<p> The Responsive Parenting Program curriculum combines recent developments in neuroscience, mindfulness, child development and positive parenting to provide vulnerable families with information, guidance and a group experience designed to support them in adopting a responsive approach to parenting. Parents who have experienced adverse conditions in childhood and continue to experience difficulty in getting their needs met as adults, often have adopted a survival approach to living. It is especially important to support these parents in making sense of their own experience so that they may build the capacity to better understand, nurture and protect their own children.</p><p> It is intended that all of the materials for this curriculum will exist in the public domain. In addition to the curriculum handbook, this includes links to recommended video segments, information sheets related to child growth and development, and suggestions for supportive practices to nurture healthy development and relationships.</p>

<p>This study focused on how physics teachers develop and implement activities that promote creative thinking strategies in the standards based physics classroom. A particular focus was placed on every day or little `c? creativity, which can be taught in the high school classroom. The study utilized a multiple case study design, which allows for in-depth study in a variety of settings. Four participants from various high schools were identified utilizing administrator recommendations. Data were then collected via interviews, observations, and documents. The data were coded and analyzed for emerging themes. The themes were then merged to determine findings to the stated research questions. The research demonstrated the importance of modifying activities for student interest and understanding through effective use of scientific inquiry. The past experiences and professional development of the participants served as a vital piece to the development of their educational pedagogy especially concerning inquiry and questioning strategies. It was also established that an unstructured, positive classroom environment is a vital aspect of teaching while supporting creative thinking skills.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether student motivation increased through participation in a technological enterprise that involved a decision making process. In addition, student empowerment was explored. The setting of the study was a fifth grade class of twenty-four students in an urban school in the southwest. Throughout the school there was a video and data distribution network. Data collection consisted of student sign-up, teacher observation, student surveys, teacher journal, and a case study. The sign-up sheet and student surveys were analyzed to yield a frequency count. The case study and journal were reported as a narrative of student response and teacher-researcher observation. In this study, students with motivational difficulty that led to academic problems seemed to be positively affected by the factors of choice and challenge in the enterprise. Students with social difficulties or a combination of academic and social difficulties were less likely to continue work on the enterprise. There was a difference in the effect of the enterprise on female and male students.

<p> Implementation of the common core state standards began in 2010 for public school districts across the United States, and research about the impact of these standards on teaching and learning in smaller rural schools is limited. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe how K-12 English language arts teachers in rural remote schools integrated the common core state standards into curriculum, as defined by Aoki&rsquo;s theory about planned and lived curriculums, which formed the conceptual framework for this research. Participants included 8 K-12 English language arts teachers from 2 rural remote public school districts located in a western state. Research questions addressed curricular and instructional alignment, and data were collected from individual teacher interviews and reflective journals, observations of instructional lessons, and curriculum documents. Data were coded and categorized to determine themes and discrepant data (Charmaz, Merriam, and Miles, Huberman, and Salda&ntilde;a). A content analysis was used for documents. Results indicate that teachers aligned curriculum with common core state standards by using previously adopted textbooks, developing alignment documents to address standards, creating unit and lesson materials independently, and participating in limited collaborative planning with colleagues. Recommendations include continued investigation into rural teachers&rsquo; professional development needs, collaborative planning practices, and use of curriculum materials within and across grade levels. This study contributes to positive social change because improved rural education impacts rural remote students, communities, and educators, who play a valuable role in developing a national curriculum.</p>

