The purpose of this exploratory study is primarily to identify and examine the processes and patterns that are employed by Secondary and Intermediate school teachers in the production of metaphors. The research objectives that were explicitly explored were: (1) the examination of the characteristics of the statements produced as metaphorical descriptions by Secondary and Intermediate school teachers. (2) the exploration of the differentiating characteristics of the statements that discriminate between the Secondary and Intermediate school teachers across gender and domain of specialization. (3) the identification of the cognitive processes that were employed in the production of metaphors by groups of Secondary and Intermediate school teachers differentiated by gender and specialization. (4) the identification of the distribution patterns of cognitive activity or global strategies that were observed for the groups of Secondary and Intermediate school teachers, differentiated by gender and domain of specialization. The development of a coding grid for idenfying the cognitive processes utilized by the participants help in the categorization of the data into 29 activities grouped into six episodes. A classification scheme to examine the nature of the descriptive statements made provides three types of statements (Structural, Functional and Evaluative), that are analyzed for five levels of complexity of mapping (ranging from Basic to Complex). The categorization of the cognitive processes utilizing the specific coding grid developed and the classification of the metaphorical statements are qualitatively analysed. This is followed by a quantitative analysis of the stimulus-topics and the targets which are further analyzed for patterns of observations across gender and specialization. While some differences in the categories of statements produced can be ascribed to gender and specialization differences, other variables that influenced the task performance were contextual. The format of presentation of stimulus-topics (visual-verbal) and the types of verbal stimuli presented: abstract and concrete forms of nouns and adjectives affected the types of "targets" used and also the types and categories of statements produced. The frequency and duration of episodes were extracted through 'process strips' to analyse the distributions of occurrences. "Participant profiles" that show the global strategies used by each participant are then obtained. These profiles can be used as a diagnostic tool in the classroom since it can help in the identification of the weaknesses and strengths in an individual's profile, particularly when the absence or limited use of certain cognitive activity is observed in the profile. Intervention measures can be planned to remedy and compensate for any limitations in processing activity observed in the profiles. Other implications of this study include the recognition of the important role played by personal experiences for producing figurative language. The need to include the students own experience in the classroom are stressed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Language allows us to narrate our stories. Creating ourselves as subjects is a function of language practices mobilized in complex and contradictory negotiations of the texts we engage, in the contexts in which they appear. This qualitative, interpretive study examines how seven, grade nine, female adolescent girls engage popular culture texts and practices to constitute themselves subjectively in vocational high school. The study shows that discursive representations of gender, desire, race and class critically inform and are informed by female adolescents' negotiation of their everyday lived experiences. In particular, it finds that female adolescents engage the discursive practice of anger to name their being and becoming.

In this study the research problem focused on adolescent vocational maturity and its antecedent dynamics. It was argued that vocational maturity, a construct used to assess degree of readiness for career bahavior, lacked a conceptual framework to compare individual dynamics. It was proposed that Erikson's theory of psychosocial identity development would serve to explain certain antecedent conditicns which facilitate or impede vocational maturity. The research hypothesis, that vocational maturity is a function of degree of identity resolution, was put forth. To study this problem, ninety-six senior high school boys from two Ottawa schools were interviewed and classified into identity status as a measure of identity resolution, and administered the Career Development Inventory as a measure of vocational maturity. Vocational maturity scores were compared across the four identity status groups using a univariate analysis of variance technique. The research hypothesis was supported. Post hoc procedures and multivariate analysis of the three subscales of the Career Development Inventory were applied. These results also supported the theoretical rationale. Vocational maturity mean scores were significantly different between the majority of pairs of identity status groups; only two non-predicted discrepancies were found. Subsequently, the subscales accounting for the discrepancies were identified. Recommendations were made regarding high school career guidance appropriate to differing degrees of identity resolution.

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[No abstract available] / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

[No abstract available] / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

Il suffit d'enseigner au niveau secondaire pour constater que certains eleves sont denues de motivation pour apprendre. Depuis quelques annees, de nombreux chercheurs associes a l'approche sociocognitive s'interessent de facon toute particuliere aux facteurs sociocognitifs qui influent sur la motivation de l'eleve. Ils en sont venus a la conclusion que certaines strategies d'apprentissage (cognitives et metacognitives) exercent une profonde influence sur la motivation. Une recension des etudes portant sur la relation entre strategies d'apprentissage et motivation scolaire nous amene a une constatation surprenante: les chercheurs traitent fort peu des strategies de motivation dans leurs travaux. Ils en parlent et en font l'analyse de maniere implicite, mais rares sont ceux qui les mentionnent explicitement. Pourtant, a notre avis, les straegies de motivation jouent un role primordial dans l'apprentissage des adolescents. La presente recherche vise a mettre en evidence les strategies de motivation des eleves de 11$\rm\sp{e}$ annee selon la triple perception des parents, des enseignants et des eleves. L'approche sociocognitive de la motivation edifiee par Bandura (1986) sert de cadre theorique. Il se degage de l'analyse plusieurs constatations, en particulier que la comprehension de la matiere est un element declencheur de la motivation. Les strategies de motivation liees au domaine de l'enseignement, sont, de l'avis de tous les participants, tributaires de la maniere dont l'enseignant aborde, evalue et organise la matiere. Dans la categorie des strategies de motivation liees au domaine de l'apprentissage, les eleves preconisent surtout des strategies de reproduction et de questionnement. C'est dans la categorie des strategies de motivation liees au domaine de l'environnement que la contribution de l'etude a ete le plus importante quant au nombre de nouvelles strategies. Le terme "environnement" designe le milieu physique, social et affectif de l'eleve. Dans tous les groupes, on a souligne que le comportement de l'adolescent en situation d'apprentissage variait selon son humeur, ses emotions et son niveau de stress. Tout comme les enseignants, les parents ont une influence sur la motivation de l'eeve, et plusieurs strategies de motivation seront efficaces s'il regne un climat de confiance entre l'adolescent et ses parents. La presente etude a egalement permis de contextualiser les strategies de motivation, c'est-a-dire d'etablir une classification des strategies de motivation en tenant compte de l'aspect affectif de l'apprentissage, notamment de la relation eleve-enseignant et de la relation eleve-parents. Cette precision apporte un element nouveau aux taxonomies precedentes et vient confirmer la pertinence d'une approche sociocognitive de la motivation. Les implications educationnelles de l'etude nous amenent a preconiser, d'une part, un apprentissage dans lequel les parents ont une place de choix et, d'autre part, un apprentissage ou la relation eleve-enseignant est positive puisqu'une bonne relation est une condition essentielle a l'utilisation de strategies de motivation par l'eleve. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 36-06, Section: A, page: 3551. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1975.