School administrators at the research site, which is a public school district, had been under pressure to improve low reading state scores of Grade 11 students as measured by Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. A web-based reading software called Study Island was integrated into the literacy curriculum for students to increase their reading proficiency and pass PSSA state tests. The research problem was that the integration of Study Island had not been evaluated and students were not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP). The purpose of this study was to provide research-based evidence on whether Study Island helped students to improve their reading proficiency. This nonequivalent, quasi-experimental study was based on Tomlinson's differentiated instruction theory and Marzano's intelligence theory. Archived PSSA scores were collected for 2 cohorts of Grade 11 students (N = 800), before and after the curricular integration of Study Island between the academic years 2009--2011 and 2011--2013. An independent samples t test showed that students' reading proficiency scores were significantly higher after receiving the Stony Island software than they were before the software. These findings can be used by school and district administrators regarding the integration of Study Island into other academic subjects. Implications for positive social change may include professional development (PD) for high school teachers to use Study Island in the academic subjects they teach. PD on Study Island for high school teachers may help students pass PSSA testing, meet AYP, and graduate from high school.

The purpose of this research is to identify complex cultural dynamics in theinstructional design process of a cross-sector, cross-border training environment by applying Young’s (2009) Culture-Based Model (CBM) as a theoretical framework and taxonomy for description of the instructional design process under the conditions of one case. The guiding question of this study is: How does culture, as defined by Young’s (2009) CBM framework, interact with the instructional design process in this case of a cross-sector, cross-border training program? This research uses the qualitative approach of case study and applies a cultural design framework to examine the process of instructional design by a team of designers-by-assignment in a NASA/university consortium program to train applied research and development teams for an education software company headquartered in India. Fifteen representative participants were chosen to reflect each role involved in the training program and instructional design process, including management, instructors and students. In over two years of engagement with participants, data was gathered at a NASA space center and in Mumbai, India through interviews, observation and artifact analysis. Data was analyzed to identify where components of the design process, decisions of the design team, and perceptions of the stakeholders overlap with culture as defined by Young’s CBM framework. The findings indicate that at least twenty-three distinguishable elements of culture interact across the design process in the: 1) goals and funding decisions of the client; 2) goals and design decisions of the design team; 3) perceptions of the training program of all stakeholders; and 4) the observable outcomes of the training program. The findings also offer insight into what stakeholders do or do not consciously attribute to culture. By empirically illuminating the pervasive presence of cultural interactions across the instructional design process, this study advocates for culture to be recognized as a construct of importance in our field and demonstrates the powerful capabilities of using a comprehensive descriptive model as a lens for exploring cultural dynamics in the instructional design process.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes special report study entitled: Utopia energy source for rural buildings. Includes bibliographical references.

With the increasing popularity of and demand for online learning in higher education (Konetes, 2011) comes a need to examine students’ perceptions about classroom climate in these environments. Using the Instructional Beliefs Model (IBM) as a theoretical framework, this dissertation proposes the online learning climate (OLCS) scale for doing so. Informed by both organizational and instructional communication, as well as education, the scale consists of several variables related to instructor role(s) and behaviors, student characteristics, and course-specific structural issues to explain how students perceive climate within a computer-mediated classroom. Ultimately, this three-phase study consisted of: (a) constructing the OLCS, (b) establishing factor structure, as well as concurrent and convergent validity, and (c) establishing the scale’s discriminant validity, confirming its factorial structure, and testing three theoretical models.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1974. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Phil C. Lange. Dissertation Committee: Charles C. Daly. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-77).

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes special report study entitled : Utopia energy source for rural buildings. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Concerns continue to be raised in South African higher education circles that students are not performing academically as they can and should, resulting in low through-put and poor retention rates (Hersh & Merrow, 2005; Pandor, 2007; DoE, 2008; EDUCATOR’S VOICE; MacGregor, 2009) . This mixed methods case study, using the General Model of Instructional Communication (McCroskey, Valencic, & Richmond, 2004), is an investigation of the lecturers’ and their students’ perceptions of lecturers’ instructional communication (IC), with specific focus on lecturer immediacy, clarity and credibility. These perceptions were further analysed to establish the extent to which they reflect lecturers’ instructional competence. Triangulation of data sets was conducted after seven lecturers had been interviewed and observed (eCOVE software and video) and questionnaires were administered to 252 first year students, enrolled for a communications course. Data were stored and analysed through the Dictate Express software, WEFT QDAS (text) and the Statistical Programme for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (numeric). The use of multiple data sources and analytic methods helped to improve the reliability and validity of the study. Analysis of the perceptions revealed that although the lecturers were perceived to be verbally and nonverbally immediate, they were also perceived to be unclear in their presentation, although credible in the eyes of their students. These negative behaviours have the potential to affect students’ learning adversely, and so potentially reduce students’ academic success. The lecturers were also found to be inconsistently competent, pedagogically and professionally. Recommendations at practical and policy levels, aimed at ameliorating lecturers’ communication and instructional skills during instruction, have been made while further research could review existing instruments, interventions and assess student performance. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Humanities Education / PhD / Unrestricted

Despite the availability of technological resources, the number of teachers integrating and using technology innovatively in the classroom is unknown. This qualitative investigation explored teachers' perceptions of proficiency in the use of computer technology in the classroom. Self-determination theory assisted the examination of motivation as decisions are made to integrate technology into the classroom curriculum. The research questions addressed the self-determination of teachers, decision making processes to integrate technology, and perceived technology competence. A qualitative, multiple case study design was used to explore the views of 10 technology-using elementary teachers in the use of technology in the classroom. These participants were interviewed, participated in a focus group, and submitted an integrated technology lesson plan. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results showed that teachers were found to be efficacious when incorporating technology into the curriculum and believed their actions could produce the desired results despite their technological skill level. Teachers were found to be self-determined and motivated to integrate technology; however, innovative practice was not evident while existing practice conformed to the instructional norms of the school. Implications for positive social change include allowing teachers to study current beliefs and practice, reflecting on best practices when integrating technology, and identifying technological innovation to enhance the learning of their own students. Recommendations include providing opportunities through professional development initiatives in which teachers and administrators alike study practice in collaborative ways, take ownership of instructional decisions, and take risks while integrating technology.

This study investigates the role that principals play in leading and managing teaching and learning through the alternative approach of ‘distributed leadership’ in order to promote quality education. As a qualitative case study of two ‘township’ Gauteng primary schools, data was collected by means of questionnaires and interview schedules. Perceptions of principals, heads of departments (HODs) and teachers on ‘distributed leadership’ were examined, as well as how the concept was applied in the day-to-day running of the school. It was found that the principals interviewed, despite their extensive teaching and managing experience, were not fully aware of the implications of principalship within the new dispensation, vaguely referring to their roles as leaders and managers without specifying how and what they were leading and managing in their respective schools. Recommendations are that distributed leadership strategies could be found in both schools to optimise the leadership and management of teaching and learning, and that time should be allowed for HODs and principals to implement instructional leadership and management.

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