This study was designed to identify the needs of Native students at the University of Saskatchewan. The researcher claimed that the university does not adequately address Native student needs. The importance of this issue is heightened in today's society as Native students are entering universities in increasing numbers because they realize the necessity of university educated people. Native self-government and economic self-sufficiency are two goals which are attainable as more Native people successfully complete university studies.<p>Native students, however, continue to experience high attrition and low success rates at university. It is suggested that these trends continue because the university is founded and operates on philosophies and values which contradict those of Native cultures. Moreover, the university pays little attention to the cultural characteristics of Native people which results in an environment and learning styles that pose academic and non-academic difficulties for these students.<p> This research was conducted in the 1991-92 academic year and utilized three forms of data collection. The central theme was to determine what factors cause difficulties for Native students pursuing an education at the University of Saskatchewan. To provide a response for this question, four secondary areas were explored: demographic elements, academic and career experiences prior to university entrance, experiences at university, and initiatives that could be undertaken to improve the situation for Native university students. Seven interviews (involving eight individuals) who work with Native students were conducted. Forty students also completed questionnaires. Results from these two sources were analysed and it was determined that students and interviewees held similar opinions on some issues: academic preparation, funding, adjustment, the need for more Native services and Native employees. There were other issues (housing, health problems, university indifference) where interviewees were unaware of the magnitude of difficulties faced by Native students. There were other issues (child care, single parenthood) where interviewees perceived the difficulties to be greater than the perceptions of the students. Both student respondents and interviewees discussed the need for the university to undertake the implementation of a number of initiatives to improve the situation for Native students. The results from previous research were incorporated throughout the study. These results formed the basis for the construction of the research instruments. They were also a significant component of data analysis.<p>An analysis of the results led to the formulation of a number of recommendations which could prove beneficial for Native students if implemented. It is suggested that teachers and guidance counsellors could implement strategies which would enable students to heighten their academic qualifications and increase their awareness of programs and services prior to university entrance. Colleges, faculty, staff, and administrators at the university could also undertake measures to lessen the difficulties which Native students encounter at university and increase their representation in colleges where their enrolments have been traditionally minimal or non-existent. Finally, Bands and Tribal Councils (who are beginning to administer their own post-secondary programs), and the federal government can also play a significant role.

This study was designed to identify the needs of Native students at the University of Saskatchewan. The researcher claimed that the university does not adequately address Native student needs. The importance of this issue is heightened in today's society as Native students are entering universities in increasing numbers because they realize the necessity of university educated people. Native self-government and economic self-sufficiency are two goals which are attainable as more Native people successfully complete university studies.<p>Native students, however, continue to experience high attrition and low success rates at university. It is suggested that these trends continue because the university is founded and operates on philosophies and values which contradict those of Native cultures. Moreover, the university pays little attention to the cultural characteristics of Native people which results in an environment and learning styles that pose academic and non-academic difficulties for these students.<p> This research was conducted in the 1991-92 academic year and utilized three forms of data collection. The central theme was to determine what factors cause difficulties for Native students pursuing an education at the University of Saskatchewan. To provide a response for this question, four secondary areas were explored: demographic elements, academic and career experiences prior to university entrance, experiences at university, and initiatives that could be undertaken to improve the situation for Native university students. Seven interviews (involving eight individuals) who work with Native students were conducted. Forty students also completed questionnaires. Results from these two sources were analysed and it was determined that students and interviewees held similar opinions on some issues: academic preparation, funding, adjustment, the need for more Native services and Native employees. There were other issues (housing, health problems, university indifference) where interviewees were unaware of the magnitude of difficulties faced by Native students. There were other issues (child care, single parenthood) where interviewees perceived the difficulties to be greater than the perceptions of the students. Both student respondents and interviewees discussed the need for the university to undertake the implementation of a number of initiatives to improve the situation for Native students. The results from previous research were incorporated throughout the study. These results formed the basis for the construction of the research instruments. They were also a significant component of data analysis.