<p> In recent years, there has been increased attention on teacher quality and on teacher candidate development (Cochran-Smith &amp; Zeichner, 2005; Schuster, 2012). Demands on teachers are growing (Darling-Hammond &amp; Bransford, 2005) with an expanding diversity and needs of students (Villegas &amp; Lucas, 2002; Walsh, 2012). Now, more than ever, it is important to understand how candidates are prepared for the teaching profession (Ladson-Billings, 2001). This study examined one vital aspect of teacher education: the role of teacher educators in preparing candidates to partner with families. In spite of substantial evidence of a positive correlation to students&rsquo; academic success with increased partnerships between the home and school (Dearing, Kreider, Simpkins, &amp; Weiss, 2006; Epstein &amp; Sheldon, 2002; Henderson &amp; Mapp, 2002; Hoover-Dempsey, Battiato, Walker, Reed, DeJong, &amp; Jones, 2001; Jeynes, 2007), teacher candidates still lack the necessary skills to work with families (Caspe, Lopez, Chu, &amp; Weiss, 2011). This study used critical pedagogy as a theoretical framework to investigate how teacher educators applied family-school partnership (FSP) modules into their courses. Through a qualitative phenomenological research design, interview and survey data were collected and analyzed on 11 teacher educators and 200 candidates over a two-year period of time. The constant comparative method (Merriam, 2009) was conducted to analyze multiple interviews of the teacher educators, which was triangulated (Stake, 2004) with surveys of teacher candidates. Findings indicated that (a) teacher educators&rsquo; FSP beliefs were positively influenced by piloting of FSP modules, (b) teacher educators&rsquo; locus of control affected their ability to apply FSP content into their courses, and (c) teacher candidates&rsquo; one-sided views of family-school relationships could be changed to one of &ldquo;partnerships.&rdquo; The implications of this research affirm the need to support teacher educators in preparing their candidates to work with families.</p>

The study reviewed the importance of English language in Nigeria. As the country's official language, the language of formal education, of politics, of commerce, and of inter-ethnic and international communication, English has become a language required for full participation in Nigerian affairs. This is the reason for the investigator's concern about students' poor performance in English every year on the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE). / Several possible causes were examined, but the paucity of qualified teachers of English and absence of good English language textbooks were considered to be the most threatening. Since teacher training normally requires a long time to accomplish, it was resolved that textbooks should provide the immediate remedy by presenting instructional materials in such quantity and of such quality as will ensure students' general competence in English language and success in the WASCE. / Consequently, there were two parts to the study. The first part examined the types and amount of composition tasks set in each of the three coursebooks which subdivide into fifteen textbooks. The composition tasks in the fifteen textbooks and WASCE English composition papers from 1969-1979 were compiled by the investigator and handed out to a panel of three independent raters. The raters categorized each composition task according to the working definitions provided by the investigator. Frequency counts were later computed and expressed as percentages for the purpose of comparison. / It was found that students were more frequently expected to write in the transactional-report category than in any of the six other categories used in the study. The textbooks' failure to include a fair proportion of composition tasks for each category was regarded as a fault since composition tasks were set in all the categories in the WASCE at one time or another. / The second part of the study assessed the quality of instruction in each coursebook and the accompanying Teachers' Notes. Two of the three coursebooks were found to be average while the third was rated inferior. It was concluded that a coursebook would be satisfactory in the Nigerian situation examined in the study only if it provided superior quality instruction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-09, Section: A, page: 3852. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The segment of the United States population categorized as Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is characterized by a high unemployment rate and a large number of secondary school dropouts. The United States Congress has provided funding for special programs including the 1976 Vocational Education Amendments (VEA) to the 1963 Vocational Education Act which earmarked funds for the LEP population in the form of Bilingual Vocational programs. This amendment also mandated the evaluation of all funded areas. / The survey conducted during this study identified the lack of state models for the evaluation of Bilingual Vocational Education Programs (BVPs). The state of Florida, in order to comply with the 1976 VEA, authorized the development of the Bilingual Vocational Instructional Program Review (BVEIPR). / This study addressed: (a) the identification of the standards and criteria necessary for quality BVPs and (b) the development of the BVIPRC. / The rationale for this study was developed from the theory that evaluation is a process that can lead to development, improvement, and rational decision making for educational programs. / Data were obtained in three phases from personnel involved in the instruction of LEP students in the state of Florida. A result of this study was the development of the BVIRPC. This component included the standards and criteria needed for quality BVPs as well as those required for vocational education, as identified for the state of Florida. / The Florida Bureau of Vocational Research, Dissemination and Evaluation staff provided the funding that developed this first state model that has incorporated the special needs of the LEP students enrolled in vocational programs. This model provides the standards and criteria, which, when met, will provide quality BVPs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: A, page: 4278. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cognitive questioning preference levels of both teachers and students and student achievement in critical thinking. Based on the scores of the Cognitive Questioning Preference Inventory for Teachers (CQPIT), one teacher who preferred lower-level cognitive questions and one teacher who preferred higher-level cognitive questions were identified. These two teachers' students, in grades five and six, were classified into a higher-level cognitive questioning preference group (n = 30) and a lower-level cognitive questioning preference group (n = 53) based on scores on the Cognitive Questioning Preference Inventory for Students (CQPIS). A critical thinking test, Test of Inquiry Social Studies, was administered to the subjects near the end of the school year. To test the research hypotheses, the resulting scores were analyzed using the Chi-square test. The result of the statistical analysis revealed that students' and teachers' cognitive questioning preference levels were not related to the variable of students' achievement in critical thinking ability. However, a match of cognitive questioning preference between teachers and students was significantly related to the students' achievement levels in critical thinking. The relationship was particularly strong in the match of cognitive questioning preference between the higher-level cognitive questioning preferenced teacher and the higher-level cognitive questioning preferenced students. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, Section: A, page: 0656. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

