While first-year engineering (FYE) programs have grown dramatically over the last 30 years, they take a variety of different structures. However, few if any, researchers and FYE program developers has considered how program structure, and specifically matriculation, impacts retention – an issue that continues to be of concern as we seek to grown the national engineering workforce. Low retention rates combined with lack of diversity becomes even more acute when considering the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) which ranks as one of the least diverse engineering disciplines. One factor that has been shown to support retention is self-efficacy or individuals' beliefs in their ability to succeed. Therefore, to help address the retention issues in ECE, this dissertation explores the programmatic influence of first-year engineering matriculation structures on self-efficacy development in electrical and computer engineering students. In particular, it compares declared engineering (DE) programs, which admit students to a specific engineering field, to general engineering (GE) programs, in which students are admitted to engineering but do not select a specific engineering field until after their first year. Using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, this dissertation presents three manuscripts: 1) a quantitative secondary analysis comparing competency beliefs in a GE program and a quasi- DE first-year engineering program for ECE students; 2) a qualitative secondary analysis of self-efficacy development in a DE first-year program; and 3) a qualitative analysis exploring similarities and differences in self-efficacy development in EE students at two universities, one with a DE program and one with a GE program. The exploratory studies resulted in findings that demonstrate strong similarities in self-efficacy development in students from the DE and GE programs. Those differences that did emerge are largely attributed to how self-efficacy is discussed by students: 1) self-efficacy is developed differently between the two programs because the tasks associated with each program are different; 2) GE students discuss self-efficacy more broadly regarding engineering in general, focusing on domains like professional skills; 3) DE students discuss self-efficacy development more narrowly, specifically related to being an electrical or computer engineer. Additionally, the findings from study 2 suggest that pedagogical structures may be more important regarding self-efficacy development than matriculation structures. These results broaden our understanding of how FYE programs impact self-efficacy development within the context of a specific major, but still lend themselves to further exploration regarding factors most related to persistence and the experiences of underrepresented minorities in engineering. / Doctor of Philosophy / While first-year engineering (FYE) programs have grown dramatically over the last 30 years, they take a variety of different structures. However, few if any, researchers and FYE program developers have considered how program structure impacts persistence – an issue that continues to be of concern as we seek to grown the national engineering workforce. Low retention rates combined with lack of diversity in the field becomes even more intense when considering the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) which ranks as one of the least diverse engineering disciplines. One factor that has been shown to support retention is self-efficacy or individuals' beliefs in their ability to succeed. Therefore, to help address the retention issues in ECE, this dissertation explores the programmatic influence of first-year engineering matriculation structures on self-efficacy development in electrical and computer engineering students. In particular, it compares declared engineering (DE) programs, which admit students to a specific engineering field, to general engineering (GE) programs, in which students are admitted to engineering but do not select a specific engineering field until after their first year. The dissertation includes three studies: 1) a quantitative comparison of expectancy (similar to self-efficacy) beliefs in a GE program and a quasi- DE first-year engineering program for ECE students; 2) a qualitative study of self-efficacy development in a DE first-year program using interviews with students; and 3) a qualitative study of similarities and differences in self-efficacy development in EE students at two universities, one with a DE program and one with a GE program. The studies demonstrated similarities in self-efficacy development in students from the DE and GE programs, with differences largely attributed to how students described self-efficacy, as follows: 1) self-efficacy is developed differently between the two programs because the tasks associated with each program are different; 2) GE students discuss self-efficacy more broadly regarding engineering in general, focusing on issues like professional development skills; 3) DE students discuss self-efficacy development more narrowly, specifically related to being an electrical or computer engineer. Additionally, the findings from study 2 suggest that approaches to teaching may be more important for self-efficacy development than matriculation structures. These results broaden our understanding of how FYE programs impact self-efficacy development within the context of a specific major, but also point to the need for more research on factors most related to persistence and the experiences of underrepresented minorities in engineering.