<p>An analysis of the results led to the formulation of a number of recommendations which could prove beneficial for Native students if implemented. It is suggested that teachers and guidance counsellors could implement strategies which would enable students to heighten their academic qualifications and increase their awareness of programs and services prior to university entrance. Colleges, faculty, staff, and administrators at the university could also undertake measures to lessen the difficulties which Native students encounter at university and increase their representation in colleges where their enrolments have been traditionally minimal or non-existent. Finally, Bands and Tribal Councils (who are beginning to administer their own post-secondary programs), and the federal government can also play a significant role.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and performance of native and community college transfer students at a rural land grant institution. The study included students’ perceptions of the following areas: (1) academic and intellectual development; (2) faculty concern of student development and teaching; (3) social integration; (4) goal and institutional commitment; and (5) transfer students’ perceptions of their transfer process. The theoretical framework of the study was Tinto’s Longitudinal Model of Student Departure. A survey research design was employed in this investigative study to collect and analyze the data. A total of 567 Mississippi State University (MSU) students participated in the research study. An instrument entitled The Student Experience Survey was used to gather the data utilized in the research study. The researcher sought to answer 6 research questions related to participants’ perceptions and performance at MSU. To analyze the collected data both a Multivariate of Variance (MANOVA) and an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were used. Other statistical tests that were utilized in this research study were cross tabulations, descriptive frequencies, and Chi-Square. All results were presented in both descriptive and table forms. Among the major findings of the research study were: (a) there was a significant difference in the grade point averages (GPAs) of university native and community college transfer students, (b) there was a significant relationship between the collegiate GPAs of community college transfer students and their perceptions of specific transfer variables; and (c) there were significant differences in the students’ perceptions of the factor variables of academic and intellectual development, faculty concern for student development, social integration, and goal and institutional commitment among university native and community college transfer students.

The purpose of this study was to describe how three pupils in the senior room of Wandering Spirit Survival School in Toronto responded behaviorally to the cultural and academic experiences provided. Participant observation was used to collect data for the study during the period of September 10 to November 15, 1981. Information concerning pupil behavior was gathered during: periods of total-class instruction and periods of individual instruction by the regular classroom teacher; individually-assigned task time; class sessions with visiting resource persons; free time; Ojibway and French language instruction; instruction at Winchester Public School; Sacred Circle feasts; and recess. Pupil seatwork was collected and studied. Additional information was obtained through interviews with the three Subjects and with the director.<p>The study was conducted over a period of ten weeks and totalled ninety-seven hours fifty-one minutes of observation time. The Subjects were students in the senior room of Wandering Spirit Survival School, an alternative school for native children in Toronto, and their class consisted of thirteen pupils from grades five to eight. The procedures of this study yielded descriptive data of each Subject's behavior during the various types of activities observed. From the behavioral data, an account described each S's behavior over the ten-week study period, as it occurred in various situations and with various instructors/resource persons.' Frequency of behavior and changes in behavior were noted. The behavior of Ss was also discussed in light of the cultural and academic goals of the school. The data suggested that the school was partially meeting its cultural goals and was failing to meet its academic goals in the case of the three Ss studied.<p>Wandering Spirit Survival School aimed at providing a safe, nonthreatening environment for its pupils. The atmosphere of the school and the cultural activities of the Sacred Circle, feasts, and Ojibway language instruction were found to be useful in creating a sense of pride in being Indian for the three Ss of the study. More could have been done in providing pupils with a knowledge and understanding of native heritage, native history, and contemporary native issues. Although Ojibway language was taught three times a week, the three Ss of the study had not learned to read, write, or speak any of the language during the ten weeks of this study.<p>A second goal of Wandering Spirit Survival School was to prepare pupils academically so that, if they chose, they could successfully continue their education beyond grade eight. Observations suggested that the three Ss of the study were not being academically prepared for high school according to this study. The Ss spent a great deal of class instruction time engaged in other activities: talking, drawing pictures, walking around, playing with articles at their desks, leaving the room Their behavior was the same regardless of who the instructor was. The Ss were most attentive during audio-visual presentations and during lessons involving activity on the part of pupils. However, the teaching done at the school involved, for the most part, the use of textbooks and workbooks.<p>The teacher appeared to hold higher expectations for Jim than for Donald and Agnes. These expectations were reflected in the small amount<br> [Abstract truncated. Pages iv - v missing from thesis.]

