The Fitnessgram is a battery of fitness tests designed for children and adolescents. These tests include aerobic capacity, body composition, muscle strength and endurance, and flexibility. Students are not compared to each other, rather to health fitness standards, specific to age and gender, which indicate good health. The purpose of this study was to identify student perceptions of the Fitnessgram fitness test. This study used surveys (N=82), and follow-up focus-group interviews (N=16) to identify student perceptions of the Fitnessgram fitness test. Results using the constant comparative method revealed three major categories: (1) students' perceptions of the purpose of fitness testing, (2) motivation, and (3) test administration. Findings indicated that students clearly understood the purpose of fitness testing, female students were success oriented while the males expressed an attitude of learned helplessness in the category of motivation, and that students preferred the PACER over the mile run, enjoyed partner-based stations, but did not care for the body-fat assessment.

ABSTRACT This paper was intended as an investigation of the sexual values and attitudes of the aboriginal junior high school students, who were born and raised in a non-patriarchal (matriarchal) society. The first part of this thesis was the literature review, including studies on the traditional aboriginal cultural characteristics and relevant theories of sexual values and attitudes. Then, this paper presented the statistic results from the author-formulated questionnaires, which stressed on the sexual values and attitudes. The valid samples in our research included 13 schools from six counties, i.e., Hualian, Pingdong, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taipei and Yilan County. The number of the aboriginal junior high school students was 407 and 132 for the non-aboriginal one. The total valid samples were 539. Below is a series of preliminary results elicited from the statistic analysis. 1. The aboriginal junior high students in a non-patriarchal society held a mid-to-high level attitude toward the sexual values. Among these sexual values, the value of ¡§the opinions of the two sexes¡¨ was perceived as the highest, followed by ¡§the views on social participation,¡¨ while ¡§the views on the attachment to the family¡¨ the lowest. 2. The aboriginal junior high students in a non-patriarchal society revealed a medium level of the sexual attitudes. Among these sexual attitudes, ¡§sexual harassment and sex infringement¡¨ received the highest average points, followed by ¡§the interaction of two sexes,¡¨ while ¡§the sex roles¡¨ the lowest average points. 3. The aboriginal junior high students in a non-patriarchal society who were ¡§female,¡¨ ¡§the Ami,¡¨ ¡§Father: the aboriginal, Mother: the Hans¡¨ and the expectation of their parents was ¡§treat boys and girls on an equal basis¡¨ tended to have the highest value of the equality in two sexes. While others who were ¡§male,¡¨ ¡§the Atayal,¡¨ ¡§parents aboriginal,¡¨ and their parents were with ¡§no particular expectation to child¡¨ tended to have the most deviant values of the equality in two sexes. 4. The most positive sexual attitudes held by the aboriginal junior high students in a non-patriarchal society were those who were ¡§female,¡¨ ¡§the Paiwan¡¨ and parents¡¦ harmonious degree ¡§quarrels once in a while.¡¨ However, others who were ¡§male,¡¨ ¡§the Atayal¡¨ and parents¡¦ harmonious degree of a ¡§very harmonious¡¨ displayed the least positive sexual attitudes. 5. There was significant difference between the aboriginals of different ethnicities and the Hans junior high students in the whole sexual values, ¡§the opinions of the two sexes,¡¨ ¡§the views on independent social activities,¡¨ ¡§the views on the attachment to the family¡¨ and ¡§the views on social participation¡¨ etc. ¡§The Hans (non-aboriginal)¡¨ revealed significantly higher sexual values on the whole sexual values and ¡§the opinions of the two sexes¡¨ than ¡§the Atayal.¡¨ Moreover, there was significant difference between the aboriginals of different ethnicities and the Hans (non-aboriginal) junior high students in the whole sexual attitudes and the performances constructed by factors as ¡§the interaction of two sexes,¡¨ ¡§sexual orientation¡¨ and ¡§sexual knowledge¡¨ etc. Still the Hans (non-aboriginal) appeared a more positive sexual attitude toward ¡§the interaction of two sexes¡¨ than ¡§the Atayal.¡¨ 6. Significant positive correlation appeared among each factors of the sexual values and attitudes by the aboriginal junior high students in a non-patriarchal society. The sexual values revealed a typical correlation with the sexual attitudes as well. The sexual values of the aboriginal junior high students in a non-patriarchal society can predict validly its sexual attitudes, making an explainable total variation quantity up to 38.331%. The higher sexual values of ¡§the views on social participation,¡¨ the more positive attitudes to ¡§the interaction of two sexes¡¨ and ¡§the sex roles.¡¨ The higher sexual values of ¡§the views on the attachment to the family,¡¨ the fewer performances on the ¡§sexual harassment and sex infringement.¡¨

