The purposes of this study were to explain the development and validation of a new instrument for assessing elementary students&rsquo / views of the Nature of Science (NOS) and to investigate student and school level factors that help to explain the difference in NOS views. The sample included 3,062 elementary students elementary schools located in &Ccedil / ankaya. Different from these students, 782 elementary students were the sample for the first focus of this study. The Nature of Science Instrument, Learning Approach Questionnaire and Achievement Motivation Questionnaire were administered to the students. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was selected as a modeling technique because of the nested structure of the data sets. This study provides an instrument for measuring elementary student views of the NOS regarding four dimensions. In this study, students had different views regarding each dimensions, therefore, many variables have been shown to relate to different dimensions of NOS. This study has established the importance of student socio-economic background with varying learning approaches, self-efficacy, and motivational goals in forming their NOS views. Findings revealed that quality of the physical infrastructure of schools and quality of educational resources in school, parent educational levels, student achievement, self efficacy, experience with meaningful learning, and learning goal orientation are positively related to student NOS views in many different dimensions. Additionally, performance goal orientation and rote learning approaches have negative relationship with different dimensions of student NOS views.

This study investigates the students&rsquo / characteristics and school characteristics and their influences on scientific literacy skills of 15-year-old students across Turkey, Canada, and Sweden, through the use of data from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development&rsquo / s (OECD&rsquo / s) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006. The purpose of this study is to gain a more complete understanding of the effect of human and physical resource allocations and their interaction on students&rsquo / scientific literacy skills using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) techniques. By PISA 2006 results, in terms of scientific literacy, Canada is a high performing country whereas Turkey is far below the average and Sweden has a rank in the average. For modeling scientific literacy, student-level characteristics determined by student questionnaire, and school-level characteristics determined by school questionnaire were used. Results of the present study indicated that there were significant between-school differences in scientific literacy skills of students for all three countries. Turkey had the highest between-school variance and it was more than half of the total variance whereas in Canada and Sweden they were far lower. School type and size were common school factors affecting students&rsquo / scientific literacy skills in Canada and Sweden / however, in Turkey school admittance policies, educational resources, science promotional activities, and teacher qualities were school characteristics which have impact on scientific literacy. Enjoyment of learning science, self-efficacy in science, general value given to science, awareness of environmental issues, responsibility for sustainable development, and confidence in use of information technologies were common student factors affecting development of scientific literacy skills in the three countries. Finally, in all three countries cross-level interactions of student and school characteristics for developing scientific literacy skills were observed.

In recent decades, the landscape of the U.S. classroom has been drastically changing. Schools at every level are enrolling increasingly higher numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse learners, many in the process of learning English. These students, frequently called English language learners (ELLs), present new and unique challenges to educators. Many of these challenges concern language and the many ways it affects the educational experience. One concern of great interest involves better understanding the ways language and academic content interact. Language is a pivotal component of the learning experience, and likely to affect students’ perceptions of the classroom environment and themselves, as well as interactions with teachers and peers. This concern remains critical to consider in secondary mathematics, where language demands are high, but teachers may not be trained to attend to both language and content in the mainstream classroom. The present research used data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 to investigate the secondary mathematics experiences of ELL and non-ELL students in two studies conducted at distinct levels: student and teacher. At the student-level, hierarchical linear modeling was used to compare the effects of several student variables on both access to and achievement in mathematics, as well as how these effects differed between ELL and non-ELL students. Findings indicated that both mathematics self-efficacy and interest in early coursework were positively related to access to and achievement in mathematics, and these relationships were significantly stronger for ELL students. Conversely, positive perceptions of the learning environment and classroom engagement were often related to gains in outcomes for non-ELL students, but decreases for ELL students. This study highlighted several key factors of the secondary mathematics experience that behaved differently for ELL and non-ELL students. Implications of these findings are further discussed in Chapter 2. At the teacher-level, hierarchical linear modeling was used to compare the effects of teacher experience, classroom practices, and perceptions of departmental support on the access to and achievement in mathematics of their students, and how these effects differed between ELL and non-ELL students. Findings indicated that more conceptually-oriented teaching practices were beneficial to both students, with greater gains long-term for both ELL and non-ELL students. Procedurally-oriented teaching was beneficial to ELL students in nearly all cases, but detrimental to non-ELL students’ mathematics outcomes. The effects of perceptions of departmental support varied, with mixed effects for some (e.g. principal support) and detrimental effects for others (e.g. sense of responsibility). Implications of these findings are further discussed in Chapter 3. Finally, Chapter 4 discusses overarching themes across studies at both levels, summarizing the results with regards to student variables, teacher variables, and student-teacher-school relationships. Implications for administrators, teachers, and teacher educators are discussed.

