It was argued (with support from literature on observational classroom research and literary criticism) that understanding data collected during classroom observations--transcripts, fieldnotes, etc.--requires one to interpret the language of teachers, students, and researchers, and that such a process might be well guided by a method of textual criticism. / To test the strength of this argument, the researcher studied a set of data, consisting of transcribed audiotaped interviews (conducted with two college composition teachers, both before and after instruction) and of transcribed instruction of those same teachers. The purpose of this research was to devise and attempt a critical analysis of the data modelled on literary theory. / A critical work, J. Hillis Miller's The Linguistic Moment, was selected as the model for interpreting the data described above. This model guides readers' interpretations by alerting them to "linguistic moments" in literature, points at which readers' theories about literature are contradicted by what the page presents, and which are reconciled by the language that readers bring to bear during interpretation. / So that linguistic moments in teaching could be studied, the teachers' preliminary references to teaching, learning, students, and writing were recorded and categorized. Those categories, termed "operational theories" of instruction, were compared with the actual processes of the classroom. / When perceived as textual, the data from each class portrayed many voices and contexts. The teachers occasionally responded to this multiplicity in a way which disregarded the voices (the assumptions, goals, needs) of students, in favor of the voices of their own preliminary plans or assumptions. At other times, however, the classroom language was co-authored by students and teacher; educational goals and assumptions were regularly and mutually expressed, monitored, and revised. / Conclusions emphasize the role of multiple contexts in the planning, practicing, or studying of classroom instruction. They also reiterate the demonstrated textuality of teaching and the value of critical theory as an educational research tool. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-12, Section: A, page: 3835. / Major Professor: James Hoetker. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

The present study evaluated the instructional effectiveness of two methods for providing computer-assisted repeated reading training to reading disabled students. One repeated reading method, the Processing Power program (ICT, Inc., 1983), was designed to help disabled readers compensate for proposed dysfunctions in visual processes, while providing repeated reading practice (Fisher, 1979, 1980, 1981). Consequently, disabled readers in the processing power condition received repeated reading instruction that included isolated word practice to improve the efficiency of word decoding skills, widely spaced words to reduce the amount of competing textual information, and increasingly complex visual formats to reacquaint the reader with the left-to-right sequencing of text. The second method of repeated reading practice, the Reading Shell program (IDDEA Inc. and SIMPAC Educational products, Inc., 1986), provided disabled readers in the repetitive reading condition with standard text formats during all passage readings. / Forty seven reading disabled students, matched in groups of three based on intelligence, age, and word recognition ability were randomly assigned to either the processing power condition, repetitive reading condition, or no-treatment control group. Contrasts between the oral reading fluency rates of subjects in the two repeated reading programs indicates that disabled readers are able to process standard text without the visual interference hypothesized by Fisher's (1979, 1980, 1981) Complementary theory of reading. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-07, Section: A, page: 1746. / Major Professor: Joseph K. Torgesen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

The purpose of this study was to test the alternative hypothesis that subjects who use Aesthetically Illustrated Language Materials (AILM) will have significantly greater mean comprehension scores than subjects who use non-Aesthetically Illustrated Language Materials (non-AILM). / More specifically, five original stories (AILM and non-AILM) with 166 illustrations were developed and used as part of this experiment for the population of interest. A sample of 255 fourth grade students enrolled in the New York City public schools were part of this experiment. / The results of a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) supported the alternative hypothesis that there was a significant difference in subjects' mean comprehension scores when using the AILM materials as compared with the control group. / The treatment descriptive means, standard deviations, and the MANOVA Sum of Squares were shown to be highly significant (at p value =.00001) in all five AILM treatments. / Thus, it is concluded that the AILM method was significantly more effective as compared with the control group. / It therefore follows that since AILM helps the student achieve better reading comprehension, its future use would be a valuable contribution to the field of education. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-07, Section: A, page: 1693. / Major Professor: Ernest A. Frechette. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

