The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act created new accountability for educational institutions where schools must demonstrate adequate yearly progress (AYP) by regularly increasing student achievement. Many school districts across the nation failed AYP, searched for effective teaching strategies, and used new instructional models to help, yet they continued to fail. Thousands of educational institutions turned to the learning-focused schools (LFS) model of instruction, but increases in student achievement were sporadic. The rationale for this project stemmed from inconsistent student achievement results at a local middle school while using LFS from the inception of NCLB. This project study reviewed the teaching strategy of activating students' prior knowledge at a low-socioeconomic status (SES) middle school. Theoretical foundations guiding this study included learning theory, constructivist learning, the effects of low-SES environments, instructional strategies, and the role of prior knowledge in learning. Using archival data, this ex post facto study found a statistically significant difference using an ANCOVA, F(1, 863) = 35.398, p < .000, for the research question investigating the effect on student achievement when teachers specifically activate students' prior knowledge before using the LFS model of instruction. The project is an instructional lesson plan design that activates students' prior knowledge; recommendations include implementing the project countywide. Positive social change implications include providing policy makers data on the effectiveness of activating students' prior knowledge, the long-term effectiveness of LFS, and recommendations for increasing student achievement consistently.

A primary purpose of public education is to ensure that all citizens have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to participate in a democracy. Service learning is a democratic, constructivist, instructional strategy that connects academic learning with community needs. This phenomenological study described: (a) how youth, their educators, and community partners who experience service learning perceive its effects on themselves, their schools, and their community lives and (b) how professional-development opportunities need to be structured in order to encourage high quality civics education instruction. The problem this study addressed was how to solve youth civic and political disengagement. This study relied heavily upon in-depth interviews of nine middle school students, six middle school educators, and one community partner from a rural community in the northeastern United States. In addition, participant journals and grant documents were reviewed. Rubin and Rubin's guidelines and Tesh's eight step coding process were used to analyze each transcript, journal, and document. Results showed that service learning promoted the application of academic content, motivated students, appealed to various learning styles, built relationships, encouraged collaboration, and provided leadership opportunities. By better understanding the benefits and challenges of service learning projects as described by participants, this study could facilitate positive social change and improvements to current civic education instruction, including higher quality service-learning projects. By working collaboratively, youth, educators, and community partners can address the problem of youth disengagement from civic and political life, thus ensuring the continuation of a healthy democracy.

Numerous researchers have investigated distance education in postsecondary settings, but there is a paucity of research regarding the design and delivery of online professional development for K-12 educators. The goal of this mixed methods sequential exploratory study was to examine attitudes of middle grades educators toward an online professional development course held for teachers employed by one suburban school district in the southeast region of the United States. The theoretical framework is Knowles's theory of adult education (andragogy). The research questions addressed perceptions of connectedness and learning in an online professional development course. A structured interview protocol was used to collect qualitative data from 5 participants; data were coded and analyzed into 6 typologies. The Classroom Community Scale (CCS) that assessed perceptions of (a) connectedness and (b) learning effectiveness among 23 participants provided quantitative data to complement the interview findings. Mean ranks were used to prioritize 10 items within each of the 2 CCS subscales. Overall, participants felt like they could rely on others in the course yet were uncertain that others could depend on them. The study also identified a preference for immediate feedback and activities that required collaboration. These findings can be used to inform the design of online professional development courses for K-12 educators. This study contributes to positive social change by showing that online opportunities may allow teachers to collaborate with colleagues without the restrictions of time and travel by creating a community of learners through Web 2.0 tools.

Student performance on high-stakes tests continues to be an important issue for school administrators. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study investigated the relationship between the amount of time 8th grade students spent in advanced placement English classes using an extended block schedule and their achievement on language arts sections of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) high-stakes tests. The study was based on Carroll's theory relating instructional time and student learning. The guiding research questions investigated if extended time blocks in advanced placement English would improve student achievement scores on the language arts sections of NJASK tests. The study compared NJASK mean scores between two groups of English middle school students. One group received 90 minutes of English instruction time using an extended block schedule and the other group remained in a traditional 45-minute English period. A nonequivalent, pretest--posttest design was used to investigate the research questions. NJASK scores were collected from a public middle school from 2007-2008 through 2009-2010. Frequency distributions, descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the extended block and traditional groups' NJASK results from 7th to 8th grade. Further studies should explore the effects of extended blocks on high-stakes test achievement for 8th grade students in English classes that are not considered advanced placement levels. The findings of this study have positive social change implications on the way school administrators can use traditional or block schedule types to maximize student achievement on future high-stakes tests.

