The study is a quantitative analysis into the selection process of the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) programme at the Tshwane University Technology (TUT). The selection battery used at TUT to select the MBA applicants is comprised of the Situation Specific Evaluation Expert (SpEEx), the English Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA), and the 15 Factor Questionnaire (15FQ+). This test battery aims to obtain information on an applicant with regards to his/her cognitive potential (verbal and non-verbal ability), language proficiency, and personality. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the selection battery and the academic performance of those students selected into the MBA programme at TUT by examining the differences between the scores of the psychometric selection batteries and the academic performance of those students selected. Upon analyses and interpretation of the data it was determined that there were no statistically significant differences between the scores of the different components of the selection batteries used and the academic performance of those selected. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

International students in the United States enroll in private and public high schools with a goal to graduate and attend an American university. This goal is often difficult to achieve because these students are not acquiring the academic English necessary to be successful in a post-secondary setting. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate what language-learning strategies (LLS) a group of East Asian international students at a private American high school had self-regulated and what strategies their content area teachers had taught them to use to become proficient in academic English. The conceptual framework was Oxford's findings on LLS and self-regulation, which is a self-motivated method of learning that English language learners (ELL) use to become proficient in English through control of the learning environment. The research questions explored which LLS the East Asian international students had used themselves and what LLS the teachers used to help the students attain English proficiency. Data were collected from interviews with 8 East Asian international students who were 12th graders during 2016-2017, 18 years old, and scored 18+ on the English section of the ACT. There were also interviews with 6 core content area teachers. Data analysis involved coding and development of common themes. Findings revealed that East Asian international students self-regulated LLS, and content area teachers did not purposefully plan or use LLS instruction to increase English proficiency among the students. A policy paper project based on the findings included recommendations for professional development, global education, and renewal of the international program. This study promotes positive social change by developing teacher and students' understanding of how to help all ELLs succeed at the secondary and post-secondary levels.

This study was an investigation of the relationships among willingness to communicate, two motivational variables (intrinsic goal orientation and self-efficacy), three self-regulated learning strategies (metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies, effort regulation strategies and peer learning strategies), and measures of English speaking and listening proficiency. The study primarily drew on the concept of self-regulation derived from educational psychology. A sample of 279 English majors studying at a private university in eastern Japan participated in this study. Data from a Japanese version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and scores of an in-house proficiency test designed to measure speaking and listening skills were collected. Factor analysis and Rasch analysis were conducted to develop a reliable shortened Japanese version of the MSLQ. Multiple one-way ANOVAs indicated that students with higher speaking and listening abilities as measured by an in-house proficiency test, tended to use more metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies and effort regulation strategies compared with those with intermediate and lower speaking and listening proficiency. There were no statistically significant differences in peer learning strategies for speaking and peer learning strategies for listening. Finally, structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized speaking and listening models of the relationships among willingness to communicate, intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy, metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies, effort regulation strategies, peer learning strategies, and English speaking and listening proficiency. Modified models indicated that intrinsic goal orientation and self-efficacy influenced effort regulation strategies, which in turn predicted peer Learning strategies and metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies. It was also found that peer learning strategies influenced metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies. Finally, metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies as well as willingness to communicate predicted speaking skills, but listening skills were only predicted by metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies. Thus, the results illuminated the complex interrelationships among willingness to communicate, self-efficacy, intrinsic goal orientation, effort regulation strategies, and metacognitive during-task self-regulation strategies in predicting speaking and listening skills. Follow-up interviews with a focus group of students revealed that classroom teaching was mainly focused on speaking tasks that required proactive learning behaviors and effort and that listening tasks occupied only part of the class and that usually comprehension of main points served their purposes. The information helps explain why the speaking model had stronger interrelationships among willingness to communicate, motivational variables, self-regulation strategies, and the proficiency variable. / Educational Psychology

The United States public schools promote inclusion and educational equity among diverse student populations. Considerable and growing numbers of students with categorical disabilities and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are enrolled in regular classrooms. The systemic barriers in learning that they have could impact teacher perceptions and decisions about teaching practices as well as the teaching profession. These students have challenged K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers to provide high-quality, accommodative service and equitable educational opportunities in an increasingly STEM-infused society. Professional development associated with teaching students with disabilities and LEP is critical to inform in-service STEM teachers with these students' learning needs and promote student success. Effective preparation and support help maintain teacher satisfaction and retention within the teaching profession. However, the levels and perceptions of STEM teacher participation in such professional development, and whether the service load and professional development regarding the concerned groups of students associated with teacher satisfaction and retention remain unclear. This dissertation addresses these issues through two research studies using secondary analysis of the 2011-2012 School and Staffing Survey Teacher Questionnaire (SASS TQ) national dataset. The first study focused on K-12 STEM educator participation and perceived utility regarding their professional development experience concerning students with disabilities and LEP. Quantitative analysis revealed an overall lower level of participation and perceived utility of such professional development for STEM educators compared to all other educators. The second study examined teacher satisfaction and intent to remain in teaching, as well as their relationships to teacher service load and professional development specific to students with disabilities and LEP. Results indicated that K-12 STEM educators were less likely to feel satisfied or intent on remaining in teaching, compared to the remainder of the teaching population. Logistic regressions showed that service load of students with LEP predicted teacher satisfaction and participation in professional development concerning students with disabilities associated with teacher intent to remain in STEM education, especially for science educators. These findings collectively suggested the necessity and demands of sufficient and useful professional development offerings regarding the two concerned groups of students in inclusive STEM education settings. / Ph. D.