This is a multiple case study of three students of English as a Second Language (ESL) who were exposed to computers. The study sought to explore the expectations of these first time users and the roles played by culture and motivation in regard to hardware and software preferences. / The subjects worked within two environments of quite differing degrees of interaction. The less interactive consisted of an Apple II microcomputer, the workhorse of education, running a well-known ESL drill and practice program. The more interactive environment consisted of games, simulations, graphics programs, and word processing on the Apple Macintosh microcomputer. These provided one set of parameters for the study. / Another was the subjects. None had worked with computers before, and all three were receiving ESL instruction. The articulation between the subjects' parent cultures and their present circumstances in the United States was a variable which, it was hypothesized, would affect the quality of their computer experiences in predictable ways. / Accordingly, interviews, observation, and the analysis of artifacts were used in order to discover data. Profiles of the subjects and their educational environments were gathered. Computer sessions were taped, clarified with interviews, and transcribed. Classifications of behavior and areas of interest and concern were identified. Finally, propositions were made in regard to the success or failure of humans and technology to interface. / In general, all subjects displayed a preference for the less interactive program on the Apple II. In addition, the quality of their experiences in both environments corresponded positively with their apparent motivations for language learning. As these, in turn, were at least partially products of their parent cultures, the study implies that their experiences and preferences might be generalized to others. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-08, Section: A, page: 2371. / Major Professor: Frederick L. Jenks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze difficulties experienced by Kuwaitis in the pronunciation of English vowel segments. The data were collected through tape-recorded interviews with 66 male Kuwaiti students in the College of Commerce of Kuwait University in 1988-1989. The researcher and an American professor of linguistics at the Florida State University analyzed the data by identifying segmental deviations from the pronunciation of the vowel segments acceptable to native speakers of English. They listened to the tapes and marked down the correct and incorrect pronunciation of the vowel segments as they occurred in the students' English speech. / Scores from the analysis were displayed in tables showing each vowel segment, total number of errors and correct pronunciation, and vowel segments ranked in order of difficulty according to percentages of errors related to the total number of occurrences. Also, a series of chi-square goodness of fit computations were conducted on the findings to determine whether the ratio of difficult to easy for each vowel segment was statistically significant. / The findings showed that the English vowel segments /e, ae, $\partial$, a, uw, u, ow, $\supset$/ constituted areas of serious pronunciation difficulty to the Kuwaiti students of ESL/EFL. In particular, with the English sounds /e/ as contrasted with /i/, and /ow/ as contrasted with /$\supset$/, the mispronunciation of the Kuwaitis would result in a change in meaning. These problems might be attributed to interference from the native language, improper instruction, and insufficient linguistics training of the English teachers. / Pedagogical implications and recommendations are offered to assist English language teachers in Kuwait to implement teaching techniques that lead to better acquisition of English vowel segment pronunciation by Kuwaitis. They are also offered to help teacher training program staffs and curriculum experts reduce future problems, and design instructional materials that would improve the teaching of pronunciation of English vowel sounds. Also, suggestions for further research relevant and complementary to this study are offered. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-02, Section: A, page: 0492. / Major Professor: Ernest A. Frechette. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to observe, identify, and describe literary experiences and activities provided for students during the elementary school years. This study sought to describe literary information presented to students, along with how and why teachers use children's literature in the overall elementary curriculum. / In order to fulfill these purposes the researcher became an observer within the context of one elementary school for a period of five months. During this time the researcher observed extensively in all grade levels and the school library media center. The researcher also utilized a variety of other qualitative research strategies, such as interviewing, examining instructional materials, and inspecting students' work related to literature. Triangulation involved follow-up interviews with teachers, school administrators, and district supervisors, examination of lesson plans, and repeated classroom and library media observations in order to confirm findings. Two broad perspectives were used to present the overall use of literature at one elementary school. The perspectives were: children's literature as a separate subject area and children's literature as an instructional tool. / Based on the qualitative data gathered the following conclusions were derived: (1) no consistent, well-coordinated curriculum in children's literature was currently in use, (2) no system for ensuring coverage of certain literary concepts across grade levels and for preventing excessive rereading of stories was provided, (3) an implicit curriculum in children's literature existed in which teachers drew upon personal craft knowledge and creativity to bring literature into their classrooms, and this curriculum varied greatly from teacher to teacher and grade to grade, (4) most students preferred having literature read aloud to them, rather than reading independently, (5) school library media specialist played a supplemental role to the implicit literature curriculum, but in this school the resident literature experts who served as resources to other teachers were two classroom teachers, (6) reading aloud to students was the most routinely implemented literature activity, with other literature activities typically occurring spasmodically, (7) there was no consistent pattern for purchasing literature for individual classrooms, (8) teachers typically used whole class grouping for reading instruction, rather than providing varied grouping patterns. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3525. / Major Professor: Carol Lynch-Brown. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, by following systematic instructional design procedures, component skills were identified and instructional materials were developed for a paper-based reading strategies training program (RSTP). The theoretical basis for instruction was a model describing the components of strategic reading. Ninety subjects were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions. The uninformed treatment group (UT) received only instruction on how to perform seven reading tactics. The informed treatment group (IT) was given, in addition, information about where, when, and when not to use these tactics. The informed plus metacognition group (ITM) was given the same instructional materials as the IT group plus a four step metastrategy that was expected to aid subjects' selection and ordering of tactics. Subjects were given a pretest and posttest on skills taught in the RSTP, and an attitude questionnaire. / Results of the training indicated the RSTP improved subjects' skills, although expected between-group differences were not found and skill acquisition was less than desirable for all groups. This result prompted additional training for a subset (N = 57) of the original sample, with the criterion for exclusion from retraining being absence from five or more of the original 13 training sessions. Approximately two weeks later, these subjects were individually tested with six reading tasks that required use of either low comprehension-intensive tactics (i.e., scanning or skimming) or high comprehension-intensive tactics (i.e., notetaking and summarization). As subjects performed the reading tasks, the experimenter rated their performance in terms of whether or not they applied the correct reading tactics within each task. / Subjects' reading strategy use changed in response to variations in type of reading tasks (either low or high comprehension-intensive) but not in accordance with hypothesized differences based on group inclusion. Tactic use was also significantly correlated with grade and reading achievement. The finding of no significant group differences failed to support previous research indicating the efficacy of training executive control processes for facilitating transfer. However, the instructional model used to develop the RSTP, as well as data collection procedures used to investigate reading strategy use, will be useful to other researchers. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.) / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-05, Section: A, page: 1104. / Major Professor: Sharon Derry. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