This qualitative study addressed the perceptions toward the study of mathematics by middle school students who had formerly been in a remedial mathematics program. The purpose of the study was to explore the past experiences of nine students in order to determine what is needed for them to feel successful in mathematics. The conceptual framework of the study was grounded in philosophies of motivation, including achievement goal theory, self-worth theory, self-efficacy theory, expectancy-value theory, and attribution theory. The study used a phenomenological research design to answer the key research question, which focused upon the experiences of students and the meaning that was given to these experiences. Data were collected and analyzed from individual interviews with 9 students and a focus group session. The findings of the study revealed that participants' past experiences influenced their current attitudes about the study of mathematics. Perceptions of mathematical ability, history of success or failure with grades, and the influence of the teacher and peers in the learning environment most influenced students' attitudes about mathematics. Moreover, current feelings impact the degree to which a student puts forth effort in the study of mathematics, and the relationship with the mathematics teacher had the greatest impact on student attitudes. To improve the perceptions that students have about the study of mathematics, expanded professional development opportunities may bring increased awareness of students' perceptions of the study of mathematics, and develop remedial mathematics programs that remove the negative stigma associated with them. The research study could lead to social change as its purpose is to improve student achievement in mathematics through changes in the remedial mathematics program.

Low standardized mathematics scores resulted in a suburban middle school not reaching adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2 previous years. There were many possible factors contributing to this problem, among them the design of instruction. The purpose of this study was to identify learning styles of students and implement differentiated instructional strategies that address the learners' needs. The study was based on the Silver and Hanson's theory of learning style instruction and Gardner's multiple intelligences as a model for differentiating instruction. This sequential mixed methods quasi-experimental causal comparative design study investigated the effect of classroom intervention based on learning style differentiation on the improvement of mathematics achievement and the teachers' perception of learning style instructional strategies. An ANCOVA analysis of 8 th grade archival math achievement scores from a nonrandomized control and experimental-group pretest-posttest sample measured the effect of using a learning style strategy intervention on the experimental group. No statistical significance was noted for the student scores by instructional type. An anonymous teacher open-ended survey and classroom observations were used to determine teachers' perception of implementing differentiated instruction. NVivo was used to manage the qualitative data, and analysis revealed emerging themes of teachers reporting a better understanding of the importance of differentiation, and designing lessons to include learning styles' instruction. This study impacted social change by developing a working knowledge for teachers of learning style differentiation of instruction intervention so that student mathematical achievement may be positively impacted by a change in the design of their instruction.

