<p> This dissertation presents findings from a qualitative case study of three English teachers representing varying levels of comfort with technology and years of teaching experience at St. Patrick Catholic High School. This research was motivated by two questions: (1) What are three literacy educators&rsquo; perceptions of a multimodal tablet initiative at a Catholic High School? (2) How is information regarding the use of iPad technology for literacy disseminated to three High School English teachers within a Catholic School system? Data was collected over a twelve-week period during the first academic year of implementation of a school-based multimodal tablet (iPad) initiative. Implementation during this time period was limited to students in their first and second year of high school. Under the direction of the initiative, teachers were tasked with utilizing the iPad as part of their daily instruction. Moreover, three Apps were highlighted for explicit use for uploading assignments and sharing content with students. Additionally, all textbooks utilized were in digital format. Data collected includes: artifacts, observations, interviews, and reflective field notes. Findings from this research indicate that all participants had positive perceptions of the tablet initiative and its promise for the future of the school and effect on student achievement. They felt, however, many areas that would support the effective implementation of the initiative were overlooked in lieu of the school remaining overly focused on maintaining its competitive edge against neighboring private schools. In essence, the school&rsquo;s leadership utilized the iPads like &ldquo;pixie dust&rdquo;- sprinkling them around campus and hoping for an increase in achievement and digital citizenship among students without providing appropriate support and guidance for the teaching staff. Furthermore, the teachers believed the device presented new difficulties within the classroom dynamic including struggles with classroom management, academic honesty, and networking. The path of dissemination for information was convoluted with leadership members often verbally presenting conflicting expectations and information. While promising, the initiative lacked clearly articulated expectations for how teachers should integrate the device in their classrooms. Information related to the initiative was most often disseminated verbally via faculty meetings, but also uploaded within the school&rsquo;s digital communication system. This digital drive was overly crowded with documents and lacked organization making locating information tedious and challenging. Given the pilot status of this implementation, the administrators did not present fully developed evaluative procedures or expectations for iPad integration creating uncertainty for teachers. These findings offer insight into the need for meaningful and individualized professional development opportunities for teachers that focus on deep interactions with multimodal capabilities prior to the onset of any initiative aiming to integrate iPad technology. Additionally, a clear path of dissemination in which expectations are written, explicit, and correlated with evaluative procedures would likely reduce confusion among teachers. Aligning the goals from all leadership members in an effort to create consistency among the information shared with staff is critical to implementing a technology initiative effectively. </p>

<p> Accountability measures, by way of standardized curriculum and assessments, have played a large part in the attempt to ensure that students from all backgrounds receive equal access to quality education. However, the inherent disadvantage of a standardized system is the implied assumption that all students come in with the same knowledge, learn at the same pace, and learn the same way. In the wake of an increasingly diverse K-12 population, educational researchers, learning theorists, and practitioners agree that the concept of the average student is, in fact, a myth. Students come to school with different needs, norms, interests, cultural behavior, knowledge, motivations, and skill sets. In order for education to properly address the issue of equity, the issue of learner variance must first be attended to. </p><p> In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education released its educational plan encouraging teachers to address student variance through more inclusive learning environments. The report highlighted Blended Learning (BL) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as promising practices in enabling, motivating, and inspiring all students to achieve regardless of background, language, or disability. Research suggests that the combination of these two approaches could lead to transformative teaching practices that dramatically impact student learning. However, the efficacy of such a model has yet to be tested. </p><p> This study tested the efficacy of a Blended Universal Design for Learning (BUDL) model in improving student outcomes. An experimental design was used to explore the impact of a two-week BUDL intervention in an accelerated 7^th grade math class. The effect on student achievement, engagement, and perception was measured. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Though results from the study were statistically insignificant, possible positive associations between a BUDL intervention and student achievement, engagement, and perception emerged. Considerations for clinical significance, suggestions for improvement on the BUDL model, and implications for future research are discussed.</p>

<p> In the summer of 2011, the Studied School District (pseudonym) initiated teacher-training on the Focused Adaptable Structure Teaching (FAST) framework, a Direct Instruction model. RISE Educational Services provided the training and additional coaching continuously until the Spring of 2014. During this period of over 2 years, the FAST framework was the standard practice for delivering instruction in the Studied School District. </p><p> The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was multi-faceted: (a) to gather recollections of implementation of the FAST framework from teachers who experienced it as a discontinued school reform measure, (b) to have these teachers describe their own practices and perceptions of their peers&rsquo; practices during implementation of the FAST framework in order to assess Fidelity of Implementation (FOI), (c) to have these teachers describe the framework&rsquo;s influence on their beliefs about teaching and learning, and (d) to have these teachers describe the framework&rsquo;s influence on their current instructional practices. </p><p> Data for this exploratory research study were collected via semi-structured interactive interviews. The 10 participants were generated from a pool of teachers who were employed in the Studied School District at the time of training and implementation who were able to provide recollections of the experience from a practitioner&rsquo;s perspective. The interviews consisted of four prepared interview questions combined with unplanned clarifying questions that allowed for deeper reflection and analysis from the participants. </p><p> After a review and analysis of the findings and conclusions, two recommendations were produced from the study. First, when implementing new instructional programs, school districts should provide extensive introductory training prior to assigning teachers the task of putting the program into practice. The second recommendation is for the supervisors of instruction to ensure the expectations of implementation are communicated clearly and consistently at the district level and school sites.</p>