The purpose of this study was to describe how three pupils in the senior room of Wandering Spirit Survival School in Toronto responded behaviorally to the cultural and academic experiences provided. Participant observation was used to collect data for the study during the period of September 10 to November 15, 1981. Information concerning pupil behavior was gathered during: periods of total-class instruction and periods of individual instruction by the regular classroom teacher; individually-assigned task time; class sessions with visiting resource persons; free time; Ojibway and French language instruction; instruction at Winchester Public School; Sacred Circle feasts; and recess. Pupil seatwork was collected and studied. Additional information was obtained through interviews with the three Subjects and with the director.<p>The study was conducted over a period of ten weeks and totalled ninety-seven hours fifty-one minutes of observation time. The Subjects were students in the senior room of Wandering Spirit Survival School, an alternative school for native children in Toronto, and their class consisted of thirteen pupils from grades five to eight. The procedures of this study yielded descriptive data of each Subject's behavior during the various types of activities observed. From the behavioral data, an account described each S's behavior over the ten-week study period, as it occurred in various situations and with various instructors/resource persons.' Frequency of behavior and changes in behavior were noted. The behavior of Ss was also discussed in light of the cultural and academic goals of the school. The data suggested that the school was partially meeting its cultural goals and was failing to meet its academic goals in the case of the three Ss studied.<p>Wandering Spirit Survival School aimed at providing a safe, nonthreatening environment for its pupils. The atmosphere of the school and the cultural activities of the Sacred Circle, feasts, and Ojibway language instruction were found to be useful in creating a sense of pride in being Indian for the three Ss of the study. More could have been done in providing pupils with a knowledge and understanding of native heritage, native history, and contemporary native issues. Although Ojibway language was taught three times a week, the three Ss of the study had not learned to read, write, or speak any of the language during the ten weeks of this study.<p>A second goal of Wandering Spirit Survival School was to prepare pupils academically so that, if they chose, they could successfully continue their education beyond grade eight. Observations suggested that the three Ss of the study were not being academically prepared for high school according to this study. The Ss spent a great deal of class instruction time engaged in other activities: talking, drawing pictures, walking around, playing with articles at their desks, leaving the room Their behavior was the same regardless of who the instructor was. The Ss were most attentive during audio-visual presentations and during lessons involving activity on the part of pupils. However, the teaching done at the school involved, for the most part, the use of textbooks and workbooks.<p>The teacher appeared to hold higher expectations for Jim than for Donald and Agnes. These expectations were reflected in the small amount<br> [Abstract truncated. Pages iv - v missing from thesis.]

