Peer response groups, in which students give and receive feedback on drafts of essays, embody many features of effective language teaching environments: student-centered activities; the opportunity for students to play a role other than the passive learner; the need for students to negotiate as they discuss meaning. This study examined one L2 writing group as they responded to each others' papers, and searched for links between feedback and revisions made to the papers. This was a case study of three advanced ESL writers in an Intensive English Program over a seven-week period. Qualitative research methods included collecting videotaped, audiotapes, interview, and written data and analyzing them using inductive procedures. / These students talked extensively and exclusively on text-related issues. They demonstrated an awareness of vital concepts in academic writing: the need to consider audience and not make assumptions about readers' cultural understanding; the importance of providing adequate detail in their texts; and the need to use conventional aspects of academic writing. In their creation of the response group activity, the students were critical but offered usable suggestions and respected the author's control. The writers learned how to accept critical comments, and how to justify the text and reject suggestions if they wished. / Analysis of revisions made following peer review revealed large differences in behavior between the students. One who readily accepted suggestions during the talk revised accordingly. One who regularly justified the original text incorporated few suggested changes. One who spent considerable time explaining the text made extensive revisions that could not easily be traced back to the talk. It was concluded that revision habits of these writers were strongly influenced by their interaction behaviors during the text discussions. / The peer feedback activity was revealed to be a forum for developing skills of giving and receiving critical response. Writers learned to trust and use peer feedback in revision, but, equally important, they learned how to make their own decisions about revising. Implications for teachers include the need to assist student writers in practising oral revision in the group in order to practise changes in texts in front of an audience of peers. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-08, Section: A, page: 3031. / Co-Major Professors: E. Platt; F. L. Jenks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

This study (1) assessed the effectiveness of an ESOL telecourse on content area teachers' achievement of language acquisition principles; (2) determined if factors within the context of the telecourse related to adult learning, media effects, or distance education affected learning; and (3) determined if demographic factors such as age, gender, experience with LEP students, or second language acquisition affected learning. / The instrument used to assess achievement was the ESOL Language Acquisition Inventory for Content Area Teachers (LAI/CAT) developed by the researcher from the objectives of the telecourse in the absence of any standardized test. Follow-up interviews were conducted using a structured interview protocol, the Adult Learning Via Telecourse (ALVT), developed by the researcher based on models in the field. / The instruments were administered to two groups of content area teachers in a county in northwest Florida, 52 of whom had taken the ESOL telecourse and 50 of whom had no ESOL education. / The collected data were analyzed through a t-test to compare overall achievement between groups; through correlation coefficients to determine any relationship between opinions toward the telecourse and achievement; and through t-tests to compare groups on the basis of age, gender, and experience. / The findings revealed that teachers who had taken the ESOL telecourse did not score significantly higher on the LAI/CAT than teachers who had no ESOL education. There was no significant correlation between positive and negative opinions regarding media effects and distance education with scores. However, there was a significant correlation between positive opinions regarding adult learning factors and high scores. There was no significant difference related to gender, LEP experience, or second language ability. However, there was a significant difference between age groups with teachers age 44 and over scoring higher than those 43 and younger. / In summary, the ESOL telecourse did not promote learning among content area teachers regarding ESOL language acquisition, but older teachers who felt positive about aspects of the telecourse related to adult learning theory did significantly better than younger teachers who did not. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-08, Section: A, page: 3030. / Major Professor: Frank B. Brooks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

This study was designed to determine whether or not there are differences in the understanding of culture between college undergraduates who study French literature in French and those who study it in English. / To measure the dependent variable (understanding of culture), a test was developed using Valette's (1977) guidelines on testing literature and culture. The instrument was found to be adequately valid and reliable (alpha =.92). / The sample consisted of 118 subjects enrolled in seven colleges and universities. Twenty-two subjects studied Madame Bovary in French while 96 studied it in English. A pretest was given to all the subjects, who were then taught Madame Bovary for one week. The posttest was administered upon completion of the instruction. Since the students in each institution were taught by a different professor, a hierarchical analysis of covariance was employed to analyze the data. / The study produced the following results: (a) no significant difference was observed between the average scores of subjects who studied Madame Bovary in French and those who studied it in English, thus, medium language, whether the original one or not, does not appear to be the determinant factor in comprehending culture from a literary work, (b) both language groups made significant progress and had significantly greater means on the posttest than on the pretest, thus, literature does have a bearing on understanding culture, and (c) the differences between the mean scores of classes taught by different instructors within each treatment were significant and accounted for about 40% of the total variance of the scores, leading to the conclusion that it is probable that the instructors' attributes, e.g., their styles of teaching, their knowledge of culture, and their willingness to teach culture through literature, had a tremendous effect on the student's understanding of culture. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-06, Section: A, page: 1394. / Major Professor: Ernest A. Frechette. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

