Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-143).

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 52 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-49).

The purpose of this research was to examine the possible associations between the perceived classroom environment of high school students, the level of mathematics anxiety that they possess, and their attitudes towards mathematics. This marks the first time that these three fields of research have been simultaneously combined. Data were gathered from 745 high school mathematics students in 34 classes in high schools in the Southern California area using three instruments: the What is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) learning environment survey created by Fraser, McRobbie, and Fisher (1996), an updated version of Plake and Parker's (1982) Revised Mathematics Anxiety Ratings Scale WRS), and a mathematics version of selected scales from Fraser's (1981) Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA). This revised attitude instrument was called the Test of Mathematics-Related Attitudes (TOMRA). Using statistical methods, the three instruments were checked for internal consistency reliability, factor structure, and discriminant validity. The RMARS and WIHIC were both found to exhibit good reliability and factorial validity in mathematics classrooms in Southern California, while the TOMRA yielded two scales of the four a priori scales, Enjoyment of Mathematics Lessons and Normality of Mathematicians, which met reliability and factorial validity standards. Within-class gender differences were analysed using paired t-tests combined with a modified Bonferroni procedure and effect sizes. Between- student gender difference were investigated using MANOVA. Simple correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify possible associations between the learning environment and anxiety/attitudes scales. Qualitative data were collected from interviews and inductive analysis was performed in order to refute or corroborate the quantitative findings. / Significant within-class gender differences were found in four areas of the learning environment (Student Cohesiveness, Task Orientation, Cooperation, and Equity), but no gender differences in attitudes were found. All four learning environment areas were perceived in a more favourable light by females than by males. Individual gender differences were similar, with a significant difference also being found in Teacher Support, as well as both types of mathematics anxiety, namely, Learning Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Evaluation Anxiety. In order to carefully identify the relationships between the classroom learning environment and mathematics anxiety, analyses were conducted for both factors of mathematics anxiety. While no association between the learning environment and Mathematics Evaluation Anxiety was found, there were significant associations between Learning Mathematics Anxiety and three areas of the learning environment: Student Cohesiveness, Task Orientation, and Investigation. Significant associations between the Normality of Mathematicians attitude scale and the learning environment scales Equity and Involvement were identified, while three areas of the learning environment (Investigation, Task Orientation, and Cooperation) had a significant relationship with Enjoyment of Mathematics Lessons. Qualitative data analyses confirmed relationships between anxiety, attitudes, and classroom learning environments. The data also suggest that the structure of the mathematical content is linked with the level of anxiety that high school students feel.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Barbara Mann, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on July 31, 2009) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-197). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-197). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of California, Santa Cruz, 1997. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-49).

Taking an action research approach, this study explores the experiences of three intakes of undergraduate students who worked in a cohort-based learning environment where team work and classroom participation was expected. This educational setting required students from diverse backgrounds to work closely together on campus during the intense one-year program. To facilitate in the development of a face-to-face learning community, where individual differences could be celebrated and problems could be solved in an open, trusting environment, an online bridging course was developed. Aimed at decreasing the incidence of minority group marginalization and reduce feelings of isolation, the bridging course provided activities directed towards encouraging students to begin to develop an inclusive learning community prior to their arrival on campus. Exploring how online transitional activities had contributed to the development of a face-to-face learning community, as well as perceived disadvantages to that model, key stakeholders' perceptions were obtained through focus groups, interviews, and surveys. Findings include: (a) an enhanced understanding of the ways in which an online course can be used to aid in the development of a learning community for oncampus students; (b) a heightened awareness of challenges faced by those working in a learning community; (c) a systematic approach to the development of learning communities. This research suggests that an online bridging course can be an effective way for on-campus students to start developing a learning community.

O presente trabalho foi realizado no município de Bananal, uma área endêmica da Esquistossomose mansônica em São Paulo, com persistente prevalência e expansão na transmissão da doença. A presença de endemia evidencia um distanciamento da tríade Educação-Saúde-Ambiente, que se faz perceber pela inabilidade das comunidades atingidas em lidar com as situações de risco de contaminação. Este estudo analisou a influência do conhecimento sobre a Esquistossomose mansônica, dos estudantes da escola formal do município, em relação à suscetibilidade a contaminação, agregando-a aos outros fatores determinantes da expansão na dinâmica de transmissão e persistente prevalência. Foi utilizado um protocolo de avaliação de desempenho, baseado nas três categorias de aprendizagem, Conhecimento, Compreensão e Aplicação, do Domínio Cognitivo da Taxonomia dos Objetivos Educacionais de Bloom (1956), aplicado ao corpo discente do Ensino Fundamental (4ª a 8ª séries) e do Ensino Médio. O desempenho foi analisado no grupo total de alunos e no grupo de alunos doentes, relacionando o grau de conhecimento aos padrões da atividade humana no seu meio social e no inter-relacionamento com o Ambiente. Foram evidenciadas claras dificuldades nas três categorias de aprendizagem, em especial, nas relacionadas à aplicação do conhecimento compreendido no cotidiano, passando a representar assim, um fator determinante importante na suscetibilidade à contaminação da doença, seja no plano individual como no coletivo. Este fato norteou como recomendação a proposta de um Projeto em Educação Ambiental, sugerido a permear na escola formal como instrumento de integração Educação-Saúde-Ambiente, de forma que possa vir a constituir em uma força aliada, tanto ao processo de ensinagem como ao Programa de Controle da Esquistossomose, na intenção de auxiliar a conquista de um modo de vida melhor e mais saudável. / The current work was carried out in the Bananal municipality, an endemic area for schistosomiasis mansoni in São Paulo State, with a persistent prevalence and expansion of the disease transmission. The presence of the endemy highlights the distance between Education-Health-Environment triad, shown by the inability of involved communities in dealing with the contamination risks. This study avaliated the influence of the knowledge on schistosomiasis mansoni by the students of the formal schools in Bananal, concerning on contamination susceptibility aggregated to other determinant factors of the expansion in the transmission dynamic and persistent prevalence. A performance evaluation register, based in the three learning categories - knowledge, understanding and application from the cognitive field of taxonomy of Bloom´s Educational Goals (1956, 2001), was applied on Elementary and Middle School students. The performance was assessed considering the totality of the students as a group vs. the sick students group, associating their knowledge degree with the standard human activities in their social surrounding and inter-relationship with the environment. It was observed a clear difficulty in all three learning categories, particularly in those related to application of everyday knowledge showing as a determinant factor in the contamination susceptibility of the disease, in both individual and collective levels. As a contribution to improve this situation is proposed a recommendation in the form of an Environmental Education Project that percolates the regular school as a tool for integration of the Education-Health-Environment triad, and be a powerful contribution for both teaching process and schistosomiasis control program, intending to help the construction of a better and healthier way of life.