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers‟ perception(s) of the relevance of performance indicators for school improvement and development in Namibia. The study employed a case study involving two school principals, two heads of department (HODs) and five teachers. Interviews were used to collect the data. The study found that almost all teachers acknowledge the importance of the PIs and believe that they succeed in improving the provision of quality education if they are properly implemented. The study also found that both school principals experience many challenges with the implementation of these PIs. The analysis was framed by interpretive theory as the study is exploratory. Performance indicators (PIs) have become the yardstick by which internal and external school evaluators can assess whole school performance. The focus of this case study was on Grade 10 school performance in the Katima Mulilo rural circuit and an urban secondary school in the Caprivi education region of Namibia. Grade 10 is one of the school levels in which low academic performance has been found to be common in the Caprivi region. The study included a literature review of studies on performance indicators in different parts of the world. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMING: No Afrikaans abstract available

This research is an exploration of constructions of ability, especially 'greater ability' within four Maintained and Independent case study schools in Scotland, from a variety of group perspectives. It seeks to illuminate the commonalties and differences between and within schools in individuals' implicit theories of ability and explores the possible implications of such constructs. An analysis of policy and political debate provided the starting point for this research. This led into the empirical work in four case study schools. Data were gathered from semi structured interviews with headteachers, principal teachers of English, Maths, Art and music, class teachers, parents and pupils. In addition, non-participant observation took place for each subject area and class. Multiple perspectives helped to create meaningful layers of perceptions of ability while also making it possible to analyse the complexity of values and beliefs within each class and school. The research found that there were distinctions to be made between schools in both sectors which reflected contrasting viewpoints, echoing 'communitarian concerns' and the 'culture of self interest' (Ball, 1997). However, the experiences, judgements and choices of individuals presented a more complex pattern in which contradictory beliefs could lead to experiences of dissonance in maintained schools and highlighted the importance of the negotiated ability constructs being brought to bear by individuals within institutions.

<p> With the recent attention being paid to student success and student equity, as well as outcomes for historically and currently disadvantaged students including those who begin at community colleges, this study examines the extent to which positive changes have been observed that are favorable to community college student success after transfer. Data from the 2005-2012 administrations of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) are examined to determine the extent to which out-of-class student faculty interaction &ndash; a known contributor to student success &ndash; has increased over time for community college transfer students at a subset of bachelor&rsquo;s-granting institutions. Corresponding data from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), as well as IPEDS data, are used to identify institutional conditions that positively impact institutional change over a period of at least three years in a measure of out-of-class student-faculty interaction with community college transfer students. The overall purpose of the current study is to explore what baccalaureate colleges and universities can do to enhance the outcomes of students who transfer from community colleges. Results confirm that overall positive changes in out-of-class student-faculty interaction for community college transfer students have occurred in the group of institutions examined. In addition, the number of institutions that report an increase of practical significance in out-of-class student-faculty interaction for community college transfer students is about double the number of institutions reporting a significant decrease. Selected additional findings show that the institutional proportion of full-time undergraduates, as well a measure of campus support, help lay the groundwork for positive future changes in out-of-class student-faculty interaction for community college transfer students. Future quantitative and qualitative research is recommended to further examine the practices and attributes of institutions where positive changes in community college transfer student-faculty interaction have been observed.</p>

<p> Institutions of higher education are replete with programs designed to position incoming undergraduate students to successfully persist toward a degree and to do and be well along the way. This longitudinal field study of incoming students&rsquo; transitional year focused on outcomes associated with two common types of program: bridge programs and living-learning programs. Bridge programs are intended to boost achievement and persistence of structurally disadvantaged (e.g., low-income) students to close the gap between them and their more advantaged peers, usually with some combination of financial and academic support. Living-learning programs are intended to generally promote achievement and persistence through the intentional formation of communities in which groups of students live together in wings of residence halls and engage in curricular and/or cocurricular activities together. Social-psychological interventions have been inspired by critiques that such programs inadequately support students who are at a structural disadvantage. Specifically, critiques have argued that financial and academic support are insufficient, that students also need psychological support. To strongly test that claim, I replicated one of these interventions within a bridge program and examined whether it affected students&rsquo; wellness and success at the end of their transitional year, over and above the bridge program itself. I also examined whether living-learning programs contributed to students&rsquo; wellness and success over and above living in conventional residence halls, and whether either of those two types of residential groups differed from students living off-campus. </p><p> Results from the intervention did not fit the theoretical framework on which it was based, the same framework contextualized in the bridge program, or an alternative framework on which other similar interventions are based. Results regarding residential groups suggest that living-learning communities did not augment wellness or success, at least at the particular institution under study. Rather, living on campus generally is associated with a greater sense of social-belonging, higher life satisfaction, more extracurricular activity, and taking advantage of campus resources. Practical advice and recommendations for administrators and researchers are outlined in the Discussion.</p>

