-college programs to interest African-American students in selecting science or engineering related disciplines. However, two areas have promise for future research: learned helplessness syndrome-- how it and students' natural fear of failure may be related to non-persistence; and contextual learning--how it addresses a learning style not utilized regularly in teaching quantitative subjects. The data did point out the need for continued assessment of first-year students, as well as continuous monitoring of their concerns on a semester-by-semester basis. Individually oriented treatment is encouraged for these students. / Ed. D.

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to gain a contextual understanding of the dropout phenomenon in a specific school in a high-risk community. An applied, interpretive, qualitative research design was used. This involved an investigation of the subjective experiences of learners at risk of dropping out of school during the post-compulsory phase of their education at a specific school. Informants were purposively selected according to specific criteria. Data were collected through eight semi-structured interviews with learners at risk of dropping out of school; a semi-structured interview with a member of the community; a focus-group interview and collages. The data was transcribed and analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis, and compared to previous research gleaned from an extensive literature review. Results that emerged from this study indicated that the participants experienced several barriers to learning embedded in the interconnected systems, which could cause them to drop out of school. This included issues such as single-parent families, family conflict, lack of parental support, emotional difficulties due to home circumstances, substance abuse and socio-economic issues. Although results showed that the school of study had seemingly adopted an inclusive policy and had made some adaptations to accommodate learners, it became evident that the existing support structures within the school and the community were experienced as insufficient. Due to the nature of unsupportive and conflicting family systems reported by some learners, teachers are expected to perform additional nurturing roles that add pressure to an already overburdened educational system. The practical implications of the results are that, in order to support adolescents in a high-risk environment and to prevent them from dropping out of school, the focus should be on protective factors. This could be achieved through, for example, early identification and targeting of learners at risk of dropping out of school, the implementation of strategies aimed to increase engagement of all learners in the school, the implementation of an ongoing supportive drug-free programme in the school and the community in conjunction with supportive organisations, professional development workshops and in-service training for teachers, altered school schedules, and career guidance and work internships for interested learners that could be arranged in union with the local university. The results from this study therefore highlighted areas that could receive attention in the specific school to address the problem for learners at risk of dropping out of school. Further qualitative research is recommended to investigate this phenomenon in a broader spectrum of South African learners. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om ’n kontekstuele begrip te kry van die uitsak-verskynsel in ’n spesifieke skool wat in ’n hoërisiko-gemeenskap geleë is. ’n Toegepaste, vertolkende, kwalitatiewe navorsingsmodel is gebruik. Die gevolg was ’n ondersoek van die subjektiewe ondervindinge van leerders wat die risiko geloop het om op skoolvlak uit te sak gedurende die naverpligte fase van hulle opvoeding aan ’n spesifieke skool. Informante is doelbewus volgens spesifieke kriteria gekies. Data is versamel deur middel van agt semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met leerders wat ’n risiko geloop het om op skoolvlak uit te sak; ’n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoud met ’n lid van die gemeenskap; ’n fokusgroeponderhoud en plakskilderye. Die data is getranskribeer en geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van ’n kwalitatiewe tematiese analise en is vergelyk met vorige navorsing wat versamel is uit ’n uitgebreide literatuuroorsig. Resultate wat uit hierdie studie geblyk het, het daarop gedui dat die deelnemers verskeie leerhindernisse ondervind het wat veranker is in die onderling-verbonde stelsels wat kon veroorsaak het dat hulle op skoolvlak uitsak. Hierby was ingesluit kwessies soos enkelouer-gesinne, gesinskonflik, ’n gebrek aan ouerlike ondersteuning, emosionele probleme as gevolg van huislike omstandighede, dwelmmisbruik en sosio-ekonomiese kwessies. Alhoewel resultate gewys het dat die studieskool skynbaar ’n inklusiewe beleid volg en ’n paar aanpassings gemaak het om leerders te akkommodeer, het dit duidelik geword dat die bestaande ondersteuning-strukture binne die skool en gemeenskap as onvoldoende ervaar is. As gevolg van die aard van nie-ondersteunende en teenstrydige gesinstelsels soos meegedeel deur sommige leerders, word daar van onderwysers verwag om bykomende opvoedingsrolle te vervul wat spanning veroorsaak in ’n reeds oorlaaide opvoedingstelsel. Die praktiese implikasies van die resultate is, dat die fokus op beskermende faktore moet wees, om adolessente in ’n hoërisiko-omgewing te ondersteun en te verhoed dat hulle op skoolvlak uitsak. Dit sou bereik kon word deur byvoorbeeld, vroeë identifisering en teikengroepvorming van leerders wat die risiko loop om op skoolvlak uit te sak, die implementering van strategieë wat daarop gemik is om die betrokkenheid van alle leerders in die skool te verhoog, die implementering van ’n deurlopende ondersteunende dwelmvrye program in die skool en gemeenskap in samewerking met ondersteuningsorganisasies, professionele-ontwikkelingswerkswinkels en indiensopleiding vir onderwysers, veranderde skoolskedules en beroepsvoorligting en werk-internskappe vir belangstellende leerders wat gereël kan word in samewerking met die plaaslike universiteit. Die resultate van hierdie studie het areas in die spesifieke skool uitgewys wat kan aandag kry om die probleem van leerders wat die risiko loop om op skoolvlak uit te sak, aan te spreek. Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere kwalitatiewe navorsing gedoen word om hierdie verskynsel in ’n breër spektrum van Suid-Afrikaanse leerders te ondersoek.

The study focused on the challenges of teaching at-risk learners at secondary schools. A qualitative investigation based on interviewing and observation was conducted with sixteen teachers teaching at-risk learners. Findings revealed that pre-service teacher training does not prepare teachers adequately to teach learners at risk constructively. Findings also revealed that at-risk learners have no control over themselves due to lack of parental support as parents show no commitment and support for their children’s education. Interventions to counter challenges with teaching at-risk learners relate to applicable preservice teacher training to engage with at-risk learners constructively and continuous in-service teacher training as professional development to empower teachers to engage with at-risk learners appropriately. At-risk learners must value second-chance education opportunities with schools ensuring that a supportive school culture prevails. The study contributes to the discourse on effective teaching practices to support at-risk learners for acceptable academic attainment. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)