No description available.

No description available.

This study compared 3 approaches for handling a fourth level of nesting structure when analyzing data from a cluster-randomized trial (CRT). CRTs can include 3 levels of nesting: repeated measures, individual, and cluster levels. However, above the cluster level, there may sometimes be an additional potentially important fourth level of nesting (e.g., schools, districts, etc., depending on the design) that is typically ignored in CRT data analysis. The current study examined the impact of ignoring this fourth level, accounting for it using a model-based approach, and accounting it using a design-based approach on parameter and standard error (SE) estimates. Several fixed effect and random effect variance parameters and SEs were biased across all 3 models. In the 4-level model, most SE biases decreased as the number of level 3 clusters increased and as the number of level 4 clusters decreased. Also, random effect variance biases decreased as the number of level 3 clusters increased. In the 3-level and complex models, SEs became more biased as the weight level 4 carried increased (i.e., larger intraclass correlation, more clusters at that level). The current results suggest that if a meaningful fourth level of nesting exists, future researchers should account for it using design-based approach; the model-based approach is not recommended. If the fourth level is not practically important, researchers may ignore it altogether.

本研究以TIMSS 2003台灣數學科資料為資料來源，使用階層線性模式為統計分析方式，探討國小四年級及國中二年級，學生數學家庭作業完成時間與教師指派數學家庭作業頻率，對於學生數學學習成就的影響。研究結果顯示：在國小四年級，學生數學家庭作業完成時間與學生數學學習成就為負相關；教師指派數學家庭作業頻率與學生數學學習成就之間為正相關，但並不顯著。在國中二年級，學生數學家庭作業完成時間與教師指派數學家庭作業頻率，對學生數學學習成就皆有正向的影響。在國小四年級中，學生數學家庭作業完成時間與教師指派數學家庭作業頻率的交互作用，對學生數學學習成就為負相關，但不顯著。在國中二年級中，學生數學家庭作業完成時間與教師指派數學家庭作業頻率的交互作用，對學生數學學習成就為正相關，但不顯著。 / The research was to explore the effects of mathematics homework time and mathematics homework frequency on mathematics achievement in the fourth and eighth grades, using TIMSS 2003 Taiwan mathematics data as the resources and Hierarchical Linear Modeling as the statistical analysis method. The results showed that in the fourth grades, mathematics homework time had a negative relationship with mathematics achievement while mathematics homework frequency had a positive, but non-significant, relationship with mathematics achievement. In the eighth grades, both mathematics homework time and mathematics homework frequency had positive effects on mathematics achievement. In the fourth grades, the interaction between mathematics homework time and mathematics homework frequency had negative, but non-significant, effects on mathematics achievement while in the eighth grades, the interaction between mathematics homework time and mathematics homework frequency had positive, but non-significant, effects on mathematics achievement.

