abstract: Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health concerns in the United States and has been associated with low levels of physical activity. Schools are ideal physical activity promotion sites but school physical activity opportunities have decreased due the increased focus on academic performance. Before-school programs provide a good opportunity for children to engage in physical activity as well as improve their readiness to learn. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a before-school running/walking club on children's physical activity and on-task behavior. Methods: Participants were third and fourth grade children from two schools in the Southwestern United States who participated in a before-school running/walking club that met two times each week. The study employed a two-phase experimental design with an initial baseline phase and an alternating treatments phase. Physical activity was monitored using pedometers and on-task behavior was assessed through systematic observation. Data analysis included visual analysis, descriptive statistics, as well as multilevel modeling. Results: Children accumulated substantial amounts of physical activity within the before-school program (School A: 1731 steps, 10:02 MVPA minutes; School B: 1502 steps, 8:30 MVPA minutes) and, on average, did not compensate by decreasing their physical activity during the rest of the school day. Further, on-task behavior was significantly higher on days the children attended the before-school program than on days they did not (School A=15.78%, pseudo-R2=.34 [strong effect]; School B=14.26%, pseudo-R2=.22 [moderate effect]). Discussion: Results provide evidence for the positive impact of before-school programs on children's physical activity and on-task behavior. Such programs do not take time away from academics and may be an attractive option for schools. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Physical Education 2014

Dr. M.C. van Loggerenberg

The problem with which this investigation was concerned is that of determining whether remedial mathematics students who receive individualized attention in small groups with many special materials would gain more knowledge in the areas of computation, concepts, problem solving, and total composite mathematics than would remedial mathematics students taught as sub-groups of regular mathematics classes.

This study was an exploratory case study which examined the process of collegial consultation in relation to teacher development in two dyads of elementary teachers. The purpose of the study was to understand the manner in which participants collaborate and mutually negotiate understandings in a conference following data-based classroom observation. The research questions addressed were: 1.0 How do the partners negotiate shared understandings in the consultation process? 2.0 How does context influence the consultation process? The primary data sources were fieldnotes from classroom observations, videotaped post-observation conferences, and audiotaped stimulated recall interviews. These data were collected from four rounds of observations for each dyad. Symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969,1972) was used as a framework for analyzing how the participants made collective and individual sense of their professional practice during the post-observation conference and conference review process, respectively. The data analysis was based primarily on the conference review audiotapes from each dyad member and the post-observation conference videotapes. After a comparative analysis of the two dyads, the following findings appeared to influence the negotiation of shared understandings in the consultation process and, therefore, teacher growth. First, a prior work relationship appeared to facilitate adaptation to the practice of collegial consultation. In contrast, prior interaction patterns appeared to inhibit adaptation to the practice of collegial consultation. Second, past experiences and training influenced how the participants interpreted and defined the collegial consultation process. Congruent definitions of the collegial relationship and the consultation process appeared to facilitate mutual negotiation of understanding, whereas incongruent definitions inhibited such negotiation. Third, the manner in which the participants defined the consultation process influenced their interpretation of the observer and observee roles. A shared language of congruent definitions and interpretations of role appeared to facilitate negotiation of shared understandings of practice. Lack of an explicit shared language inhibited negotiation. Fourth, a supportive consultation climate appeared to also facilitate negotiation. Finally, teacher growth in understanding of teaching and consultation practice appeared to be developmental and influenced by the previous four findings. Five conclusions were derived from a comparative analysis of the findings from each of the two dyads. Five contextual factors appeared to influence the collegial consultation process. They were as follows: (1) district and school endorsement and support were both needed to facilitate the implementation of collegial consultation; (2) reciprocal interaction patterns were more likely to result in changes in teaching practice; (3) definitional congruence of the collegial relationship and consultation process facilitated clear communication and negotiation of shared understandings; (4) provision of a knowledge base and a support network enhanced understanding of teaching and consultation practice; and (5) the need for structured-in time was critical if participants were to be expected to practise collegial consultation. The main implications for theory were that collegial consultation was a viable vehicle for teachers to develop professionally with appropriate modelling, endorsement, and support from district and school administrators. Reciprocal interaction patterns appeared to foster growth and change in practice. The most important implications for practice were the identification of the need for structured time to engage in the collegial consultation process and the need for the provision of a knowledge base and on-site support network. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

This was a study to ascertain the nature and scope of industrial arts activities in the elementary schools of West Texas.