Die Bildungsmechanismen von Metalloxiden, speziell der Eisen- und Aluminiumoxide, im wässrigen Medium sind aufgrund der Vielzahl kurzlebiger Intermediate und komplexen Reaktionspfaden nur wenig verstanden. Ein Verständnis der Reaktionsmechanismen kann jedoch mit Hilfe von zeitaufgelösten Untersuchungen wesentlich vertieft werden. Der Fokus dieser Arbeit liegt auf der Verwendung von zeitaufgelösten Untersuchungen, die größtenteils auf röntgenbasierenden Analyseverfahren beruhen, um die intermediären Phasen direkt unter realistischen Bedingungen zu identifizieren. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit erfolgte die Untersuchung der Reaktionsmechanismen von Eisenoxiden und -oxidhydroxiden direkt in einer stabilisator-unterstützten Synthese. Nach einer Optimierung der instrumentellen Aufbauten, wurden erstmals zeitaufgelöste, simultane Röntgenkleinwinkelstreu- und Röntgenabsorptionsspektroskopie-Experimente an einem Eisenoxid-System durchgeführt, indem ein akustischer Levitator als Probenhalter verwendet wurde. Als Unterstützung wurden weitere analytische Methoden verwendet, um ein Gesamtbild über die intermediären Spezies in den drei vorliegenden Reaktionsmechanismen zu erhalten. Mit Hilfe von Röntgenphotoelektronenspektroskopie in Kombination mit einem Mikrojet konnten Spezies, wie Eisen-oxo-Oligomere, als Intermediate in den frühen Stadien des Hydrolyseprozesses von Akaganeit-Nanopartikeln detektiert werden. Das erste Photoelektronenspektrum für diese Spezies konnte gezeigt werden. Im letzten Teil dieser Arbeit wurden zeitaufgelöste Untersuchungen an einem Aluminiumoxo- System durchgeführt. Es gelang erstmals durch die Kombination von Weitwinkelstreuexperimenten mit dem akustischen Levitator, die Kristallisation des Al13-Clusters in einer sulfathaltigen-Lösung als Aluminiumsulfat-Cluster Al13SO4 in situ zu detektieren. / The formation mechanisms of metal oxides, especially iron and aluminium oxides, in aqueous media are poorly understood due to the large number of short-lived intermediates and complex reaction paths. However, an understanding of the reaction mechanisms can be considerably deepened with the help of time-resolved investigations. This work focuses on the use of time-resolved investigations, which rest largely on X-ray based analysis techniques, to identify the intermediate phases directly under realistic conditions. In the first part of this work, the reaction mechanisms of iron oxides and iron oxide hydroxides were investigated directly in a stabilizer-assisted synthesis. Time-resolved, simultaneous small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments were performed on an iron oxide system for the first time using an acoustic levitator as sample holder after the optimisation of the instrumental set-ups. Further analytical methods were used to obtain detailed insights of the intermediate species in the three reaction mechanisms. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in combination with a microjet, species such as iron oxo oligomers could be detected as intermediates in the early stages of the hydrolysis process of Akaganeit nanoparticles. The first photoelectron spectrum for this species could be shown. In the last part of this work, time-resolved investigations were carried out on an aluminium oxo system. In situ-investigations were possible by combining wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments with the acoustic levitator. For the first time it was possible to detect the early stage crystallization of the Al13 cluster in a sulfate-containing solution as an aluminum sulfate cluster Al13SO4 directly in solution.

Background. Head and neck cancers (HNC) are among the most common malignancies worldwide, and about 90–92% of oral neoplasias are oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Alcohol and tobacco consumption have been recognized as the main risk factors for OSCC development. Oncogenic viruses, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), as well as genetic alterations may also contribute to tumour formation.  Aims. To study the prevalence of HPV, EBV, Herpes simplex type-1 (HSV-1), and HPV-16 and their integration status as well as the molecular mechanisms that can serve as a basis for the development of OSCC. Results. In Paper I we reported a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of HPV-16 in oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and OSCC samples compared to controls. A statistically significant increase was also seen in integrated HPV-16 compared to episomal viral forms when comparing OED and OSCC samples. Paper II reported the detection of HSV-1 in 54% of healthy samples, in 36% of oral leukoplakia samples, and 52% of OSCC samples. However, these differences were not statistically significant. In Paper III we reported a statistically significant increase in the detection of HPV-positive samples when comparing nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with single-PCR results in OSCC and fresh oral mucosa. Paper IV reported that the highest prevalence of HPV (65%) was seen in Sudan, while an HSV-1 prevalence of 55% and an EBV prevalence of 80% were seen in the UK. Finally, Paper V reported that the mRNA levels of Bcl-2, keratin 1, keratin 13, and p53 were significantly lower and that the level of survivin was significantly higher in the OSCC samples of the toombak users than in their paired control samples. Significant downregulation in keratin 1 and keratin 13 expression levels was found in the OSCC samples of the non-toombak users relative to their normal control samples. Conclusion. HPV-16 integration was increased in oral epithelial dysplasia and OSCC compared to normal oral mucosa. Nested PCR is a more accurate method of establishing HPV prevalence in samples containing low copy numbers of HPV DNA. HPV and EBV may be a risk factor in OSCC development. Our findings confirmed the role of survivin in OSCC carcinogenesis and survivin might be interesting as a biomarker to be monitored. The results presented here provide both clinical and biological insights that will bring us closer to the goal of managing this disease and improving treatment and outcomes for future patients.

