Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 92-94).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 92-94). Also available in print.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 L65 / Master of Science

This study was conducted to determine if varying amounts of mathematics preparation and varying attitudes toward mathematics by teachers had a significant effect on the mathematics performance of their eighth grade students. Mathematics preparation was determined by the total number of college credits a teacher had accumulated and attitude toward mathematics was determined by a survey using the Revised Math Attitude Scale authored by Aiken and Dreger in 1961. In addition to mathematics preparation and attitude, the teacher characteristics of sex, age, years of experience, ethnicity, and type of certification were also observed and analyzed in relation to student performance. The sample population consisted of 30 eighth grade teachers from 10 middle schools in a large southwestern metropolitan school district and their 1,368 students. Student performance was measured by using the student math scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. All variables in the study were tested at the .05 level of confidence using multiple regression and analysis of variance. None of the variables were significant predictors of student performance when the teachers were analyzed as an entire group. When divided into subgroups by student achievement levels, teachers with greater amounts of preparation had a significant effect at the .05 level of confidence with high achievement students; teachers with high attitudes toward mathematics had a significant effect at the .05 level of confidence for students of medium achievement. All other variables were insignificant for the subgroups. Conclusions were drawn that the individual teacher characteristics examined were not significant predictors of student performance unless students were grouped by achievement levels. This indicated that "more" in terms of math preparation for teachers or the concept of being a specialist at the middle school level was not a significant predictor of teacher effectiveness.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

The present study explored the effect of personality and perceived social support on Facebook use and the effect of Facebook use on ones subjective well-being. Data was collected from 224 Form 1 studentsat two points in time that were three months apart. Results indicated that extraversion and perceived peers social support are significant predictors of Facebook usage for female students. No significant predictors could be found for male students. Furthermore, only number of Facebook friends of female students was found to have significant negative effect on subjective well-being. Problematic Internet use was found to have stronger effect on subjective well-being than Facebook usage. The limitations and future directions of the study are discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship of school configuration, gender, and ethnicity upon the mean number of life events experienced by early adolescents. A review of the literature revealed many existing problems associated with early adolescent and adolescent inability to cope. At the same time, a review of the literature demonstrated an absence of any significant research which determines if school variables contribute to increased student stressful life events. Without empirical data, the improvement of existing programs as well as the development of new or alternative programs aimed at reducing stressful life events, coping with change and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices appears doubtful. Determining specifically what stressful life events early adolescents are experiencing will aid middle level administrators and educators in improving schools to address student needs and maximize learning. The sample consisted of 837 eighth grade students enrolled in nine middle level schools that met the criteria of having been at least one year at a 7-8 school or at least two years at a 6-7-8 school. 529 students were from 7-8 schools and 308 students were from 6-7-8 schools. Total number of males sampled were 395 students and total number of females sampled were 440 students. Subjects were administered a questionnaire composed of 55 life event items previously used with junior high and senior high students and slightly modified in this study for use with early adolescents. Analysis of variance was employed to examine the relationship of the independent variables (school configuration, gender, and ethnicity) on the dependent variable (mean number of life events experienced by early adolescents). The findings revealed significant main effects for: school configuration and life event scores; school configuration and gender. No significant difference was found in the 2-way interaction for school configuration and gender. Significant 3-way interaction was noted for school configuration, ethnicity, and gender. Furthermore, examination of the results using ethnicity as a variable showed no significant difference in main effects or the 2-way interaction of ethnicity and gender or ethnicity and school configuration. Data indicate that significant differences were found in the two school configuration types, gender differences as well as the interaction of school configuration, gender, and ethnicity.

The purpose of this study was to compare middle level teachers' perception of their working environment under two different organizational structures: departmental (DEP) and Interdisciplinary Teaming Organization (ITO). In addition within the ITO schools, this study compared the working environment perception of teachers between different schools and between team members and non-team members. ITO is characterized by organizing teams of teachers around a core of subjects and providing them with a block of time, a common planning period, and shared students. Studies suggested that ITO provided circumstances for increased cooperation among teachers and enhanced decision making participation comparing to DEP schools. As a consequence teachers reported more job satisfaction and higher level of efficacy. However, very few studies were found to study these differences at the school level. The sample of this investigation consisted of 78 middle level teachers--Forty-seven teachers from two middle schools with ITO and thirty-one teachers from two DEP junior high schools. Subjects were administered a slightly modified questionnaire, previously used with elementary teachers, consisting of 16 different scales depicting the various aspects of the teachers' working environment. In addition, in order to enhance the analysis of the results other data was collected through open-ended interviews, as well as 2-way Analysis of Variance of teacher background components was conducted. The findings revealed: (1) ITO teachers felt more positive than DEP teachers with regard to the factors: faculty cohesiveness; socialization and recruitment of new teachers; goal-setting; teacher evaluation; instructional coordination; homogeneity and shared values; and instructional rewards. No significant differences were obtained with regard to job satisfaction, efficacy and decision making participation. (2) No significant differences in attitudes were obtained between ITO members and non-members within each ITO school. (3) Teachers in ITO 2 school felt more positive than ITO 1 teachers on only three scales: decision making participation, managing student behavior, and instructional rewards. Results suggest that ITO has a positive impact on the teachers' working environment, however, decision making participation, job satisfaction and efficacy level may be affected more by other factors. Future research should focus on improving the effectiveness of ITO.