Abstract not available / acase@tulane.edu

This study examined the relationships among acculturation, psychological adjustment (defined as stress, depression, and self-esteem), and academic achievement of Jamaican immigrant undergraduate college students. The study selectively analyzed literature on acculturation in a chronological context from the early conceptualists of acculturation, such as, Gordon (1958, 1964, & 1978), Park (1921 & 1950), and Burgess (1921) to the more contemporary theoretical perspectives of Berry (1980); integration, deculturation, separation, and assimilation: the hierarchical perspective of acculturation; Padilla (1980); the two dimensional acculturation construct: cultural awareness and ethnic loyalty; Keefe (1980); the extended family predominance approach; and Szapocznik, Scopetta, Kurtines, & Arnalde (1978); time exposed (temporal) modifier concept of acculturation Additionally, literature (e.g., Snowden & Hines, 1999; Allen-Meares & Burman, 1995; and Hines & Boyd-Franklin, 1996) that examines the acculturation, psychological adjustment, and academic achievement of African Americans, was explored and analyzed and compared with the findings of this study The purposive sample was comprised of at least 150 Jamaican immigrant college students, drawn from Howard University in Washington, D.C. who have resided in the U.S. for at least a year The researcher was on-site to facilitate the data collection procedure. Acculturation was measured by Szapocznik's et. al. Behavioral Acculturation Scale, depression by Zung's Depression Inventory, self-esteem by Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Inventory, stress by Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein's Perceived Stress Scale, and academic achievement by student's current Grade Point Average Pearson's product-moment correlation, coefficient chi-square, and regression analysis were used to examine the relationships among the study variables (acculturation, psychological adjustment (depression, self-esteem, stress) and both academic achievement, and the socio-demographic variables Students' gender and immigration statuses were found to be related to levels of acculturation. Marital status of male students appears to relate to how they acculturate, on the contrary, it does not appear to relate to how female students acculturate. Students experiencing less stress tend to achieve high academic standard, indicated by their grade point average. Students' academic performance is not related or impacted by their acculturation, self-esteem, and depression. Students' acculturation is not related to their self-esteem, stress level or state of depression. Students who return home to see their family/relatives and who communicate with their relatives/family tend to have exemplary academic record. How often student returns home was found to be inversely related to acculturation and those that were also late arrivals were found to be not highly acculturated Finally, the tenuous relationships among the study variables such as acculturation, self-esteem, stress, and grade point average along with the relationship with the socio-demographic variables revealed that discrimination towards immigrant people of color impacted their psychological well-being and their academic achievement / acase@tulane.edu

The present study was an investigation to examine the current situation in the field of teaching foreign cultures in China's language education. The study concentrated on answering the question of whether there were any differences between the Chinese subjects from the state and provincial normal universities and those from the district teachers colleges concerning their acquisition of social and cultural knowledge and information about the United States. / The data collected from the performance of 171 subjects on the culture quiz and from their responses to the survey revealed that some significant differences existed between the two groups of subjects. The first group of subjects (those from the state and provincial normal universities) scored much higher on the culture quiz than the second group of subjects (those from the district teachers colleges). Moreover, the first group of subjects also held a more positive attitude toward the learning of foreign cultures. / The study also showed that the first group of subjects were less satisfied with the instruction of culture in their schools and were less content with their mastery of knowledge and information of foreign cultures, than the second group of subjects. / No evidence was found to establish a significant difference between the two groups of subjects with respect to their ways of obtaining sociocultural knowledge. Media, other than classroom instruction, was their main source of acquiring information of other cultures. The study revealed that the two groups of subjects had better knowledge of such cultural aspects as literature, history, and the like than knowledge of behavioral patterns and lifestyles. / The study also reported the subjects' expectations of improvement in the teaching of culture; most of them cared more about importation of video and audio materials though only a small number of them expected much change in classroom instruction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-11, Section: A, page: 3844. / Major Professor: Frederick Jenks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