Thesis (M. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

No description available.

This study determined the instructional approaches and teaching techniques and materials reading specialists perceived to be the most effective for the seventh and eighth grade remedial reading courses mandated by Texas House Bill 246. It also determined the most effective inservice procedures for training teachers assigned to teach these courses. Fifty-four Texas reading specialists, representing school districts, service centers, and colleges and universities, participated as panelists in the Delphi, completing three rounds of questionnaires. Perceived recommendations were rated by panelists according to levels of effectiveness.

Using a case study approach, this investigation focused on the nature of the relationship between computer related expenditures and student achievement in mathematics, with consideration given to the mediating factors influencing the relationship. Some of these factors included the types of computers and software being used, the objectives of computer instruction, teacher preparation in the use of the computer as an instructional tool, the amount of time individual students had access to a computer during the school year, and the socioeconomic status of pupils. Two of the twenty-five largest school districts in Texas were selected as the subjects for this study. Numerical data were collected from existing documents including general ledgers, bid tabulations, test score tables, and records showing the numbers of students participating in the free and reduced price lunch programs. Specific information regarding the implementations of the instructional programs was gathered through observations and 2 interviews with principals/ teachers, and students in four— teen junior high schools in each of the two school district. The districts exhibited more differences than similarities in the approaches to using computers for instruction in mathematics. One district, for about two hundred dollars per student, purchased a prepared, copyrighted, and patented program consisting of mini-computers and sixteen terminal remote labs used exclusively for the remediation of students two or more years behind in achievement in mathematics. The other district purchased microcomputers at a cost of about ten dollars per student and introduced a three to six weeks unit on computer programming into the eighth grade mathematics curriculum. Although neither district demonstrated clear patterns of increased achievement, tendencies did emerge which would suggest some linkage between concentration of the program and achievement. Other factors emerging from the fortythree taped interviews indicated that achievement test scores of students should not be the only measure of the worth of the computer-assisted instructional programs used in these school districts.