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.

The 1983 Educational Reform Act in Florida mandated the development of the Comprehensive Plan for Improving Mathematics, Science, and Computer Education in Florida. In the plan, eight overall goals provided a framework for improving mathematics, science, and computer education during the ten-year period from 1989 to 1999. Those goals were to strengthen the curriculum, to make learning mathematics and science more exciting, to use state-of-the-art instructional technology to enhance learning, to better prepare and enhance teachers, to encourage students from under-represented populations, to re-design student and program assessment models, and to promote productive partnerships with schools, businesses, industries, community members, and parents. / The purpose of this study was to provide a systematic profile of what has been done in schools, districts, and the State of Florida to reach the goals of the Comprehensive Plan and to determine key issues pertaining to implementation. A set of indicators of progress in mathematics and science education were constructed and provided a frame for data collection and analysis. / Findings of the study illuminate state, district, and local level happenings with respect to each of the eight goals of the Comprehensive Plan. It can be interpreted from the findings that the degree of implementation of this plan varied greatly both within and between the three levels studied. Topics such as coordination within and between levels, vision of how the plan could be implemented, commitment to implement the plan, and technical assistance provided an analytic frame for understanding implementation issues. Curriculum reform of the magnitude recommended did not occur to the degree expected in original implementation plans. Although some change was noted in state, district, and school practices over the first two years of implementation, there was little evidence to indicate change also occurred with respect to the underlying principles of the plan, which emphasized the importance of active student involvement in constructing mathematical and scientific knowledge. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-03, Section: A, page: 0700. / Major Professor: Kenneth Tobin. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the level of self-regulatory skills and the type of instructional control in a computer-based instruction. Subjects participating were 77 sixth-grade students. Their self-regulatory skills were measured by 33 items on cognitive strategy use, metacognitive strategy use, and self-management skills. Based on the level of their self-regulatory skills, subjects were randomly assigned to one of the four instructional treatments. Instructional materials were the computer-based concept lesson developed for teaching four defined concepts used in advertisements. The learner control group was given control over content choice, instructional sequence, review options, and review amount. The experimental design was randomized block three-way analysis of variance design. Independent variables were self-regulatory skills, instructional control, and embedded question, and the dependent variables were the number of correct items on the 20 posttest multiple-choice items and the amount of learning time taken to complete the lesson. / The results showed that the learner control group was more affected by the level of students' self-regulatory skills than the program control group. When high self-regulatory students were presented with embedded questions during learning, they used self-regulatory skills more effectively under learner control than when they were not presented with the embedded questions. However, no effects were found between students with low and high self-regulatory skills under program control. Students with high self-regulatory skills under learner control tended not only to learn more but also to take less time to complete the lesson than did those under program control. And it was found that students' level of self-regulatory skills was not an important variable in determining learning time required to complete a given lesson. The results of the study provided empirical evidence that students' self-regulatory skills play a critical role in effective exercise of learner-control strategy in computer-based instruction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-01, Section: A, page: 0129. / Major Professor: Robert M. Morgan. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.