Mathematics education is a human activity that helps to develop mental processes in order to enhance logical and critical thinking which will contribute to one’s decision-making process and to solve problems (DBE, 2011c). For one to be able to do Mathematics, strategies should be generated in order to solve problems. The performance in Mathematics is very poor and educational researchers have identified various reasons for the poor performance in mathematics. Therefore, South Africa has developed an assessment tool known as the ANA, to determine the learners’ weaknesses in mathematics at national, provincial, district and school level (DBE, 2013). An approach research (in the South African context) was to explore Intermediate Phase Mathematics teacher’s awareness of their metacognitive strategy use. The main purpose of my research study was to understand, to what extent Intermediate Phase Mathematics teachers become aware of metacognitive strategies during an adapted lesson study process. To achieve this purpose, the study aims to investigate the teachers’ awareness of metacognitive strategies before and during an adapted lesson study process. Empirical qualitative research based on a design research approach took place within the interpretative paradigm. Descriptive data was generated by means of semi-structured focus group interviews and a reflective diary was held with double-medium participants who were selected. The data were analysed by means of content analyses which proceeded by using mind maps, where codes and themes were related to the literature. The results show that most of the teachers were aware of the metacognitive strategies, but it can be that they lack knowing when, where and how to use these metacognitive strategies as they do not plan their lessons on a regular basis. Teachers also feel more comfortable when planning lesson collaboratively as they feel that they learn from one another. In conclusion an adapted lesson study could be a positive plan of action to provide teachers with the opportunity to plan lessons collaboratively and reflect on one another’s’ ideas. Teachers can become more aware of their metacognitive strategies when planning lessons in order to implement these metacognitive strategies during their lessons. In this way learners could be empowered to become metacognitive (think about their thinking) and to reflect on their actions which might contribute to their performance of mathematics. / MEd (Mathematics Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Mathematics education is a human activity that helps to develop mental processes in order to enhance logical and critical thinking which will contribute to one’s decision-making process and to solve problems (DBE, 2011c). For one to be able to do Mathematics, strategies should be generated in order to solve problems. The performance in Mathematics is very poor and educational researchers have identified various reasons for the poor performance in mathematics. Therefore, South Africa has developed an assessment tool known as the ANA, to determine the learners’ weaknesses in mathematics at national, provincial, district and school level (DBE, 2013). An approach research (in the South African context) was to explore Intermediate Phase Mathematics teacher’s awareness of their metacognitive strategy use. The main purpose of my research study was to understand, to what extent Intermediate Phase Mathematics teachers become aware of metacognitive strategies during an adapted lesson study process. To achieve this purpose, the study aims to investigate the teachers’ awareness of metacognitive strategies before and during an adapted lesson study process. Empirical qualitative research based on a design research approach took place within the interpretative paradigm. Descriptive data was generated by means of semi-structured focus group interviews and a reflective diary was held with double-medium participants who were selected. The data were analysed by means of content analyses which proceeded by using mind maps, where codes and themes were related to the literature. The results show that most of the teachers were aware of the metacognitive strategies, but it can be that they lack knowing when, where and how to use these metacognitive strategies as they do not plan their lessons on a regular basis. Teachers also feel more comfortable when planning lesson collaboratively as they feel that they learn from one another. In conclusion an adapted lesson study could be a positive plan of action to provide teachers with the opportunity to plan lessons collaboratively and reflect on one another’s’ ideas. Teachers can become more aware of their metacognitive strategies when planning lessons in order to implement these metacognitive strategies during their lessons. In this way learners could be empowered to become metacognitive (think about their thinking) and to reflect on their actions which might contribute to their performance of mathematics. / MEd (Mathematics Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015