Vi har gjort en kvalitativ fallstudie på en skola och vårt syfte är att undersöka hur framtidstron och studiemotivationen ser ut hos elever i årskurs nio på en mångkulturell skola med lågt meritvärde. Våra frågeställningar är: vilka faktorer anser elever i årskurs nio på den valda skolan kan tänkas påverka deras framtidstro och studiemotivation? Hur ser sambandet ut mellan framtidstro och studiemotivation hos elever i årskurs nio på den valda skolan? Vad anser elever i årskurs nio på den valda skolan själva att man kan göra för att förbättra sin framtidstro och studiemotivation? Vi är inspirerade av fenomenologisk forskning och har en induktiv ansats. Empirin har vi samlat in genom kvalitativa halvstrukturerade intervjuer med åtta elever i årskurs nio. Vi bearbetade empirin genom att först transkribera intervjuerna, sedan sammanfattade vi varje intervju och letade efter teman utifrån våra frågeställningar. Därefter sammanförde vi de gemensamma nämnarna utifrån frågeställningarna och gjorde en sammanställning. Vi analyserade med hjälp av begreppet KASAM och dess komponenter hanterbarhet, begriplighet och meningsfullhet. Resultatet visade att alla informanterna var studiemotiverade och hade en god framtidstro. Det var mycket som kunde tänkas påverka deras motivation och framtidstro, bland annat familj, vänner, lärare och förebilder. Med hjälp av begreppet KASAM och dess komponenter kunde vi se ett samband mellan deras studiemotivation och framtidstro. Informanterna behöver förstå varför de studerar för att kunna känna studiemotivation (begriplighet). De behöver känna att de har de resurser som krävs för att nå de resultat de vill och de mål de har (hanterbarhet) och de behöver ett mål med studierna så att de känner att det är värt att investera i studierna (meningsfullhet). De kunskaper vi tycker är viktiga att ta med sig från vår fallstudie för att kunna arbeta här och nu med ungdomar i skolåldern är att förstå att skolresultaten hänger ihop med elevernas syn på framtiden. Även att tänka på att vardagen måste vara både begriplig, hanterbar och meningsfull för att ungdomen ska må bra och fungera. / We have performed a qualitative case study at a school of substandard merit. Our purpose was to examine to what ninth graders had a sense of confidence about their future success and academic motivation. The questions asked were: Which factors do the ninth graders deem influential for their own sense of confidence in future prospects, as well as what affects their academic motivation? What is the relationship between confidence in future success and academic motivation at the school? What do the students feel, can be done to improve their own beliefs about future prosperity as well as improve academic motivation? We have been inspired by phenomenological research and have used an inductive approach. We collected our data via semi structured qualitative interviews with eight ninth grade students. We processed the data by first transcribing the interviews, then we summarized each interview looking for key themes related to our original queries. Finally we consolidated the common denominators into a compilation. We did our analysis using the concept of KASAM, or ”sense of context”, as well as its' components, those being; manageability, comprehensibility, and relevance. The results revealed that all the informants were academically motivated and they each felt confident in their future outlook. There seemed to be a lot of factors that influenced both their motivation and their outlook, amongst these were family, friends, teachers, and roll models. Using the KASAM, or ”sense of context” concept, and its' components we could see a relationship between their academic motivation and their beliefs about their future. The informants first need to comprehend why they need to study, in order for them to feel a sense of educational motivation (comprehensibility). They need to feel that they have the resources needed to attain the desired results and goals that they have (manageability) and they need a goal with their studies so that they feel it is worth investing in the studies (relevance). The most important revelation that we have gleaned from our study and that we feel is of most value when working with school age youth in the here and now, is to understand how academic performance is directly related with the students  perception about their future. Even everyday life needs to be comprehensible, manageable, and have relevance, in order for youth to thrive and function.

This study examined the effectiveness of the LEAST Approach to Discipline with junior high school teachers having behaviorally disordered pupils in their classes. The sample consisted of twenty junior high school teachers who were paired on the basis of quantity and problem severity of behaviorally disordered pupils in their classes. Each matched pair was split and randomly assigned to the experimental and control group. Treatment consisted of eight hours of training in the LEAST approach. Subsequently, each experimental teacher was observed in class and given feedback regarding his application of the LEAST approach. The control group received no treatment. Following treatment, a two-month data collection period ensued. During this time data was collected for both groups on seven dependent variables. Specifically these were (1) teacher deviancy management skills, (2) pupil perception of the classroom environment, (3) pupil compliance, (4) office referrals, (5) teacher-parent conferences, (6) pupil absences and (7) non completed assignments.

This study is an experimental investigation of two groups of junior high school students in an effort to evaluate the advantages of workbooks in their music classes. The comparison was made with two classes composed of thirty-two students each from the two junior high schools in the Beaumont Independent School District. One class used the workbooks in conjunction with the regular singing and appreciation work, but the other class did not use formal workbooks. They discussed the theory and notation of the music in relation to the work they were doing.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics