This is a grounded theory study of school as a social system in an atypical context. It was the aim of this study to develope context-specific theoretical propositions to understand how a school as a social system looks like in an atypical context, which is characterized by ethnic group, migrated groups of low socio-economic status and low-level education. A public school that shows these characteristics was chosen for the study. The school is mostly populated by students coming from Roman community and migrated families from northern and eastern part of Turkey. Data for the study came from different sources, including unstructured observations, one-to-one interviews with school principal and nine teachers, a focus group interview with nine parents and analysis of different types of documents. Data collection and analysis went hand in hand for the study. The study produced five theoretical propositions that were found to connect to a major process, which was called &ldquo / breaking vicious cycle&rdquo / by the researcher. These propositions generally suggest that there is a kind of vicious cycle in the functioning of a school in atypical contex that needs to be broken through making some collective changes in the daily life of school. For these changes to create a transformation in the school, it was suggested that the concept of education and the concept of school, as well as, teachers and principals&rsquo / role definitions should be redefined in the light of radical and critical educational views.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-114). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38777

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-111). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1980.

The purpose of this study is to explore the coaches' perceptions, motives and constructed identities by participating in a regional physical activity-based positive youth development program. There is growing evidence that suggests the success of positive youth development (PYD) programs depend on the environment that is created by caring adult mentors. These coaches are the delivery vehicles for these programs and play an essential role in the development of participating youth. As a result, the characteristics these coaches possess are critical to the success of the PYD implementation. Based on the application of anthropological methods and theory, this study seeks to create a profile of the coaches and propose strategies for recruitment and retention for a regional council of Girls on the Run. The main findings from this study indicate that the coaches' network is strong within this community and contributes the success of the program and its sustainability. These women are driven by altruistic factors to become involved in this program and most were previous volunteers in some capacity (n=12). However, there seems to be an even distribution along the self-determination continuum that motivates them to participate. Intrinsic motivation (n=5), intrinsic motivation driven by external factors (n=5), and extrinsic motivation (n=3). Additionally, these findings can be translated into recommendations for other councils.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of socioeconomic status and student perceptions of school effectiveness to academic achievement in engineering students. The variables representing the general factor of socioeconomic status were 1) father’s occupation, 2) father’s schooling, 3) mother’s schooling, 4) family income, and 5) family’s community population. The variables representing student perceptions of school effectiveness were: 1) help seeking factor, 2) professional preparation factor, 3) experience factor, 4) outside classroom activity factor, 5) personal encouragement factor, and 6) delivery factor. A question was developed for this specific study and was completed by 110 senior engineering students from the Durango Institute of Technology in Durango, Mexico. Data were analyzed by means of a truncated component regression. The results of the data analysis indicated that the compounded set of socioeconomic and school factors was significantly related to student achievement, although all factors together explained only 18 percent of the total variance in student achievement. Socioeconomic status by itself did not have a significant relationship with academic achievement of engineering students. Also, the results of the data analysis indicated that professional preparation and personal encouragement had the greatest degree of relationship with student achievement of the six school factors representing student perceptions of school effectiveness. The other school factors – help seeking, experience, outside classroom activity, and delivery – were not significantly associated with academic achievement.

This dissertation examines the nexus of complexity theory and peace education and its implications for developing educational praxis that engages with the demands of global complexity. In this thesis, I argue that as societies become more globalized and complex (global complexity) there is an onus upon education to adapt its methods so people can understand the workings of these processes better and further develop the ethical and creative resources needed for responding to system dynamics effectively. My central thesis is that the most appropriate way to do this is to use methods that are congruent with the subject matter of global complexity - that is to align one's pedagogy with one's subject area. This dissertation therefore investigates the situated and contingent responses of peace educators working in the field to the challenges and opportunities that arise when attempting to adapt to local/global dynamics. It utilizes ethnography, narrative inquiry, and autoethnography and draws its data from interviews with over 50 educators in India, Japan, and the US. This research demonstrates that when engaging with global complexity, peace educators adapt both their ontological understanding and methodological orientation in ways congruent at times with the insights of complexity theory. While this understanding can be at odds with mass educational methodologies, this tension also is a touchstone for peace educator's creative formulation of novel praxis in response to the demands of global complexity. This dissertation thus examines some of the possibilities for learning within complex knowledge production systems and highlights the need for further research into the dynamics and processes at play within global educational 'networks'.

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

The study aimed firstly to explore whether there were any differences in the quality of parent-child interactions in those children who scored high and those who scored low on the Pupil Behavior Rating Scale. Sixty-five pupils were randomly selected and rated on the Pupil Behavior Rating Scale concurrently by the teacher and the researcher. Ten of the highest performers and 10 lowest performers were then studied predominantly by the use of a questionnaire constructed by the researcher. However, the results of the study was hampered by the use of the questionnaire in that, unlike participant observation, it only showed differences in a limited number of areas. Much useful information, however, was obtained about the two groups of families, especially relating to socio-economic variables and attitudes to pre-schoo1 education. A second aim was to investigate the role of the social worker in promoting parental involvement in pre-schoo1 education. Here, the utilization of a needs assessment profile indicated that groupwork and social work intervention aimed at teachers were possible ways to promote parental involvement in pre-school education. An intervention programme was thus planned and executed by the researcher which confirmed that the social worker can be a useful resource in promoting home-school relations. Recommendations were made in regard to the role of the social worker, how the school system can be improved to promote parental involvement, and suggestions on future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

A large body of research literature connects the concept of community with schools and other educational organizations. This study: 1. Drew from that educational literature: (a) a typology of the different senses in which the term community is conceptualized; (b) guiding principles for building community. 2. Interviewed thirteen educators from Calgary (Alberta, Canada) Public Board of Education to ascertain: (a) how these educators conceptualize the concept of community; (b) their views on how the concept of community could be operationalized in schools. 3. Analyzed how (1) and (2) do and do not complement each other. 4. Drew conclusions and made recommendations for future study, policy and action which will allow the idea of community in schools to become more attainable. The concept of community, as applied to schools, identifies two types of realtionships: territorial and relational. However, an optimal sense of community will not be experienced until people within territorial stuctures begin to interact with and relate to one another. Such an enlarged notion of community would speak to the caring and trust that exists between people; individuals' faith in process; and a sense of ownership in, commitment to, and shared responsibility for, what occurs between people within lateral structures. Another element would be the valuing of all people; valuing their place in the community, their growth as learners, and the qualities they bring and contributions they make to the community. Finally,larger connections would be made which extend beyond the smaller territorial structures, into the larger school community and beyond into larger communities outside the school. This study may also serve as an heuristic springboard for future research in at least five major areas: 1. How value systems are developed by educators and educational leaders. 2. How educators and eduactional leaders come to value shared leadership and shared responsibility in lateral structures. 3. The potential for one type of community serving as a foundation for others. 4. How currently vague and abstract concepts of community may be expressed in language that is clear, precise and practical. 5. Longitudinal studies of educators and educational leaders addressing the assumptions of what learning communities and communities of leaders are and should be. / xi, 137 leaves ; 28 cm.