Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University N.B.: Page 62 and 74 missing in numbering

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

A substantial number of research articles have been published on postgraduate (doctoral and masters) studies, locally and internationally. Whilst most of these articles address issues of research supervision, some are seen to be concerned with issues of postgraduate retention and throughput as aspects of focus and debate on Higher Education Institutions. This research study was conducted with the aim of analysing students' experiences of researching for a masters dissertation. Seven masters students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa participated in this study. Using a qualitative case study approach within the interpretive paradigm, the researcher sought to answer the two critical questions: 1) what are students‟ experiences of producing a masters dissertation? 2) How are masters students supported through the process of research? The theory of experiential learning was used as a framework for this study. This theoretical framework assumes that people learn new knowledge by consciously reflecting upon their existing and newly constructed knowledge. The literature reviewed as the point of departure for this study was based on two major issues, namely: students‟ issues as well as supervision issues since these are the areas that have been widely researched concerning postgraduates. Issues of trustworthiness and credibility were taken care of and are explained in chapter 3, as well as ethical considerations for the participants. Based on the collected data, eight themes were created and data analysed accordingly. From the analysed data four major insights emerged relating to individuality of research; self-direction in learning; students‟ previous experience; and challenges of research. The findings suggest that research supervision is the major contributory factor to the students' progress with their research. Therefore, greater efforts on the supervisors part in terms of creating an enabling environment for students to successfully conduct or complete their research studies seems to be a necessity. Hence, one of this study's recommendations is that the institution or the specialization should consider introducing group supervision to minimize the privatized nature of supervision. A proper working plan needs to be in place to ensure that postgraduates are adequately supervised in the manner that will encourage them into becoming successful researchers. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

A study was conducted to determine the effects on theknowledge and comprehension level learning as shown by thetest scores of thirty-one fifth grade students in onehealth unit after the utilization of the classroom managementprogram "OUNCE" had been implemented for eight weeks in contrastto their knowledge and comprehension level learning in a priorhealth unit as shown by the post-test scores before themanagement program was utilized.

Globalization has had an impact on higher education in South Africa. There is a growing emphasis on public accountability. Consequently there is a rise in quality assurance interventions like the national review of the M.Ed programme. Sometimes these quality assurance interventions are perceived as infringing on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. In this research report, I examine how academics at the University of X (UX), experience the relationship which is emerging by current policy in higher education between ―academic freedom‖, ―institutional autonomy‖ and ―public accountability‖. This research report followed a case study design that used a qualitative approach. I used a phenomenological research methodology with specifically semi-structured interviews to understand the phenomenon of the review and to ascertain academics‘ and managers‘ perceptions thereof. I used non-probability purposive sampling to interview seven academics and five management staff. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The findings were analysed and separated into three themes, viz. the value of the national review process; management versus teaching and learning as areas of focus with the review; and the programme review methodology. The staff found the review to be useful because of the programme focus of the review. It was most useful for management of the programme and for developing collegiality in the sector. Whilst the review criteria tended to focus on management instead of teaching and learning, some participants were comfortable with the review exploring their teaching and learning via direct classroom observations. There was a wide spectrum of views on what makes a good programme, with some participants believing that both teaching and learning and management are important for a successful programme. There are pros and cons to the national M.Ed review methodology. The commendations can be summed up as being fair, using standard programme review methodologies. The criticisms of the methodology includes criticism of the process as being archival, concern over the panel selection, dissatisfaction at the panel‘s report and criticism that the criteria are checklist and that institutions need to go beyond them in order to achieve excellence.

