Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 223-238).

In education today, there is a growing sense of urgency to build the capacity of educators, parents, and community members to work together to solve the complex issues facing schools. The central purpose of this study was to explore how one elementary school site council learned and adopted a set of tools to improve its patterns of communication and ability to work as a team. The communication and inquiry tools introduced to this site council were drawn from learning organization theory and organizations which are seeking to become learning organizations. A qualitative case study method was used in this research. The analysis focused on (a) how the communication and inquiry tools were used, (b) what results the communication and inquiry tools produced, and (c) the characteristics of the communication and inquiry tools. Findings indicate that the tools increased the site council members' individual and collective capacity to listen, engage, trust, and work effectively with each other. These aptitudes were developed through the use of the tools in six areas: (a) becoming aware of one's own thinking, (b) making one's thinking visible and transparent to others, (c) understanding the thinking of others, (d) seeing one's interactions from a systems perspective, (e) engaging in collaborative decision-making, and (1) capturing and documenting learning. These aptitudes and activities increased the members' awareness in three capacity building dimensions: awareness of self, awareness of others, and awareness of the system. The communication and inquiry tools exhibited the following operational characteristics: (a) they invite mindfulness and focus; (b) their potential comes from their application and the emerging skills of the users; (c) initial competence in their use can be gained from instruction, experimentation, ongoing practice, and reflection; (d) and they can be used to harness collective intelligence. The findings may have implications for schools and universities that seek to build the capacity for educators, parents, and community members to engage in systemic school reform initiatives. / Graduation date: 1999

The aims of physical education in Ghana include developing personal qualities such as competence in students and generating interest in physical education and sports (Ghana Education Service, [GES], 1987). The GES has also reiterated the need to have competent teachers in the implementation of the school physical education syllabus; therefore few primary schools in Ghana have physical education specialists (detached teachers). There is the need to assess the impact these specialist teachers have on students in relation to classroom teachers and the extent to which the aims of physical education are being achieved. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed between students taught by physical education specialists and those taught by classroom teachers in their perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence in sports. It was hypothesized that students who were taught by physical education specialists would be significantly different from those taught by non-specialist teachers in their perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence. A sample of 483 class six boys and girls from four regions in Ghana completed items measuring perceptions of competence, affect, and persistence in sports. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant main effects for category (p<.001) and gender (p<.05) in each of the four regions examined. Students taught by specialist teachers differed significantly from those taught by classroom teachers in their perceptions of affect and persistence in sports. Findings also showed that students in specialist teacher and non-specialist teacher categories did not differ significantly in their perceptions of competence. Furthermore, results indicated that the significant gender effect was minimal and not meaningful. Overall, the present study provided further evidence of the influence of physical education specialists on amount of enjoyment students derive from sports. Findings also suggest the need for Ghanaian physical education teachers to improve upon their modes of teaching in order to enhance their students' competence perceptions. Attempts should also be made to validate Harter's (1985) Self-Perception Profile for Children for use within the Ghanaian culture and to find those specific areas on which students base their competence judgments. / Graduation date: 1998

The purpose of this study was to investigate solution strategies that Thai second graders used to solve addition and subtraction word problems. Fifty-eight children participated in this study, 40 children took a written test, and 18 children participated in an interview. In addition, two classrooms were selected for observation, and six second-grade teachers completed a questionnaire regarding their understanding of mathematical problem solving. The results indicated that Thai children in this study were successful in solving addition and subtraction word problems. For addition word problems, the compare problem and the join problem were the easiest problems. The combine problem was moderately difficult. For subtraction word problems, the compare problem and the separate problem were easy while the combine problem was difficult. The join problem was the most difficult subtraction word problem. Since word problems used in this study contained mostly two-digit numbers, Thai children in this study used knowledge such as borrowing, carrying and regrouping to solve two-digit addition and subtraction word problems. Most Thai children in this study used counting strategies with fingers to solve both addition and subtraction word problems. Counting on strategies were most often used for addition word problems and counting up strategies were most often used for subtraction word problems. Counting all strategies were not used by Thai children in this study. Other strategies that were not based on counting strategies were also found. Those strategies were using tallies, using a known number fact, using an invented fingers model, and using a base-ten strategy. The strategies that Thai children used to solve word problems were not different from those used by children in United States and other countries such as Korea. Most children used three basic strategies to solve word problems: counting strategies; using a known number fact; and using a base-ten strategy. However, the base-ten strategy was not usually used by children in United States. The base-ten strategy was used by Thai children in this study and in Asia countries such as Korea. Moreover, the findings showed that Thai children in this study used mostly fingers to represent counting sequences while children in the United States used other physical objects such as cubes and counters. In observing Thai classroom instruction and having Thai teachers complete the questionnaire, the results suggested that Thai teachers in this study viewed problems as routine word problems and viewed problem solving as solving routine word problems. Teachers did not emphasize problem solving, reasoning, and thinking skills. As a result, children developed memorizing skills rather than thinking and reasoning skills. Children had never explored different types of word problems and non-routine problems, so when the children were faced with problems that differed from their school mathematics instruction, for the most part, children were unable to solve the problems. / Graduation date: 1999