This study attempted to answer seven questions regarding how department heads in selected Florida high schools (9-12) approach the teaching of composition. The questions dealt with: (1) objectives of writing, (2) concepts of writing, (3) types of textbooks used, (4) supplementary materials used, (5) writing programs available, (6) successful writing programs, and (7) unsuccessful writing programs. The investigator was interested in determining if such characteristics as state expenditure in the school district, degrees held, and years of experience affect the way department heads teach composition. / In order to acquire the necessary data, the investigator used two questionnaires which were sent to 71 department heads in 71 high schools located in 19 counties selected by the stratified method. When the questionnaires were returned, they were analyzed according to mean, median, or percentages. / Findings. The investigator was able to detect a trend in the responses from the more experienced department heads who tended to be more divergent and more successful in their efforts to teach writing. Other findings include: (1) Clear communication was top priority for teaching writing; (2) The majority of the department heads reported extensive use of Warriner's English Grammar and Composition; (3) Audio-visuals were used widely; (4) Although writing was widely reported as an integrated part of the total language arts programs, several schools in the surveys cited specific writing programs such as creative writing, journalism, writing laboratory, composition, and college preparatory. Successful Writing methods. (5) Use of students' personal experiences; (6) Careful teacher evaluation; (7) Frequency of writing; (8) Pre-writing; Unsuccessful Writing Methods. (9) The holistic approach; (10) Increasing syntactic growth; (11) Teaching grammar. / Conclusions. Based on available data, state expenditure did not play a significant role regarding how writing is taught. Department heads with masters' degrees and more than 10 years' experience tended to be more divergent in their approaches to teaching writing than did the less experienced ones. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0357. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

This study examined the effects of instructional treatment on reducing intersentence interference in connected discourse. Intersentence interference occurs when the learner is confronted with similar stimuli that are associated with different responses. Two levels of instructional treatment (post adjunct questions and rote repetition) and two levels of syntax (active voice and passive voice) were hypothesized to have differential effects on the reduction of learning interference. / The 101 third and fourth grade students were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. The students read pairs of target and variation sentences. Two groups were assigned pairs of sentences which were all in the active voice. The other two groups were given the same target sentences in the active voice and the variation sentences in the passive voice. These comprised the constructional treatments. For the instructional treatments, two groups were instructed to use a rote repetition practice strategy, and two groups were given a post adjunct question practice strategy. Thus, each of the four groups received one constructional treatment and one instructional treatment. All students were administered the same multiple-choice word recognition test which probed for the object of the target sentences. / Using a 2 x 2 factorial analysis of covariance to compare student posttest scores, it was found that there were no significant differences between the four treatment groups, and there was no interaction effect. Analysis of student errors showed that students who erred were likely to choose previously encountered items from the variation sentences rather than unencountered items. These results support previous research on frequency theory. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0357. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.