This dissertation examines the knowledge and knower practices in the Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) coursework programmes at South African public universities. This study was prompted by my growing awareness of problems and tensions in the field of ELM generally, and at the level of programme design of the M Ed degree in particular. Many of these had been identified by a national audit of coursework M Eds in ELM (CHE, 2010), and this study sought to find a way of theorising these with a view to improving both course design and teaching. To this end I employed Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) which enables critical engagement with knowledge and knowers in programmes, how they are positioned, and how this positioning may be problematic. Hence my first research question sought to discover and critique what counted as knowledge in these programmes and why, while the second asked how knowers were positioned, and why this had come to be the case. LCT has its roots in the work of Bernstein and Maton, whose preoccupation with curriculum was/is driven by a sense of social justice: if we can understand how and why the curriculum is organised and presented in a particular way, it becomes possible to re-imagine teaching and learning, making it accessible to a broader, more inclusive body of learners. The study also drew on critical realism as an underlabourer. This philosophy provided a nuanced understanding of ontology, encouraging and enabling me, as researcher, to unearth causal mechanisms driving the status quo. Only seven South African universities currently offer the coursework option of a Master’s degree in ELM, compared to thirteen when the audit was conducted in 2010. Six of the universities agreed to take part in the study. Data was gathered through content analysis of the six course outlines and interviews with individual co-ordinators or academics centrally involved in the programmes. Through the development of a translation device I was able to establishing that a knower code was dominant in the programmes. Using this point as my departure, I interrogated the knowledge practices and found that different types of knowledge were being privileged across the programmes, with some having a practical/professional leaning and others a more academic/theoretical orientation. The resultant tension does, I argue, restrict knowledge building and helps to account for the fact that the field is generally considered to be under-theorised. The fact all of these programme are registered with the same national qualifications authority, ostensibly following the same national guidelines for Master’s degrees is worrying. The study attempts to find underlying, historically significant reasons for this unevenness. An analysis of the programmes revealed a leaning towards supportive pedagogical approaches. While all programmes promote a cultivated gaze their purposes are not always the same. While a hegemonic practices potential for opening counts as knowledge, cultivated gaze can enable transformation, it can also encourage that can impede real change and empowerment. The study has the up much needed debate on what is meant by a Master’s in ELM, what and what kinds of knower are envisaged.

What curriculum can be developed which would provide enrichment for gifted secondary science students, integrate the science disciplines, and provide a format for research? The purpose of this project is to develop a curriculum which would provide enrichment for gifted secondary science students, integrate the natural science disciplines, and provide a format for student research.

The primary objective of this study is to introduce Creative Dramatics as a tool for effective English language instruction in the Lake Shore Junior High Bilingual Center of the Duval County Schools. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of this study is to develop the English vocabulary of these students, which will in turn, increase their level of understanding and performance in English. A modified version of the Hoffman (1934) Bilingual Schedule has been applied for measurement. In order to develop a meaningful vehicle for the project, an original ten-part play was written by the author. It is called: "Journey to the Matto Grosso." This play is designed to promote the feelings of adventure present in every adolescent, and to awaken his/her self-identity.