本研究旨在探討大台北地區國中英語教師對國中英語教科書的意見和使用現況。本研究的對象為台北市、台北縣及基隆市的300位國中英語教師。研究者以問卷為資料蒐集工具，共回收問卷264份，其中262份為有效問卷，主要採用描述性統計分析。 主要研究發現摘要如下： 1.翰林及康軒出版社所出版的英語教科書為目前大台北地區最廣為採用的兩套教材。大致而言，各校英語教學研究會有權決定使用那一套教科書。教師選擇教科書時的主要三項考量依序為內容優劣，程度適中，及教師手冊與習作的設計能達到輔助教學之目的。除了主要使用的教科書外，大多數教師採用補充教材。最主要的兩種補充教材依序為自編教材及英語教學雜誌。 2.大多數教師對英語教科書的出版特性、學習內容、學生習作、教師手冊及補充教材感到滿意。大多數教師指出學生程度差異過大是教學時最常遇到的困難。 3.大多數教師認為使用現行教科書的學生較使用國編本的學生對教材內容更感興趣。教師對現行教科書較滿意；而學生也更喜愛現行教科書。許多教師認為使用現行教科書的學生在聽說方面較使用國編本的學生表現更佳；許多教師認為使用現行教科書的學生在文法及書寫方面較使用國編本的學生表現退步。 4.許多教師認為最好由國立編譯館編寫國編本教科書，但也有近乎相等數量的教師認為國編本及民編本並行最佳。多數教師認為全國使用同一版本教科書是最佳的教科書選用方式；因此多數教師對大台北地區於九十七學年度起使用單一版本教科書持正面態度。 本研究有助於了解國中英語教科書的使用現況和意見。最後依據研究結論，對教育行政機關、出版社、教師、未來研究提出建議。 / The purpose of the study is to explore junior high school teachers’ opinions of current English textbooks and their usage in greater Taipei area. The participants of the study were 300 junior English teachers from greater Taipei area. The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire. The data was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. The findings of this study are summarized as follows: 1.Han-lin and Kang-xüan are the two top widely- used English textbook. On the whole, the English Teaching Committee of each individual school has the power to decide which set of textbooks to be adopted. The top three considerations in textbooks selection are the overall content, suitable level of difficulty, and whether the design of teachers’ manuals and students’ workbooks facilitating instruction. Most of the teachers utilize supplementary materials in addition to their existing textbooks. The top two resources they use to enhance students’ learning are self-produced supplementary materials, and English teaching magazines. 2.Most of the teachers are satisfied with the layout, contents, students’ workbooks, teachers’ manuals and supplementary materials. Lots of the teachers point out teaching students with highly diverse competence is the main problem in their teaching. 3.Most of the teachers observe that students who use current textbooks are more interested in the contents than students who used centralized textbooks. In general, current textbooks are satisfactory to most of the teachers and more appropriate to students compared to centralized ones. Many of the teachers sense that students who use current textbooks are better in listening and speaking than students who used centralized textbooks, while a certain number of the teachers feel that students who used centralized textbooks outperform those who use current textbooks in grammar and writing. 4.For most of the teachers, it is best for National Institute for Compilation and Translation to develop and generate centralized textbooks. However, an equal number of the teachers consider it is best for the commercial produced textbooks to be used in conjunction with the centralized textbooks. The most ideal way of adopting junior high school English textbooks is to use the same set of textbooks. Hence, the majority of the teachers support the local governments’ (including Taipei City, Taipei County and Keelung City governments) policy to use the same English textbooks. The study provides an understanding of teachers’ opinions on the usage of junior high school English textbooks. Some pedagogical implications are offered for the educational authorities, the textbook publishers, and English teachers.

The investigation proposes a comparative study to determine whether or not there is a relationship between the running broad jump and the standing broad jump based upon the results of the performances of two hundred and seventy girls enrolled in Jefferson Junior High School, Abilene, Texas, and to determine whether or not one of the three allowed performances consistently results in the greatest distance.