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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

This multiple case study describes the relationships between literate practices of five self-identified Mennonite youth and their faith identities. It also examines other salient identity enactments for each participant and the relationships among salient identities. Specifically, this research addresses the question: How do Mennonite high school students who engage in leisure reading enact identities in their literate practices? Participants were in 11th grade at a Mennonite high school. Theoretically based on the social practice theory of identity, data sources included field notes from nine weeks of observations in English and Bible classes, interviews with each participant and the English and Bible teachers, written documents from both classes, and two verbal protocols for each participant with self-selected texts, one of which was faith-related. Multiple analytics were used to analyze the various data sources. Findings suggest that the relationship between faith identity performances and literate practices plays out in different ways for different youth based, in part, on the salience of the faith identity. / Literacy & Learners

The purpose of this study is to find out how three teachers in Sweden work with literature and fiction in school. The main focus of this study is to examine for what reasons the teachers use literature and fiction as a pedagogic tool. Research shows that using fiction in school as an education tool can develop pupils writing and linguistic improvement. The teachers who were interviewed in this study seem to have a positive attitude to fiction.  They also believe that fiction is increasing the pupils´ vocabulary and that group discussions about reading are important because the pupils learn to reflect reading. The interwied teachers´-mention that fiction has a positive effect on pupils’ general language development. The method which was used in this essay is qualitative interviews. The participants have between 3 to 16 years of experience in their work field and the interviews were recorded and took place in their class room.

The research study described in this report was conducted in 2007 at a Kindergarten to Year 12 College, situated in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. Using case study methods, this research aimed to examine the scaffolding techniques used by two Reading Recovery teachers as they supported the language and literacy learning of two Indigenous Reading Recovery students. And further, to examine the impact of this scaffolding on each student’s language and literacy learning. / Multiple data sets were collected and examined with results discussed throughout this study. Transcripts and direct quotes were used to support the reporting of emergent themes and patterns with the convergence of the data used to support the internal validity of this small scale study. / This paper takes the position that generalisations, assumptions and stereotypical negative images of Indigenous students as disengaged and noncompliant students can be curtailed when teachers acknowledge that Indigenous students are active language learners with rich cultural and linguistic ‘funds of knowledge’ (Moll & Greenberg, 1990). These funds can support students’ new learning of literate discourse which is defined and used throughout this study as: the language used in schools to read, write and talk about texts used for educational purposes. Significantly, difficulties Indigenous students experience with literate discourse have been identified as contributing to the educational underachievement of this group of Australian students (Gray, 2007; Rose, Gray & Cowey, 1998, 1999). / The findings from this small scale study indicate that within the context of Reading Recovery teaching, teacher-student interaction and contingent teacher scaffolding, centred on text reading and writing experiences can support Indigenous students to code-switch between home languages and dialects, Standard Australian English and literate discourse.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the ways in which the primary Discourse and school experiences inform the literate identity of a male teacher, as well as his professional practice. The research looks at the various influences and relationships that come to bear on male literate identity from childhood to professional practice. As well, it responds to the contention of the popular media that boys lagging literacies might be remediated through the presence of more male literacy role models in the classroom. This study suggests that although role models may be influential under particular circumstances, the development of literate identity is far more complex and nuanced.<p> This study focuses on six male teachers and describes their experiences of literacy, particularly reading, from childhood into professional practice. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and informal observations. The interviews revealed that male literate identity is a product not only of parental attitudes toward literacy, but it is also determined by the individuals sense of competence and purpose, as well as sometimes serendipitous encounters with other readers.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the ways in which the primary Discourse and school experiences inform the literate identity of a male teacher, as well as his professional practice. The research looks at the various influences and relationships that come to bear on male literate identity from childhood to professional practice. As well, it responds to the contention of the popular media that boys lagging literacies might be remediated through the presence of more male literacy role models in the classroom. This study suggests that although role models may be influential under particular circumstances, the development of literate identity is far more complex and nuanced.<p> This study focuses on six male teachers and describes their experiences of literacy, particularly reading, from childhood into professional practice. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and informal observations. The interviews revealed that male literate identity is a product not only of parental attitudes toward literacy, but it is also determined by the individuals sense of competence and purpose, as well as sometimes serendipitous encounters with other readers.

Recent software developments are reviewed from the vantage point of reproducible econometric research. We argue that the emergence of new tools, particularly in the open-source community, have greatly eased the burden of documenting and archiving both empirical and simulation work in econometrics. Some of these tools are highlighted in the discussion of three small replication exercises. / Series: Research Report Series / Department of Statistics and Mathematics

Sweave combines typesetting with LATEX and data anlysis with S into integrated statistical documents. When run through R or Splus, all data analysis output (tables, graphs, ...) is created on the fly and inserted into a final LATEX document. Options control which parts of the original S code are shown to or hidden from the reader, respectively. Many S users are also LATEX users, hence no new software has to be learned. The report can be automatically updated if data or analysis change, which allows for truly reproducible research. (author's abstract) / Series: Report Series SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

Low-literate consumers display distinctive behaviour in the marketplace, and in the first phase of a mixed method study, the aim was to explore the challenges and coping strategies of low-literate clothing consumers. Due to fairly high levels of low-literacy in South Africa and limited research, this research was undertaken to better understand the behaviour of low-literate clothing consumers in the marketplace. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, and through inductive, interpretative data analysis three broad themes were identified, namely personal (cognitive, social, financial and affective), product (types and format of product information, evaluative criteria) and store-related (store assistants’ behaviour, store selection and in-store information) challenges and associated coping strategies. The results of this study can be used to advise marketers regarding the needs of these consumers, and were also used to develop a quantitative measuring instrument to investigate low-literate consumers’ use of clothing labels in the retail setting. In the second quantitative phase of the study, the use of clothing label information amidst low-literate respondents’ personal- (reading and numeracy skills, concrete and pictographic thinking) and product-related challenges (the format of labels, care-label knowledge and evaluating clothing products’ quality) were investigated. The study sample consisted of 450 black female consumers with literacy levels between Grades 5 and 8, residing in the Emfuleni Local Municipality area, in the southern part of Gauteng, South Africa. Interviewer administered questionnaires were filled out, and it was examined for validity and reliability. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and correlations were drawn between reliable factors, and practical significant correlations were reported. ANOVA’s indicated statistically significant differences with mostly medium effect sizes between the occupation of respondents and selected factors. Respondents indicated that they do read and understand clothing labels, but results revealed that they did experience problems when using information on labels. Their numeracy skills were average, and abstract thinking related to numeracy, were fair. Pictographic thinking was evident in their preference for symbolic and graphic presentation of size format, but not when they were presented altered store logos. Care label knowledge was poor, and clothing products were evaluated concretely. Some of the respondents, especially the older respondents were inclined to follow the peripheral route of elaboration when reading clothing label information. / Thesis (PhD (Consumer Sciences))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.