The purpose of this study was to explore the postsecondary education transition experiences of graduates of Choctaw Central High School (CCHS) who received support from the Tribal Scholarship Program (TSP) to better understand the barriers to successful postsecondary completion and the means to overcoming those barriers. Successful transitions are key for students to persist to academic completion. Studies show that American Indian students have low rates of college completion and experience a variety of factors attributed to withdrawal from college. This study provided insight into college success experienced by American Indian students and an understanding of the opportunities for a college education their scholarship program provides. Suggestions for improving the preparation of students and operation of the scholarship program are offered. The participants in this study were CCHS graduates who received support from the TSP for postsecondary education. A case study with a survey component research design was used in this study. Data from a cross-sectional survey, interviews, and observations were collected. A total of 87 past and present TSP supported students participated as survey respondents. Purposeful sampling in the form of maximum variation was used to select 6 respondents for researcher conducted interviews. The findings of this study documented four themes that characterized the transition experience of respondents to postsecondary education. Additionally, within these themes three general barriers to successful postsecondary completion were revealed. The general barriers included: (a) racial conflict with peers or faculty, (b) being overwhelmed academically, and (c) having to care for a legal dependent. The themes and barriers are discussed in the context of three primary factors related to postsecondary completion for American Indian students: sociocultural, academic, and personal factors. Recommendations included: (a) assessing and addressing the unique needs of nontraditional students in the Tribal Scholarship program, (b) arranging for an after hour study and tutoring facility for Tribal Scholarship Program students who commute from the reservation to college, (c) beginning orientation to the Tribal Scholarship Program with 9th graders, (d) providing on-campus mentoring opportunities for Tribal Scholarship Program participants, and (e) expanding this research to public school graduates who participate in the Tribal Scholarship Program.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between thirteen independent variables and the academic achievement of Indian and non-Indian students and to make comparisons between the two cultural groups. The independent variables were classified into three groups: one person characteristic: reasoning ability, five classroom environmental variables: satisfaction, friction, competitiveness, difficulty, and cohesiveness, and seven categorical variables: sex, cultural group, sex x culture interaction, grade, school, grade, school interaction, and school x culture interaction. The dependent variables were five subtests of the Canadian Test of Basic Skills. The sample included 75 Indian and 95 non-Indian students in grades four, six, and eight in three schools, one federal school on a reserve and two provincial (joint) schools.<p>A stepwise multiple regression program was used to analyze the data. The total group was examined regarding the relationships between the thirteen variables (including cultural group as an independent variable) and the five achievement tests. Because these analyses indicated that cultural group was a significant predictor of achievement, the two cultural groups were separated and separate analyses were made regarding relationships between the remaining ten independent variables and the achievement test scores.<p>The results indicated that the non-Indian group obtained significantly higher mean achievement test scores than the Indian group on all five C.T.B.S. subtests although there was considerable overlap between the two groups. Reasoning ability, as measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices, was a significant predictor of all achievement test scores for both Indian and non-Indian students. The Raven's scores contributed less to the variance in Indian students' achievement in Mathematics and Language Skills than to non-Indian students' achievement in the same subtests. It was suggested that Indian students may use-different cognitive strategies than non-Indian students to learn Mathematics and Language Skills. Further research was recommended to explore this area.<p>Two classroom environmental variables, competitiveness and cohesiveness, were significant predictors of achievement scores. Competitiveness was positively related to Indian students' achievement on four subtests. It was recommended that experimental studies be undertaken to attempt to discover causal relationships between competitiveness and achievement. Cohesiveness was positively related to non-Indian-students' achievement in Language Skills and Mathematics but was negatively related to 'Indian students' achievement in Mathematics. When acting together, the five environmental variables explained more of the variance in Indian students' achievement on three subtests than in non-Indian students' achievement on the same tests.<p>School was a significant predictor of Indian students' achievement in Vocabulary and non-Indian students' achievement in Mathematics. Grade was a significant predictor of achievement in Reading, Language Skills, and the Composite Score for the Indian group. Sex was a significant predictor of non-Indian students' achievement in Language Skills with females achieving significantly higher scores than males.<p>Differences in prediction of achievement for the Indian and non-Indian group were discussed in terms of the cumulative deficit hypothesis, sociocultural phenomenon and biographical histories.