Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 194-209).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 80-90.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-150). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-150). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

This study rises up an untouched area of ​​research where the relationship between newly arrived parents and teachers is examined from a structural perspective. Previous research has looked only at the interaction between parents and teacher; this study is thus a theoretical contribution to the research. The aim of the study is met by examining the perceptions newly arrived parents have of their meeting with the Swedish school, the relationship with their children’s teacher, cooperation, collaboration between home and school, as well as their own influence in their children's learning. Similarly examines the perceptions teachers have about newly arrived parents, cooperation, collaboration between them and the parents and parental influence on children's learning. Method: To meet the objective, a qualitative survey has been made. Ten qualitative interviews with ten newly arrived parents and two interviews with teachers, including a primary school teacher and a preschool teacher. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that parents were generally pleased with their relationship to the teachers, but that they do not really see their own role in their child's learning, except helping with homework and going to formal meetings. The teachers perceived the relationship as generally good, but did not see newly arrived parents being involved or active parents. The teachers expected this, as these parents have language deficiency and too little knowledge of school organization. The teachers were the ones who had the formal power and they decided what information arrivals parents were provided with. Collaboration between teachers and newly arrived parents proved to be inadequate and it affected both the teachers and parents attitudes towards each other.

This study investigated the relationship between career indecision and family dynamics among matriculants. The sample was drawn from two high schools in, an African township. The Olson Circumplex model of Marital and Family Systems was applied to test various types of family relations and how they would influence career decisiveness. Career indecision is, therefore, the independent variable with the two dimensions of family relations (cohesion and adaptability) as given in the model as primary predictor variables. Other variables that were tested were exposure to career information as determined by the differences between the two schools, and gender differences. ,The My vocational Situation (MVS), the Career Decision Scale (CDS) and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III (FACES III) were used as instruments of measurement. Multiple regression and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used as methods of statistical analysis. Significant differences were found between subjects from the two ·schools. Findings indicate that exposure to career information is a strong determinant of career decisiveness. It was also found that career identity is highly correlated with career decisiveness. Differences were also found between male and female participants particularly in the measures of career indecision, career identity and occupational information, with boys being more decisive than girls. Family adaptability was demonstrated to have a weak correlation with career indecision while no statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between family cohesion and career indecision. Recommendations in this study are that career counselling in the schools needs to be introduced and intensified. Career information given to pupils should also be integrated for them to assist them achieve career identity. Research has demonstrated that there is a strong relationship between career development and family dynamics. Results of this study~ however, demonstrate a weak relationship. This brings up questions about the Circumplex 'model applied in this study and the FACES III as an instrument used to test it. Further research is recommended in this area. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

In school library research programs involving enquiry-based learning, a challenge for students doing research emerges when they take their projects home and turn to their parents for assistance. Often parents do not have sufficient knowledge of the research program and critical thinking to be able to effectively help their children. Many of them are unfamiliar with an inquiry-based research process and this inevitably leads to anxiety for both parents and children. A literature review revealed that parents do want to help their children at home with schoolwork, but are confused about the amount and kind of assistance they should provide. Moreover, research on parent involvement in school library research programs is virtually nonexistent, which stimulated the researcher to conduct this study. The purpose of this study was to investigate a parent/teacher-librarian (PTL) collaboration process intended to assist parents wanting to help their children more effectively with research homework. Before the implementation of this study, a school library research program was well-established (1988-1999), but it included no formal integration of parent involvement. The study investigated (a) parent, student, and teacher-librarian concerns that arose during collaboration, (b) resolutions of those concerns, (c) techniques that facilitated collaboration and parent assistance, and (d) the benefits and disadvantages of the collaboration process. One questionnaire was mailed at the beginning of the study to the parents of all 72 grade seven students in one Lower Mainland elementary school and, as a final evaluation, a second questionnaire was mailed to the parents of 28 grade seven students who had committed time to be in the study. Between the two questionnaires, a subset of eight parents and their corresponding children became primary subjects and were interviewed after they had worked with their children on research question formulation at home. Previous to working with their children, these eight parents had received a detailed overview of the student research program, two training sessions with the teacher-librarian and a variety of options for communicating directly with her at any time during the study. A major objective of the study was to collaboratively solve the major concerns that emerged during the study and a procedure was developed for that purpose. The parents and teacher-librarian together created guidelines for future parent involvement where resolutions of the concerns were stated. The greatest concern for all parties was the dilemma of balancing the student desire for independence and ownership of the projects with the parents' offer of help. The guidelines helped clarify the right kind of assistance for parents to give, while the overview and two training sessions increased parents' research knowledge base and allowed them to suggest improvements to strengthen the collaboration process and the library program. Because the PTL collaboration process provided all participants with more benefits than disadvantages, both the parents and teacher-librarian unanimously agreed that the PTL collaboration process merited continuance. With the supporting structure of a parent/ teacher collaboration process attached to learning activities at home, parent confidence about guiding children can be increased, the students can see positive results in learning, and a school library research program can thereby be strengthened. The teacher-librarian, the researcher in this study, felt her practice was improved with the addition of the PTL collaboration process. Moreover, its continuance could contribute ultimately to the development of students whose convictions are based on more reflective enquiry and thoughtful research.