published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

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Research has demonstrated that school climate has a significant impact on several student outcomes. Positive school climate is associated with the development of positive self-concept in students, increased feelings of attachment and commitment to the school, and overall satisfaction with the school experience. This study described the school climate of four urban junior high schools, with specific attention to climate factors related to the affective development of students. The sample consisted of 506 Grade 9 students. Students' perceptions of their school's climate were measured with a standard climate questionnaire, the Effective School Battery. In addition, the principals of each school were interviewed in order to provide additional insight into the school's philosophy of education, school policies, and other aspects related to affective school climate. The data collected was used to determine if junior high schools exhibited school climates which addressed the affective needs of their students. The student responses indicated generally positive feelings about their schools. The fours schools rated high to average in the areas of Safety, Planning and Action, Clarity of Rules, Extra-curricular Program, and Student Influence. Areas in which the majority of schools rated below average or low included Respect for Students, and School Rewards. Interviews with principals revealed that affective development was considered to be an important component of junior high education. In addition, principals tended to support the findings from the student surveys. The findings illustrate that these schools have generally positive school climates as perceived by the students. Students feel comfortable and secure in the school environment, are aware of the rules guiding their behavior and tend to be involved in a variety of school activities. The areas which schools need to improve include increasing positive reinforcement and rewards for students, and ensuring that students feel they are treated with respect and dignity in their interactions with school personnel. / xi, 113 leaves ; 28 cm.

This study examined the perceptions and needs of junior high school students considering the question, What makes school a positive experience for 12 junior high school students? Previous research indicates that many students view school negatively (Bibby & Posterski, 1992). This conclusion is an alarming statement considering the significant number of years students spend in school. Using student written responses and interviews, this study explored the peceptions of junior high school students in relation to school. Qualitative research method was used as it allowed the researcher to collect and document rich data that helped to shed light on students' views of junior high school. Twelve students, 2 males and 2 females, from each of the three junior high grades (7,8, and 9) participated in the study. The students were asked to respond, in writing, to five prompts: 1) Junior high school is...2) What do you think can make junior high a positvie place to be? 3) What do you think can make junior high a negative place to be? 4) The best thing about my school is...5) The worst thing about my school is... . Those same students then met in grade level groups for an interview used to clarify and expand upon the themes that emerged in their written responses. The final data-gathering technique was for the students to reflect upon what the ideal school might look like. Overall, the results of this study indicate that students value relationships with both teachers and peers and wish to belong to the safe and student-centered community of school. The insights of junior high school students about their schooling experience will assist in the organization of programs designed to meet the needs of adolescents within an educational setting. / vii, 154 leaves ; 28 cm.

This phenomenological study of a First Nations to First Nations reciprocal student exchange elicited and explored the meanings of a reciprocal intercommunity exchange for grade 7 and 8 students in two First Nations schools. Representative student research participants from one of the schools shared their pictures, stories and memories of their experiences through photo-story (Truchon, 2007; Wang & Burris, 1997) and in a sharing circle (Lavallee, 2007). The students‟ journeys were not only physical and geographical, but also emotional and cultural. I also journeyed to an acceptance of my outsider/insider status growing up in a First Nations community. As a non-Aboriginal researcher, I negotiated a space between the demands of the academic institution and the First Nations community; and chose research methods that were congruent with Indigenous Research Methodology (Wilson, 2008; Kovach, 2009; Smith, 1999). The four themes that emerged from the data: community and relationships; culture and ceremony; connections with place, and confidence building are congruent with AFN‟s vision of “reciprocal inter-community exchanges promoting sharing of culture” (AFN, 2007) and with Cajete‟s (1999) vision of “igniting the sparkle.” These students said that: “learning about another culture made me want to learn more about my own.” Listening to these students share what was gained through this exchange and their dreams for the future revealed their hope and persistence. The example of a practice such as a reciprocal exchange which encouraged and iii engaged these youth could stimulate other First Nations communities to seek out similar educational practices that would benefit their youth. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-01-25 16:18:38.852

This single case study in Peace Education (PE) was conducted in Central Mexico where violence is manifest in different ways and consequently, PE may be an important intervention. The aim of this study was to acquire an understanding of the impact of PE in Mexico and to understand how students conceptualize peace and violence and how these phenomena impact their aspirations. Participants in this study were a school principal, teachers as well as 9th grade students from a telesecundaria. This research produced a number of key findings: Mexico does not have one concrete conception of PE; the student participants’ definition of peace and violence reflect their reality; and their aspirations can be commensurate with the principles of PE. One of the main conclusions drawn from this study is that although there are a several practices of PE in Mexico, the country needs one concrete proposal of PE tailored to its specific reality.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there is a discrepancy between the parents' perceptions of children's personal problems and those of their preadolescent children.The research was designed to test eight null hypotheses which were formulated to this effect. The instrument utilized in this research was the Mooney Problem Check List (Junior High School Form) for both parents and children. The Problem Check List has 7 sub-sections which include 30 items for each area. The seven sub-sections are: Health and Physical Development (HPD), School (S), Home and Family (HF), Money, Work, and the Future (MWF), Boy and Girl Relations (BG), Relations to People in General (PG), and Self-centered Concerns (SC).The subjects for this study were fifteen sets of both parents and their eighth grade children. The children were all Caucasians and came from a rural area.The following procedure was adopted to collect the data: packages of materials were prepared and sent to each of the 45 parents randomly selected from one school. These contained two copies of the Mooney Problem Check Lists, a parents' consent form, an application form for an individual interview or family conference, and two stamped, addressed envelopes. The parents were requested to complete the forms and to return them within two weeks. This resulted in response from six single parents and fifteen sets of both parents.The mean scores for each of seven areas and the totals were obtained for the children, their fathers, and mothers separately. The group means were compared and analyzed in order to accept or reject the null hypotheses. Analysis of variance technique was applied to compare the means of the three groups--children, fathers, and mothers-on each of the seven areas and the total. In order to determine if the differences were significant, the alpha level of .05 was used. When the differences between the means were found to be significant for a given variable, the post hoc Tukey HSD procedure was used to carry out the further analysis (Kirk, 1968).The findings obtained showed that the null hypotheses of Health and Physical Development and School were rejected. Therefore, the Tukey's HSD procedures were used to determine which pairs of means differed in these areas. Post hoc analyses of the means by the Tukey's HSD indicated that the children's reports of personal problems significantly differed from the parents' report. The children disagreed with father and mother but father and mother agreed with each other in Health and Physical Development and School areas. Null hypotheses 3 through 8 were not rejected. All three groups agreed in the children's personal problems checked in Home & Family, Money, Work, the Future, Boy & Girl Relations, Relations to People in General and Self-centered Concerns areas and the total.Based on these results several conclusions were made. Parents perceived their children's Health and Physical Development and School problems differently from the way the children perceived them. Parents agreed with their children concerning Home and Family, Money, Work, the Future, Boy and Girl Relations, Relations to People in General, and Self-centered Concerns and Total areas. Parents agreed with each other on all seven categories. The differences shown in the two areas of Health and Physical Development and School as viewed by children and parents is possibly attributable to lack of communication between them. However, this study had a small sample size and interpretation must be cautious.