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The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the determination of the development characteristics of the period from the age of three to eight (i.e. pre-school and younger school age). The principal focus is on the issue of school maturity, the possibilities of its diagnosis and the pupils' adaptation to the first year of primary school. The empirical part introduces a quantitative research focused on some diagnostic methods (the Orientation Test of School Maturity - Orientační test školní zralosti, the Knowledge Test of Pre-school Children - Zkouška znalostí předškolních dětí and The Star - Wave Test) and the possibility of using these methods for predicting a child's adaptation to the first year of primary school. The thesis aims to examine how these methods could be used and also to show the possible limits related to using these methods. Keywords: school maturity, diagnostics, postponement, preschool age, primary schoool matriculation, adaptation

This is an explanatory research investigation on the role of principals as instructional leaders which has been highlighted over the past two to three decades. The emergence of this concept in the leadership field and the rigorous research attention that it has received is a result of mounting pressure faced by principals as a result of the year-on-year poor performance of learners in the matriculation examinations. Parents, politicians and other organs of civil society expect principals to be accountable for what happens in the classroom (teaching and learning), including the performance of learners. The poor performance of learners in the matriculation examinations is the central focus of this study, growing out of the discussions and arguments which have dominated the media, social and political groupings, government, as well as the business sector. All these groupings and institutions are perturbed about the decline of learner performance in the matriculation examinations and seek possible solutions to this problem. I was therefore intrigued by the above concerns, which motivated me to engage in this study. This study set out to investigate the variables related to instructional leadership and the contribution of these variables to learner performance. The study was guided by the following research question: What are the variables related to instructional leadership practices of secondary school principals and what is their effect on the pass rate in the matriculation examinations? In order to respond to the above question, the following subsidiary questions were examined: a. How can instructional leadership possibly contribute to the improvement of learner performance? b. How do heads of department (HODs) and deputy principals perceive the role of their principals regarding instructional leadership? c. How are principals prepared with regard to their role as instructional leaders? This study followed an explanatory, mixed method research approach, utilising two sets of questionnaires (one for principals and another for HODs and deputy principals), semi-structured interviews, and focus group interviews. Seventy eight principals completed questionnaires regarding the performance of their learners. One hundred and thirty-seven deputy principals and HODs completed questionnaires regarding their principals‟ roles in instructional leadership and contribution to learner performance. The interviewing process took place in two stages / phases. During the first phase, a group of sixty principals was exposed to the four variables which underpin this study, namely: a. The principals’ role in promoting frequent and appropriate school-wide teacher development activities; b. Defining and communicating shared vision and goals; c. Monitoring and providing feedback on the teaching and learning process; and d. Managing the curriculum and instruction. In fifteen groups of four, the respondents brainstormed the strength of each variable and prioritised or arranged them in order of their importance and contribution to learner achievement. The outcome of this first phase of the interview process and the findings from the analysis of the questionnaires informed the formulation of questions for the face-to-face interviews with five principals who were randomly selected from the seventy eight principals who participated in the completion of the questionnaires for the quantitative part of this study. The key insights and contributions drawn from this study make it unique in the sense that it: <ul><li> has an impact on the preparation of principals for their role as instructional leaders; </li><li> informs the support that principals need with regard to their practice as instructional leaders; </li><li> assists principals to identify appropriate variables to help align their own visions for their schools with the national, provincial and regional visions for the improvement of learner achievement; </li><li> adds value to the existing body of knowledge on instructional leadership and the central role that it plays in improving the achievement levels of learners in the National Senior Certificate; and </li><li> clarifies the fact that "leadership" is not a semantic substitute for "management and administration", but rather an independent construct which is capable of interacting with the latter in the practice of education. </li></ul> / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational, quantitative study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the relationship between pre-matriculation variables on retention of first-year, full-time students from fall-to-fall semesters at three small, private, liberal arts institutions in the Southeast United States. The findings will help to determine the significance of the relationships between retention and pre-matriculation variables on first-year, full-time students who entered each institutions the fall 2017 and fall 2018 semesters. Archival data at the participating institutions were used to test the significance of the relationships between retention rates and pre-matriculation variables (standardized test scores, high school GPAs, gender, first-generation status, and financial aid status). The sample for this study included approximately 3,612 first-year, full-time students who entered the three participating universities for the fall semesters of 2017 and 2018. Independent samples t-tests or two-way contingency tables using crosstabs were used to evaluate each of the respective research questions. Findings from this study demonstrated student demographic variables financial aid status (Pell Grant eligibility), gender, and first-generation status had a significant relationship to retention for Institutions 2 and 3; students who were not eligible for financial aid were retained at higher percentage rate than students who were eligible for financial aid; students who were first-generation students were retained at lower percentage rate than students who were continuing-generation students; and self- identified female students were retained at a higher percentage rate those students who were self-identified as males at Institution 1.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the educational matriculation experiences of African American (AA) women in pursuance of postgraduate degree status from the pre-kindergarten to doctoral levels. This study used a transcendental phenomenological approach, guided by the following research questions: 1) What are the elements within academia that define and influence the educational experiences for post-graduate degreed AA women? 2) What (if any) challenges to post-graduate degree attainment, were experienced by the population; what meaning do they find in those experiences? And 3) What are the perceptions of this population regarding how their intersecting identities pertaining to race and gender informed their academic experience? To date, there exist exclusions of the African American feminist perspective from mainstream epistemologies and methodologies, and this study aims to fill this gap in research. The analysis of data illuminated “the concrete rose” as the essence of how this population, through their resilience, navigated their postgraduate matriculation experience. Further, the results of the analysis were elucidated through six major themes regarding participant educational experiences: 1) intersectional feminist standpoint, 2) perceptions of hegemony within academic pursuits, 3) motivational influencers, 4) the perspective of historically black colleges and universities and primarily white institutions, 5) notions of visibility, and 6) mentorship and support. The results of this study provide the field of conflict resolution studies a more robust and inclusive framework for understanding the specific needs and experiences of this population through an interdisciplinary lens. The study also provides recommendations for future research, institutional policy and practice for practitioners working with AA female students.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985. / Also available in print.