This study analyses the causes of error in the written english of black senior secondary pupils and teacher trainees. Using Error Analysis and Contrastive Analysis in a form known as Interference Analysis and covering a full range of grammatical, syntactical and lexical issues! erroneous items in English are compared with the same items in the learners' first language in order to isolate an identify such errors. Analysis of these errors shows which are due to direct interlingual transfer which are not completely attributable to direct transfer, and which are intralingual, the result of idiosyncratic language usage or merely mistakes rather than errors. While recognizing the degree to which Black learners' language habits have become fossilized and the extent to which standerdized errors form part of the English used by Bantu-speaking students, this study sets out to improve proficiency in English by explaining the the causes of error and by suggesting possible remedial approaches. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

The primary aim ·of this investigation was to determine the influence of English second language instruction and English proficiency on the performance of Zulu children at Indian schools. A study into first and second language acquisition was undertaken, including the theories of second language acquisition. The empirical investigation entailed the collection of data through questionnaires. The null hypotheses were then tested using the chi-square test. The research results show that the academic performance of Black children at Indian schools is influenced by English second language instruction and English proficiency.. It is also evident that early exposure to the English language has a tremendous influence on their performance. Black children transferred from a mother tongue medium school to an English medium school, during the junior primary phase, are found to be at a disadvantage compared to their English-speaking peers due to limited proficiency in the language of instruction. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The influx of Black pupils seeking admission to Indian schools began in 1990 after the Democratic Movement's "all schools for all people" campaign was announced. The medium of instruction in Indian schools is English which is also the mother tongue. Therefore Black pupils who come on transfer from schools in the KwaZulu township are immediately faced with a language problem as they are taught in the mother tongue untii standard three, when they switch to English. This research project arose as a result of the researcher's experience with Black pupils, whom he - felt were severely linguistically underprepared for academic study in the senior primary phase. Furthermore, most present day teachers were trained for monocultural schools and have little or no experience of multicultural education. The main problem that this research focuses on includes the learning problems encountered by Black pupils in Indian primary schools and the concomitant teaching problems their teachers experience. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

字彙學習是語文能力重要的一環，許多教學也都是以提升孩童單字量之目的設計的，其中，故事閱讀活動就被推崇為是能以提供豐富情境的方式來增進孩童語文能力的有效策略。本研究主旨在探討繪本共讀對EFL國小學童字彙學習的影響，主要的研究方向有：(1) 圖文標指與引導問答教學對學童運用繪本學習字彙的影響; (2)不同教學引導方式對學生字彙保留量的影響; (3)不同教學引導方式對不同程度學生所產生的影響。 受試者為五十四位台北縣五年級國小學童，其字彙測驗成績則為資料分析來源。本研究主要發現有下列幾點。第一，圖文標指和引導問答教學對國小學童運用繪本學習字彙皆有助益。第二，圖文標指和引導問答教學對學童字彙保留量都有正面的影響。第三，英語學習高成就學生在運用繪本學習字彙上收穫比低成就學生多，其中，圖文標指教學對高成就以及低成就學生皆有助益；此外，總括來說，引導問答教學對高成就學生的字彙學習幫助最大。 最後，本文提供了教學者以及日後研究者相關建議，並期盼研究結果能帶給台灣英語老師一些字彙教學上的參考。 / Vocabulary plays an important role in children’s emergent literacy. Many instructions were developed to build children’s word knowledge. Among them, storybook reading is promoted to be an effective strategy that enhances children’s literacy by providing rich contexts. The purpose of the present study aims to examine the effects of the techniques of labeling (L) and labeling plus questioning (L+Q) for vocabulary teaching with storybook reading in EFL elementary school. The study is mainly concerned with three aspects: (1) the effects of L and L+Q on student’s vocabulary learning during shared storybook reading; (2) student’s retention of learned vocabulary affected by the two techniques; (3) the influence of the two techniques on students with diverse English proficiency. Participants were 54 fifth-grade elementary school students in Taipei County, and the data analysis was based on their performance of the Picture Vocabulary Test (PVT). The findings of the study are as follows. First, L and L+Q techniques were both beneficial for student’s receptive vocabulary learning during shared storybook reading. Second, both L and L+Q techniques were effective in retaining student’s word knowledge. Third, overall performance of students with high English proficiency (HEP) in PVT improved more significantly than that of students with low English proficiency (LEP). Besides, L technique was helpful for HEP and LEP’s receptive vocabulary learning, but not for HEP’s word retention. Moreover, HEP were most influenced by L+Q technique in vocabulary learning during shared storybook reading. Based on the findings of the present study, pedagogical implications and suggestions for future study were provided at the end of the thesis.