The changing landscape of demographics, technology, and diversity in the learning environment is challenging schools around the world to rethink their approaches to the implementation of high-quality teaching practices. Classroom practices are becoming more complex because educators have to ensure that their students are well-equipped with 21st century skills (e.g., Darling-Hammond, 2010; Dede, 2010; Griffin, McGaw, & Care, 2012). Educators, curriculum developers, and school administrators need to be more than experts in pedagogy. They are now required to keep up with current ideas, innovative instructional practices, and the results of a variety of educational reform efforts. Believing that teachers’ beliefs are the most important psychological construct with regard to instructional practices (Pajares, 1992) and that teachers’ beliefs are related to their choice of classroom practices and, ultimately, the students’ performance (Bybee, Taylor, Gardner, Van Scotter, Powell, Westbrook, & Landes, 2006; Staub & Stern, 2002), the author of this study utilizes the international data set of the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS) 2013 to examine the associations between teachers’ constructivist beliefs, their self-efficacy beliefs, professional activities, and the school principals’ instructional leadership as related to lower secondary school teachers and principals in South Korea, Finland, and Mexico. These three countries represent the high and low performers in the global index of cognitive skills and educational attainment (Pearson, 2014). An account of their educational practices will provide some insights for stakeholders in school systems across nations. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that each country has unique teaching and learning conditions, and that conclusions reached in relation to such conditions do not apply across nations. A series of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) studies were performed for the present work to provide evidence-based information with practical implications to school administrators and educational policymakers regarding the development and implementation of leadership programs and teacher professional development. Additionally, an understanding of how the constructivist beliefs associate with the level of self-efficacy and professional activities will assist curriculum developers in higher educational institutions in the development of quality teacher preparation programs for the future teaching workforce.