<p> Recent studies suggest that using multiple measures can potentially reduce misplacement and improve student success in college (Bracco et al., 2014; Ngo, Kwon, Melguizo, Prather, &amp; Bos, 2013; Scott-Clayton, 2012). Minimal research, however, describes the multiple-measures placement in community colleges, at the institutional level. An embedded mixed-method (quantitatively dominant) study was employed to investigate the relationship between student success and a multiple-measures placement process implemented at a Northeast community college. Four research questions guided the study:</p><p> 1. To what extent do students enroll in courses recommended by the placement process?</p><p> 2. To what extent and in what manner can variation in first term academic success be explained by high school GPA and ACCUPLACER&reg; scores?</p><p> 3. Is there a relationship between students&rsquo; ACCUPLACER&reg; scores and first term academic success?</p><p> 4. How do academic advisors describe their perceptions and expectations of the placement process on student academic success?</p><p> The sample included students (N=1,073) enrolled in Mathematics courses and students (<i>N</i>=1,537) enrolled in English courses from Fall 2014 to Spring 2016. Analyses of ex post facto data included: descriptive statistics to describe placement and enrollment patterns, correlation analysis to examine relationship between academic success and high school GPA and ACCUPLACER&reg; scores, and ANOVA to compare academic success among student with different ACCUPLACER&reg; scores. For the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with (<i>N</i>=4) academic advisors to explore their perceptions and expectations of the placement process on student academic success.</p><p> Quantitative findings revealed that: 1) a high percentage of students enrolled in courses recommended by the placement process; 2) high school GPA had the highest predictive power for academic success; and 3) ACCUPLACER&reg; scores were predictive for academic success in courses with additional support. Qualitative results generated three themes regarding: 1) perceptions &ndash; the good, the bad, and the complicated; 2) expectations &ndash; encouraging and worrisome; and 3) needs &ndash; human and technological resources. Connected findings identified that resources were needed for continuous assessment and improvement of the placement process. Institutional administrators and policy makers leading multiple-measures efforts might utilize the study&rsquo;s findings and recommendations to implement and improve their own placement processes. </p><p>

D.Phil. / In South Africa, teachers have a particular legacy derived from the historical, social, political, cultural and economic past. Despite the power of education authorities, teachers have established strong traditions of overt and covert resistance. Education management is not entirely in control of what happens inside the classrooms and in the vanguard of policy implementation. Therefore, the study on teacher subjectivities was a crucial lever to unpack the mysteries inside the teachers‟ personal professional world. There is inadequate knowledge and understanding in the macro-education environment about teacher subjectivities in education management, policy development and implementation. In this regard, the study sought to answer questions about the role of subjectivities in policy implementation by establishing whether teachers understood the change processes at national, provincial and institutional level. It sought to trace the impact of teacher subjectivities on teaching, learning, curriculum and examinations; establish whether teachers described the new educational dispensation as neutral; whether teachers‟ perceptions of their role in policy implementation in general and curriculum and educational assessment policy in particular affected implementation; whether teachers‟ aligned themselves between educational discourses and teacher subjectivities when it came to the implementation of policy; and whether teachers were able to deal with the complexities of practice regarding the new curriculum and assessment policies. The study traced in literature the notion of subjectivity within the discourses of early thinkers and in particular through the lens of Michel Foucault‟s post-structuralism. Teacher subjectivities were tracked from whence they were moulded at home, social and cultural institutions, early and tertiary education as well as in the context of teachers‟ personal and professional life histories.

<p> Corporations seek Master of Business Administration (MBA) students who are ready to perform upon hiring. Business schools need to align instructional practices and technology with student, accreditation, and marketplace demands. Complex simulation use has increased exponentially to provide MBA students with business experience in the classroom. Methods to assess the effectiveness of complex simulations to achieve learning outcomes is limited to student perceptions of learning, satisfaction, and direct assessment separately. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto comparative study was to examine MBA students&rsquo; perception of learning to real performance in integrative courses with complex simulation. Archival MBA student Peregrine COMP&trade; pretest, posttest, and SIRII&trade; scores were analyzed using independent t-test, paired sample t-test, and Pearson <i>r</i> coefficient. MBA students perceived higher levels of learning in courses with complex simulation based on the statistically significant increase in SIRII&trade; scores over courses without simulation. Another key finding from the quantitative study was the statistically significant negative correlation of students&rsquo; perception of learning to actual performance. Positive student perceptions of learning could hide a complex simulation&rsquo;s inability to meet student learning outcomes, according to the statistically significant decrease between pretest, and posttest Peregrine COMP&trade; scores. Based on the quantitative correlation analysis of student perceptions of learning to actual performance, MBA administrators and faculty need to evaluate the use of instructional technology from multiple data points to avoid applications that offer minimal value to achieving learning outcomes. Future research opportunities could include a larger MBA population from multiple regions of the United States. Additional studies could investigate undergraduate perceptions of learning to actual performance to assess any benefit from complex simulations.</p>