Cross-cultural transfers of policies, programs, and technologies are intended to replicate the successful implementation experienced in the originating context. Replication of success, however, is neither guaranteed nor has it been reliably demonstrated when such transfers have been attempted from developed to developing contexts. This study offers a strategy for assessing the feasibility of cross-cultural transfer of innovations. / Specifically, the policy of self-regulation of professional practices for teachers has proven to be very effective as implemented in Florida. A transfer of this policy from Florida to Jamaica is proposed as one means of enhancing the professionalism of Jamaican teachers. To determine the feasibility of transferring this policy from Florida to the Jamaican education system, four factors were selected as indicators that transfer could be successfully implemented: (1) the degree to which the policy would fit within the existing network of policies in the recipient context; (2) demonstrated evidence of a need for the policy; (3) the array of support for or opposition to the policy; and (4) the degree to which the basic assumptions of the policy would be compatible with cultural values of the recipient context. / Results of the study indicate that: (1) the policy of self-regulation would fit with minimal disruption within the existing network of educational policies; (2) there is evidence of deficiencies in the current system that suggests a need for the policy; (3) there is support for the policy among the interest groups who demonstrate power in the policy process; and (4) while the assumption that standards of conduct for teachers should be enforced is highly compatible with cultural values of Jamaican society, successful transfer of a policy of self-regulation would require accommodation to Jamaican cultural ambivalence toward the notion of independence. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-03, Section: A, page: 0743. / Major Professor: Clyde Maurice. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

This study is an examination of the use of English definite and indefinite articles in 900 compositions written by 475 adult ESL students from nine different L1 backgrounds: Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Thai, and Turkish, in response to these questions: (1) Can a common sequence of development of accuracy in the written use of articles by adult ESL students be identified in relation to advancing proficiency or in relation to first language, and (2) Is there systematic variation in the use of determiners other than articles in contexts where articles are obligatory or more likely to be used by a native speaker. / These compositions were written placement and exit examinations of international students at the Center for Intensive English Studies at Florida State University between 1983 and 1991. They were analyzed for omissions, additions, or confusion of the and a, using SOC (supplied in obligatory context) methodology, across five levels of global proficiency as measured by the Institutional Test of English as a Foreign Language, and obligatory contexts checked for lexical items other than articles. Researcher native speaker judgment was checked with a questionnaire administered to six writing instructors, resulting in 96% interrater reliability. / Development was found to be strikingly similar among students with L1s which contained articles, and also strikingly similar among students whose first languages did not, although some of the latter were quantitatively different in frequency. Eleven demonstratives, personal and possessive pronouns appeared in twenty-two configurations in apparent substitution for articles. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-07, Section: A, page: 2352. / Major Professor: Frederick L. Jenks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

This study assessed the usefulness and effectiveness of a self-instructional print module on multicultural behaviour change (i.e., knowledge and ideology) in apprentices in the province of Manitoba. The review of literature reported the results of individual experimentation studies on the effectiveness of instructional media (technology) in relation to Information (Knowledge) and Attitude Change, and Persuasiveness with various ethnocultural subjects. / The Multicultural Ideology Scale, Instructional Materials Motivation Survey, Background Information Questionnaire, researcher-constructed Canadian Multiculturalism Knowledge Inventory and self-study module, underwent a one-to-one evaluation and a field-trial (test) run. The Kuder-Richardson 20 measure and Cronbach's Alpha defined the reliability of the instruments. Measurement and content review experts gave feedback and suggestions for revision before field testing. This phase of the study provided the necessary "pretest" data for (1) clarifying procedures, test directions and materials, and (2) estimating the effectiveness and usefulness of the final prototype. T-tests determined that the pre- to posttest gains were significant. / The main experimental research study followed a "Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design" with randomization. Descriptive and inferential statistics provided answers to the hypotheses posed. All data were analyzed at the.05 level of significance using the SAS System at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. / The findings of the study revealed: (1) no significant entry knowledge or attitudinal differences between majority and minority apprentices regarding Canadian multiculturalism or their acceptance of a multicultural ideology. (2) a large and significant posttest difference between the experimental group and the nontreatment control group regarding apprentices knowledge of multiculturalism after adjusting for initial baseline differences. (3) a moderate but nonsignificant posttest difference between the experimental group and the nontreatment control group regarding apprentices acceptance of a multicultural ideology after adjusting for initial baseline differences. (4) no significant posttest interaction effects between ancestry and type of group regarding knowledge of multiculturalism or acceptance of a multicultural ideology after adjusting for initial baseline differences. (5) no significant motivational module appeal difference between majority and minority apprentices. / The conclusion was drawn that the same or similarly designed instruction provides one avenue to fostering multicultural behaviour change in learners in trade apprenticeships. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-04, Section: A, page: 1228. / Major Professor: Hollie Thomas. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership of the School of Education, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-01, Section: A, page: 0041. Adviser: Ronald E. Barnes. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 24, 2008).