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of trained hearing peer tutors on the physical activity levels of deaf students in integrated elementary physical education classes. This study utilized a single subject multiple baseline design across subjects. Eight deaf 4th and 5th grade students and eight hearing 4th and 5th grade peer tutors participated in the study. The students were observed during their physical education class and data were analyzed on physical activity levels and peer tutor behavior. The deaf students and peer tutors were first observed during a baseline period of 4-6 classes with no intervention. The peer tutors were trained toward the latter part of the baseline period. The peer tutor intervention lasted from 11-13 classes. During the intervention, the peer tutor and deaf student participated in pairs for the fitness portion of the class. The results of the intervention demonstrated that the implementation of trained hearing peer tutors improved the physical activity levels of both the deaf students and peer tutors. The training of the peer tutors consisted of signs pertaining to: instruction, physical fitness, and teaching techniques in the areas of: cueing, feedback and reinforcement. The cueing approach followed the system of least prompts and included verbal cueing, modeling, and physical assistance. Feedback consisted of positive general and positive specific reinforcement. Peer tutors were trained over four to five 30 minutes sessions. Pre-established criteria required the peer tutors to implement the teaching behaviors with the researcher a minimum of 4 out of 5 times, and receive a score of 90% or better on the peer tutor quiz. All peers were successful at meeting this criteria. Data were collected on the peer tutors tutoring behavior throughout the study by systematic observation. The results of the peer tutor data revealed that the tutors were able to implement the tutor training program. The results of this study demonstrate that elementary aged deaf students and their hearing peers can improve their physical activity levels upon intervention of trained hearing peer tutors. It was also shown that elementary aged peer tutors can be trained to provide assistance to deaf students in integrated physical education classes. Recommendations for future research are provided based on the results of the study. / Graduation date: 1996

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-171).

An experimental comparison was made of two mediations of spelling instruction with sight words: a traditional paper and pencil presentation and a computer-assisted presentation. Five students identified as learning disabled participated in the investigation over the course of five to six weeks in an elementary mainstreamed setting. The microcomputer presentation consisted of a commercially available spelling program incorporating visual and auditory error verification procedures. A counterbalanced ABAC/ACAB intrasubject replication design was used to evaluate the spelling performances (percent correct, correct spelling sequences, and rates of responses).Findings1. The results indicated that the microcomputer presentation of the spelling words did not effectively enhance achievement over that of paper and pencil.2. The use of error verification procedures with the microcomputer format did not result in more efficient learning. Rather, these subjects learned more quickly without the verification procedures. Informal observations further indicated that the students ignored the cues provided for verification.3. The intrasubject replication format of this investigation indicated that there were no order effects of the treatment conditions or of the error verification conditions.4. The students in this experiment required a longer session each day and took more time to respond when working on the microcomputer than with the paper and pencil presentation. These students, however, lacked typing skills which increased their response times on the microcomputer.5. Informal observations indicated that attention-to-task behavior was enhanced by the microcomputer. Although the subjects worked for a longer period of time in this mode, their attention was focused on the task.6. Because of the questionable instructional value of much of the software, the use of microcomputers in comparison with traditional and less costly modes of instruction should be carefully evaluated.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of state lotteries as sources funding for public elementary and secondary education. The population consisted of 39 executive directors from state school board associations and the District of Columbia.A questionnaire of 22 items addressing lottery adoption, operation, performance, revenue dedication and distribution, proponent expectations, and school board member expectations was utilized. The questionnaire focused upon seven basic research questions.Findings1. Legislators in twenty-two states formally approved state lotteries between 1971 and 1989.2. Thirteen (fifty-nine percent) of twenty-two state lotteries in operation were approved by state legislatures between 1985 and 1989.3. Proponents in fifteen (73 percent) of adopting states cited "benefits to special interest groups" as an adoption rationale.4. Legislatures in four states dedicated 100 percent of lottery revenues to public elementary and secondary education.5.Fiscally successful lotteries have effective marketing and good organization/structure.6. The fiscal success of lotteries was limited by a multitude of factors, none of which represented more than 27 percent of responses.7. Measurement of lottery revenues to education was difficult due to the methods of distribution, and sparse data.8. Four of six state lotteries have revenues dedicated to education distributed funds through equalization grants.9. Lottery revenues met or exceeded the expectations of 81 percent of proponents.10. Lottery revenues to education met the expectations of 22 percent of school board members.11. Proponents in states where a lottery had been considered but not adopted cited each of three rationales 65 percent of the time. The rationales were: 1) lottery participation is voluntary, unlike a tax, 2) lotteries raise state revenue without raising taxes, and 3) benefits to special interest groups.12.Opponents in states where the legislature had considered but not adopted a lottery cited the rationale "lotteries are morally wrong" 100 percent of the time.

The purpose of the study is to investigate 8th grade Turkish students&rsquo / perceptions towards civic concepts and issues like good citizenship, government responsibilities and women&rsquo / s political and social rights and to determine the factors affecting their intentions to participate in electoral, political and civic activities. In order to achieve this aim, a nation-wide survey was conducted with a sample of 2497 students from 60 schools in 21 provinces. The questionnaire developed by International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) on civic education was adapted and used as the data collection instrument. The data obtained from the sample were analyzed through both descriptive (mean, frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (ANOVA, Hierarchical Multiple Regression). The results revealed that students value both conventional and social movement citizenship activities to be a good citizen. However, although they plan to participate in electoral and civic activities, more than half of them do not plan to participate in political activities such as joining a party, being a candidate for a local office. Moreover, it was found that the variances in students&rsquo / intentions to participate in electoral, political and civic activities were explained by students&rsquo / background characteristics, their media consumption habits, their discussion practices and discussion environment in classrooms, curricular and extracurricular experiences and finally by their perceptions of good citizenship and participation in school. Findings were discussed around relevant literature both in Turkey and abroad.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Notre Dame, 2009. / Thesis directed by Sean Kelly for the Department of Sociology. "December 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-62).