This qualitative case study provided a narrative portrait of 12 students in the 11th grade in one north Texas district who failed the initial administration of the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) exit-level test. It also presented an account of their perceptions of the test and their efforts to overcome this educational hurdle. The following conclusions were drawn from the study. Limited English proficiency (LEP) students had difficulty mastering the language arts section of the test. A majority of the students reported that TEAMS failure had no social impact. Most of the students declined district-offered remediation. Students tended to perceive the test as a personal challenge. Those students who attended remedial tutoring sessions performed better on the following retest than those who declined remediation. Hispanic and Asian students expressed additional study as being the key to passing the test. Black students felt that the key to passing was to spend sufficient time while taking the test. Those students who were more verbal during their interviews tended to be more successul in passing the language arts section of the TEAMS. The following recommendations were made from the study: (a) students who fail the TEAMS by minimal margins should be encouraged to take remediation; (b) an intensive remedial English course for LEP students should be offered; (c) "high interest" TEAMS mini-lessons should be presented daily for several weeks as a lead-up to the TEAMS; (d) a TEAMS ex it-level orientation program which stresses the importance of the test for the student's future should be implemented; and (e) additional research should be conducted on older students' verbal responses to see if a rich language approach in English classes including listening, reading, writing, and speaking will develop higher level language skills.

Learners in South Africa underachieve in Mathematics. Amidst many other factors that influence the Mathematics scenario in South African schools, one major aspect of the Mathematics classroom culture is the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT). For many learners the LoLT, namely English, is not their main language. The question arises of whether Setswana learners with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are disadvantaged because the LoLT is English and if so, what could be done about it. The interaction between language and thought is discussed against the background of the learning theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and van Hiele, as well as the Network Theory of Learning. From this study the importance of language for conceptualisation becomes clear, especially that of the mother tongue. The circle is then narrowed down to take a look at the vital part that language plays in Mathematics and the problems that exist for the learner when negotiating meaning during the journey between natural language and the mathematical register. Focusing on the situation of the Setswana Mathematics learner with English as LoLT, the views of parents and teachers come under scrutiny as well as government policies regarding the LoLT. The techniques and strategies of teachers in the English Second Language Mathematics classrooms (ESL-classrooms) are investigated. In this regard code-switching is of importance and is discussed extensively. These theoretical investigations led to an empirical study. Firstly, a quantitative study was undertaken by means of a survey to investigate the language situation in schools where Setswana is the main language. Furthermore, the views of those teachers, who teach Setswana learners with English as LoLT, on how English as LoLT influences Setswana Mathematics learners' conceptualisation were investigated. A sample of 218 teachers in the North-West Province of South Africa was used in this survey. A complex language situation crystallises where no one-dimensional answer can be recommended. Code-switching has clearly made large inroads into the Mathematics classroom, but teachers' views on the expediency of using Setswana, especially for formal notes, terminology and tests, vary considerably. Secondly, a qualitative study was undertaken in two schools. The study investigated the possibility that notes in Setswana as well as in English, and the aid of an English/Setswana glossary of Mathematical terminology in daily tasks as well as in tests, would be of value to learners. It was clear from the sample that the new terminology is difficult for the teachers in question because they are used to the English terminology. Some learners also find the Setswana terminology difficult. However, the learners experience the use of the Setswana in the notes positively. It was clear from the interviews with the learners that by far the most of the learners in the sample felt that the Setswana/English notes as well as the glossary helped them to understand better. The learners oscillate between English and Setswana to understand the explanation given or the question asked. Most of the learners are of opinion that tests where questions are asked in both languages contribute to a better comprehension of what is asked. They also experience the glossary of English/Setswana terminology supplied in the test as an important aid. Recommendations comprise that the Setswana Mathematics register should be expanded and final examinations set in both Setswana and English. Furthermore, teachers should be educated to use new terminology effectively as a scaffold to ensure adequate conceptualisation, as well as to manage code-switching in a structured way. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.