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-04-24T15:27:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Renato Przyczynski.pdf: 2517179 bytes, checksum: e844b080b56ae169db7db8ac58436525 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-24T15:27:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renato Przyczynski.pdf: 2517179 bytes, checksum: e844b080b56ae169db7db8ac58436525 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-10 / Nenhuma / A produção de serviços depende de uma capacidade coprodutiva que considera a interferência dos clientes usuários na prestação, no consumo e no desempenho dos serviços. Investigações empíricas com o objetivo de mensurar as capacidades de coprodução não encontram-se bem desenvolvidos na literatura de gestão de operações de serviços. O objetivo principal desta tese é investigar empiricamente as Capacidades Organizacionais (CORS) e as Capacidades Operacionais (COPS) para a coprodução de serviços de telecomunicações em um contexto B2B, considerando as dimensões antecedentes e os efeitos no desempenho dos serviços. O instrumento inicial com 77 indicadores foi submetido aos procedimentos de item-sorting, validade de conteúdo e validade de construto. Análises adicionais foram realizadas por especialistas em TI e o instrumento foi submetido a teste piloto com gerentes de TI de 37 agências do Banco do Brasil S.A. O coeficiente alpha de Cronbach foi adotado como medida de confiabilidade. Os procedimentos de pré-teste excluíram 33 questões do instrumento e reduziram para 39 o número de indicadores. O modelo de mensuração ficou estruturado através de quatro construtos operacionalizados como CORS: normas e procedimentos, qualidade da integração com fornecedores, planejamento estratégico de serviços e habilidade em serviços; e quatro construtos operacionalizados como COPS: gerenciamento dos equipamentos, gerenciamento das instalações, segurança dos equipamentos e capacitação dos funcionários. O modelo foi testado em uma amostra de 300 empresas usuárias de serviços de telecomunicações (100 matrizes e 200 filiais). Após a etapa de teste, o modelo foi ajustado durante a técnica de modelagem de equações estruturais e análise fatorial confirmatória. Os índices de ajuste, de confiabilidade composta e de média de variância extraída atingiram os valores recomendados. A validade discriminante foi verificada pelos métodos de Fornell e Larcker (1981) e de Bagozzi e Phillips (1982). Os construtos obtiveram valores significativos (P<0,001) de Critical Ratio (CR) o que sugere validade convergente dos indicadores. Após a verificação de validade e confiabilidade o modelo de mensuração ficou estruturado com 20 indicadores válidos e confiáveis distribuídos em sete variáveis independentes e uma variável dependente. O teste t para amostras independentes revelou diferenças significativas em dois construtos (planejamento estratégico de serviços e segurança dos equipamentos) entre as matrizes e filiais. A análise de regressão linear hierárquica com quatro blocos de variáveis revelou que o modelo proposto é capaz de explicar 23,9% do desempenho dos serviços. Dois construtos formadores das CORS (normas e procedimentos e qualidade da integração com fornecedores) obtiveram valores estatisticamente significativos (P<0,05) o que sugere influência dessas duas CORS no desempenho dos serviços de telecomunicações. Procedimentos estatísticos adicionais de multicolinearidade e de homoscedasticidade mostram evidência de normalidade e consistência na distribuição dos dados. / Service coproduction depends on capabilities that focus on the users interference in the provision, consumption and service performance. Empirical investigations in the production and operations management area aimed at measuring coproduction organizational and operational capabilities are not well developed in the literature. The aim of this paper is to empirically test and investigate the Organizational Capabilities (ORCAPS) and the Operational Capabilities (OPCAPS) for the coproduction of telecommunication services in B2B environments considering their antecedent dimensions and the effects on service performance. The initial instrument consisting of 77 items was submitted to procedures such as item-sorting, content validity and construct validity. Further analysis by IT experts were conducted before the pilot experiment with IT managers from 37 branches of Banco do Brasil S.A. Cronbach’s alpha was adopted as a reliability measure. The pretesting procedures excluded 33 questions from the instrument. For the structuring of the measurement model four constructs were operationalized as ORCAPS (rules and procedures, quality of interaction with suppliers, service strategic planning, and service ability); and four constructs were operationalized as OPCAPS (equipment management, installations management, information security, and staff capacity). The model was tested in a sample of 300 companies, users of telecommunication services (100 headquarters and 200 business units). After testing, the model fit was verified through the structural equations modeling technique and confirmatory factor analysis. The model fit, composite reliability and average variance extracted scores achieved all the recommended cutoff values. Discriminant validity was assessed following the methodology by Fornell and Larcker (1981) and Bagozzi and Phillips (1982). All the constructs were significant (p<0,001) in the assessment of critical ratio suggesting convergent validity of the items. After the validity and reliability tests, the measurement model consisted of 20 valid and reliable items distributed in seven independent variables and one dependent variable. The t test for independent samples revealed significant differences among IT managers from headquarters and business units in two constructs (service strategic planning and equipment safety). The hierarchical linear regression analysis organized in four groups of variables revealed that the proposed model is capable of explaining 23.9% of service performance. Two of the four ORCAP constructs (rules and procedures and quality of interaction with suppliers) were significant (p<0,05) suggesting influence on telecommunication service performance. Additional statistical procedures of multicollinearity and homoscedasticity provided evidence of consistency and normality in the distribution of data.

The purpose of the present study is to gain a more complete understanding of the impact of human and physical resource allocations and their interaction on students&rsquo / mathematical literacy skills across Turkey, member and candidate countries of European Union through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) techniques were used separately for three different cultural settings using the database of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003. The results indicated that students in Turkey, member and candidate countries of European Union who performed higher on the mathematical literacy assessment tended to have the following characteristics: (1) enrolled at higher grade levels, (2) more educational resources at home, (3) higher levels of mathematics self-efficacy, (4) lower levels of mathematics anxiety, (5) more positive self-concept in mathematics, (6) less preferences for memorization strategies, and (7) more positive disciplinary climate in mathematics lessons. As the performance of schools were considered, the higher average mathematics self-efficacy of students, the higher the mean school mathematical literacy performance. The influence on mathematical literacy assessment varied from school to school with respect to grade level and disciplinary climate in mathematics lessons in Turkey and European Union countries, with respect to grade level, mathematics self-efficacy, and disciplinary climate in mathematics in European Union candidate countries. Moreover, school size and mathematics student-teacher ratio at school influenced the disciplinary climate in mathematics lessons in Turkey / academic selectivity of the school influenced the grade level and mathematics self-efficacy in the candidate countries of European Union.