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between thirteen independent variables and the academic achievement of Indian and non-Indian students and to make comparisons between the two cultural groups. The independent variables were classified into three groups: one person characteristic: reasoning ability, five classroom environmental variables: satisfaction, friction, competitiveness, difficulty, and cohesiveness, and seven categorical variables: sex, cultural group, sex x culture interaction, grade, school, grade, school interaction, and school x culture interaction. The dependent variables were five subtests of the Canadian Test of Basic Skills. The sample included 75 Indian and 95 non-Indian students in grades four, six, and eight in three schools, one federal school on a reserve and two provincial (joint) schools.<p>A stepwise multiple regression program was used to analyze the data. The total group was examined regarding the relationships between the thirteen variables (including cultural group as an independent variable) and the five achievement tests. Because these analyses indicated that cultural group was a significant predictor of achievement, the two cultural groups were separated and separate analyses were made regarding relationships between the remaining ten independent variables and the achievement test scores.<p>The results indicated that the non-Indian group obtained significantly higher mean achievement test scores than the Indian group on all five C.T.B.S. subtests although there was considerable overlap between the two groups. Reasoning ability, as measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices, was a significant predictor of all achievement test scores for both Indian and non-Indian students. The Raven's scores contributed less to the variance in Indian students' achievement in Mathematics and Language Skills than to non-Indian students' achievement in the same subtests. It was suggested that Indian students may use-different cognitive strategies than non-Indian students to learn Mathematics and Language Skills. Further research was recommended to explore this area.<p>Two classroom environmental variables, competitiveness and cohesiveness, were significant predictors of achievement scores. Competitiveness was positively related to Indian students' achievement on four subtests. It was recommended that experimental studies be undertaken to attempt to discover causal relationships between competitiveness and achievement. Cohesiveness was positively related to non-Indian-students' achievement in Language Skills and Mathematics but was negatively related to 'Indian students' achievement in Mathematics. When acting together, the five environmental variables explained more of the variance in Indian students' achievement on three subtests than in non-Indian students' achievement on the same tests.<p>School was a significant predictor of Indian students' achievement in Vocabulary and non-Indian students' achievement in Mathematics. Grade was a significant predictor of achievement in Reading, Language Skills, and the Composite Score for the Indian group. Sex was a significant predictor of non-Indian students' achievement in Language Skills with females achieving significantly higher scores than males.<p>Differences in prediction of achievement for the Indian and non-Indian group were discussed in terms of the cumulative deficit hypothesis, sociocultural phenomenon and biographical histories.

Idioms are a big part of languages but can cause trouble for communication, especially for non-native speakers of a language. Interpreting idioms correctly means that one must derive a figurative meaning from words that individually mean something else. Recent research primarily focuses on the impact of context for successful idiom comprehension and seems to prioritize native speakers’ understanding of them. This study investigates the impact of context for Swedish non-native upper secondary students’ interpretation of English idioms. It further explores if grades and level of education are factors to consider. In a two-part, multiple-choice test, 53 students were presented with 10 idioms in context and 10 idioms out of context with two additional questions regarding level of education and last received grade in English. The students were also asked whether they had seen each idiom before or not. The results showed that context and grade seem to have impact on non-native students’ interpretation of idioms to some extent, but level of education does not seem to. One interesting finding was that idioms were interpreted correctly even though they were neither presented in context nor were considered familiar by the students. A possible conclusion is therefore that even if context is an important factor for successful idiom interpretation for non-native students, several other factors might be of equal importance.

This study filled a gap in the higher education literature regarding whether a relationship exists between students’ employment location on or off campus, students’ identification as either native or transfer, and academic success as measured by self-reported grades for full-time seniors between the ages of 20-23 who enrolled in urban colleges and universities. The researcher used the National Survey of Student Engagement survey to collect data. It was administered to students during the 2013 or 2014 administrations at urban colleges and universities, with the purpose of representing the senior cohorts of students at their college or university during the years of administration. The researcher performed a secondary data analysis of the survey responses to the National Survey of Student Experiences of senior students who fit the sampling criterion, with the permission of Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. The results showed that, for both native and transfer senior student cohorts, as work hours off campus increased, there was a decrease in self-reported grades. In contrast, both native and transfer students who worked on campus enjoyed higher self-reported grades, and students who worked on campus performed better academically than even those students who did not work at all. Finally, the researcher noted no significant difference between the senior native and transfer student populations’ experiences with employment location and grades.