Orientador: Giovanna Longo / Resumo: O presente trabalho é o resultado de uma proposta de leitura de base sociointeracionista e dialógica, sob o viés do Letramento, planejada e aplicada a alunos de 7° ano do Ensino Fundamental II, durante as aulas de Língua Portuguesa. Partindo do pressuposto de que a língua é um órgão vivo e o ensino de língua materna reside em práticas socialmente constituídas, buscou-se, na integralidade do texto, a escolha de estratégias para sua compreensão e associações com o universo que o cerca, de forma a incorporar os conteúdos e habilidades atinentes, sem que o mesmo fosse pretexto, mas o foco de uma ação. Foi contemplada a leitura em suas facetas linguística, interacional e social, trabalhadas desde o processo de decodificação, compreensão, interpretação e extrapolação do texto escrito, principalmente, e o multimodal como complementar. O intuito de tornar a sala de aula um espaço de leitura que legitimasse o papel da escola na formação de leitores autônomos, fluentes e críticos, se deu, oportunizando o contato com a literatura, simultâneo ao olhar questionador para com a realidade. O romance Vidas secas, de Graciliano Ramos, foi a obra que conduziu as atividades e possibilitou que os alunos, agentes nesse processo, concluíssem que a leitura tem papel transformador. / Abstract: The present work is the result of a proposal for reading Sociointeractionist and Dialogical bases, under the Literacy bias, planned and applied to 7th grade students of Elementary School II, during Portuguese Language classes. Based on the assumption that language is a living organ and the teaching of the mother tongue resides in socially constituted practices, the text sought to choose strategies for its comprehension and associations with the universe that surrounds it, in order to incorporate the relevant contents and skills without being a pretext, but the focus of an action. Reading was contemplated in its linguistic, interactional and social facets, worked from the process of decoding, understanding, interpretation and extrapolation of the written text mainly and the multimodal as complementary. The intention of making the classroom a reading space that legitimized the role of the school in the formation of autonomous, fluent and critical readers, took place by providing contact with literature, simultaneously with the questioning look towards reality. The novel Vidas secas, by Graciliano Ramos was the work that led the activities and enabled the students, agents in this process, to conclude that reading has a transforming role. / Mestre

Orientador: Andreia Osti / Banca: João Pedro Pezzato / Banca: Neide de Brito Cunha / Resumo: A presente pesquisa, de natureza qualitativa, discute a escrita de gêneros textuais por alunos do último ano do Ensino Fundamental I, procurando avaliar sobretudo os componentes formais do gênero escrito, tais como estrutura composicional, estilo de linguagem e conteúdo temático. Este estudo divide-se em duas fases: 1. Discussão teórico-bibliográfica e levantamento de estudos acadêmicos; 2. Estudo de campo com a análise dos textos escritos pelos alunos. A bibliografia estudada apontou para a necessidade do letramento escolar e, portanto, para a obrigatoriedade do ensino dos gêneros textuais nas escolas de modo sistematizado (de seus componentes internos e externos), uma vez que seu aprendizado propicia a participação dos sujeitos em práticas sociais de uso da escrita. Constatou-se também, pela leitura de teses, dissertações e artigos acadêmicos, que os alunos escreveram gêneros textuais funcionais nas escolas, contudo, houve diferentes problemas na construção de seus componentes internos que comprometeram o uso social de tais textos. Para resolvê-los, essas pesquisas sugeriram o uso das Sequências Didáticas, já que, por meio delas, é possível identificar os problemas de escrita do gênero e construir atividades direcionadas à sua solução. No mesmo sentido, também estão os resultados obtidos no estudo de campo, constatou-se, na escrita de poemas e de narrativas de terror, a capacidade escritora de gêneros textuais pelos alunos, porém, com fragilidades no desenvolvimento de seus... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The present research, of a qualitative nature, discusses the writing of textual genres by students of the last year of Elementary School I, trying to evaluate, in particular, the formal components of the written genre, such as compositional structure, language style and thematic content. This study was divided into two phases: 1. Theoretical - bibliographic discussion and survey of academic studies; 2. Field study with the analysis of texts written by the students. The bibliography studied pointed to the necessity of school literacy and, therefore, to the compulsory teaching of the textual genres in schools in a systematized way (of their internal and external components), since their learning provides the participat ion of the subjects in social practices of use of the writing. It was also verified by reading theses, dissertations and academic articles, that students wrote functional textual genres in schools; however, there were different problems in the construction of its internal components that compromised the social use of such texts. In order to solve them, these researches suggested the use of Didactic Sequences, since, through these, it is possible to identify the problems of writing of the genre and the const ruction of activities directed to its solution. In this way, are also the results obtained in the field study; it was verified, in the writing of poems and horror narratives the writing ability of textual genres by the students; however, with weaknesses in the... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The purpose of this study was to examine the team-building process implemented in an elementary school. Research questions were developed on what team-building activities took place, when the activities took place, what expenses were involved, what the outcomes were, and what the reactions of the staff were towards team building activities implemented at the school. Twenty-five members of the staff including the principal, several teachers, a secretary, several custodial workers, and several cafeteria workers were interviewed to answer the questions above. The responses were categorized and organized into data matrices by question. School documents were reviewed to corroborate responses. A list of these documents was compiled. Information from the data matrices and document review were used to develop findings which formed the basis for the conclusions of this study. Several conclusions were drawn. The study indicated that team-building was an on-going process. Major activities took place at all-day team-building sessions with follow-up sessions during the year. Team building required a commitment of time. Most team-building activities took place outside of regular school hours. The principal facilitated the team-building process. The problems of expenses and meeting locations for team-building activities were handled by the principal. The team-building methods and outcomes in this study were similar to those found in current literature. The majority of the staff in this study reacted positively to the team-building process. Many staff members noted that it was a worthwhile experience. / Ed. D.

Statement of the Problem: The objectives of this thesis are to set forth the detailed procedures and methods essential to organize, from the instructional point of view, a library for John Gill School, a kindergarten through sixth grade school.

This paper explores the nature and purpose of a guidance program in the elementary school, including the specific activities that must be carried out in the program, including the keeping of records and the holding of conferences. Chapter 4 presents a study on the need and feasibility of developing a functional guidance program in Brownsville Elementary School. / Typescript. / "August, 1949." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Advisor: W. Edwards, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-47).