兩岸圖書資訊學碩士教育經過近三十年發展，已各自形成不同的特色，近年來兩岸學術交流頻繁，但鮮少有文獻探討兩岸圖書資訊學碩士教育，因此本研究探討海峽兩岸圖書資訊學碩士教育之概況及目標之差異，並比較入學資格、畢業要求與專業課程設置之異同，最後再對兩岸圖書資訊學碩士教育之評鑑制度做一了解。 / 本研究藉由比較圖書館學研究法及文獻分析法，針對臺灣地區國立臺灣大學、國立政治大學、國立師範大學及國立中興大學，大陸地區武漢大學、北京大學、南京大學及中國人民大學等八所學校為對象進行研究，並且根據研究結果，歸納出兩岸圖書資訊學碩士教育的優勢及異同，以做為臺灣未來發展圖書資訊學碩士教育之參考。 / 綜合本研究的分析結果發現，比較兩岸有以下異同：臺灣地區目前有8所圖書資訊學碩士班，大陸則有42所，大陸將「圖書館、情報與檔案管理」做為一級學科，底下又劃分為圖書館學、情報學與檔案學三個二級學科，與臺灣的教育層級不同。臺灣學位名稱為「圖書資訊學碩士」，大陸則為「管理學碩士」。臺灣學校有合聘教師以提升相關學科領域的專業知識。在教學目標方面各有特色，台灣大學以理論實務並重，師範大學培育數位資訊管理人才，政治大學孕育圖書館及檔案館人員，中興大學以培養圖書資訊管理應用人才為特色，大陸四校則以掌握圖書館學基礎理論和專業知識為要旨。兩岸八校皆採用考試入學及推薦甄試，均要求通過資格考試及論文撰寫。大陸對於碩士生外語能力較臺灣注重。專業課程方面，「資訊科技與應用」相關的課程為兩岸八校數量最多，說明了傳統圖書館學已融入資訊科學。八校必修課程保持圖書資訊學核心內涵，臺灣四校選修課程凸顯其教育特色。臺灣地區評鑑制度由「高等教育評鑑中心」主導，大陸地區則是「教育部學位與研究生教育發展中心」負責，臺灣在2008年12月已公布「圖書資訊學教育指南」，大陸則無此類之標準。 / 本研究為兩岸圖書資訊學碩士教育提出以下建議：(一)提升臺灣圖書資訊學碩士生之外語能力。(二)加強臺灣圖書資訊學碩士班師資。(三)課程規劃應結合實務需求。(四)圖書資訊學碩士畢業生應加強專業繼續教育。(五)保持圖書資訊學核心價值且與新科技結合。(六)鼓勵圖書資訊學碩士生積極參與學術活動。 / For nearly three decades, Library and Information Science Education for the Master Degree Programs in Taiwan and in Mainland China shape their own features. This study investigates the following issues about Library and Information Science Education for the Master Degree Programs in Taiwan and in Mainland China: (1) What is the general condition? (2) How the education goals are different from each other? (3) How the admissions and graduation requirements are distinct from each other? (4) What are the dissimilarities in curriculum design between each other? (5) What education evaluation systems do they possess? / Through comparative librarianship and documentary analysis, this study compares Library and Information Science Education for the Master Degree Programs in Taiwan with that in Mainland China, and explores the advantages, similarities, and differences between them, including National Taiwan University, National Chengchi University, National Taiwan Normal University, and National Chung Hsin University in Taiwan, and National Wuhan University, National Peking University, National Nanjing University, and Renmin University of China in Mainland China. It attempts to be reference resource for future development of Library and Information Science Education for the Master Degree Programs in Taiwan. / The results are as following. In Taiwan there are 8 institutes offering Library and Information Science Education for the Master Degree Programs, and 42 in Mainland China. In Mainland China, Library, Information and Archival Studies belongs to national first-class disciplines, and containing three second-class disciplines, Library Science, Information Studies, and Archival Studies. This kind of demarcation is different from that in Taiwan. The four institutes in Taiwan confer the degree name as “Master of Library and Information Science,” and the four institutes in Mainland China grant “Master of Business Administration.” The four institutes in Taiwan have affiliated faculty to instruct related professional knowledge. Besides, the goals of Library and Information Science Education for the Master Degree Programs in Taiwan and that in Mainland China are diverse. For example, National Taiwan University emphasizes both theory and practicality. National Taiwan Normal University aims at training digital information managers. National Chengchi University intends to cultivate advanced specialities for libraries and archives, and National Chung Hsin University is characterized by fostering experts of Library and Information Science Management. As for the four institutes in Mainland China, their objectives are to equip students with basic theories and expertise on Library Science. / Entrance exams and recommendation screening examinations are both adopted by these 8 institutes, and students have to write thesis and pass the qualifying examination for graduation. However, foreign language requirement in Mainland China is more strict than in Taiwan. In the part of curriculum, at these 8 institutes, the number of courses planned pertaining to the category of “Information Technology and Application” is the most. It reveals the combination of traditional Library Science with Information Science. Obligatory courses at these 8 institutes conform to the core values of Library and Information Science, and elective courses at four institutes in Taiwan demonstrate their distinct education objectives. About the evaluation for Master Degree Programs, in Taiwan it is led by “Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan,” and in China it is dominated by “China Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Development Center.” In addition, “Guidelines for Library and Information Science Educational Programs in Taiwan” was announced in December, 2008. Nevertheless, this kind of sandard is lack in Mainland China. / Based on the finding results, this study proposes six suggestions: (1) Enhance foreign language proficiency of Masters of Library and Information Science in Taiwan. (2) Advance the quality of faculty.(3) Take into account the practical needs when planning curriculum.(4) Enrich professional continuing education for Masters graduating from Library and Information Science. (5) Maintain the core values of Library and Information Science, and also integrate with new technology. (6) Encourage Masters of Library and Information Science to actively participate in academic activities.

As stated before, it appears that the sixth grade students at San Jose Catholic School would benefit from reading skills practice that would give them the opportunity to become more involved in the learning process. This project is designed to implement cross-age tutoring at San Jose Catholic School with an entire sixth grade class tutoring a second grade class in reading. The goal of the project is to improve the attitude toward reading of the sixth graders. Attitudes before and after tutoring will be rated on a slightly modified version of the Estes Attitude Scale. It is expected, though it will not be formally measured, that both groups of students will also improve their reading skills. The second graders' skills should improve because of receiving individual help and attention, the sixth graders' skills should improve because they will be applying their reading skills in a real-life and useful situation.