Typescript, etc.

Typescript, etc.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1938 M53

No description available.

Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Social stratification research has consistently found persistent inequalities in the academic outcomes of children from different socio-economic status (SES) groups. Research in the sociology of education has shown that students from higher SES groups outperform peers from lower SES groups on various academic indicators as well as make greater academic progress when assessed at two or more separate points in time. Recent evidence from the US has also shown that participation in leisure out-of-school activities (OSA) is among the factors which may contribute to maintaining or even widening these inequalities. Similar evidence is lacking in the UK. The present research focuses on this issue by analysing the role of participation in leisure OSA in the process of reproduction of social inequalities in academic outcomes among British school-aged children. The study draws on social and cultural capital theories to address the following questions: a) Are there differences in participation in OSA among school-aged children in dissimilar SES groups?; b) Taking into account children’s SES, is participation in OSA associated with their academic outcomes?; c) Does the association between participation in OSA and children’s academic outcomes vary across different SES groups? Using data from the third and fourth sweeps of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), when cohort members were aged 5 and 7 years old, the research explores participation in three categories of leisure activities; a) social-group activities, b) commercial-public activities, and c) home-centred activities. Children’s academic outcomes are assessed using verbal and non-verbal standardised tests, as well as by teachers’ assessment. The study applied regression models to examine the relationships between children’s SES, participation in OSA and academic outcomes. The statistical analyses were carried out in a multilevel framework which enabled the MCS hierarchical data structure and area variations to be accounted for. The findings suggest that participation in some, but not all leisure OSA is one of the factors which contributes to socio-economic inequalities in educational outcomes among British school-aged children. This is because participation in OSA is associated with better academic performance among all students, however those in high SES groups are more likely to be exposed to such activities. After controlling for SES, gender, family characteristics, school type, absenteeism and geographical variation, there is a small to moderate positive relationship between participation in a number of different leisure OSA and 7-year-olds' academic performance. Interestingly, variations among children from different SES groups were found in the extent to which attendance at certain OSA (e.g. after-school clubs) is associated with academic development between age 5 and 7: children from lower SES who attend such activities tend to progress more academically than children from intermediate and higher SES.

"Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Occupational Therapy Department College of Allied Health and Nursing Nova Southeastern University December 2004."

Thesis ( M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This study was undertaken with the purpose of investigating the involvement of educators in community development in the lnsikazi Circuit. In terms of research design, the study used a case study, namely the lnsikazi community. In-depth interviews were carried out with participants. Focus group discussions were also used to weigh the different standpoints of stakeholders and establish areas of agreement and disagreement. In line with the dictates of qualitative research, data analysis was done using the constant comparative method. Each interview was transcribed, labelled and appropriately coded using emerging themes. The researcher found that educators should act as promoters of community education by inviting the community to school meetings and sensitizing them about the need for their children's' education. However educators do not get the opportunity to do so since the majority of parents do not honor such meetings. Some of the key findings include: • Educators were seen as sources of information for the community by bringing awareness to the community but their busy schedules usually mitigate against their playing this role. • Educators should be community mobilizers but they are not effective in this role as they are usually out of touch with community needs. • Educators should play the role of as organizers and coordinators of the different stakeholders, but the majority of them indicated that they were not interested in community work as it is demanding. Some of the reasons that hampered effective educator participation in community development include a lack of time, unresponsive parents/community and lack of monetary incentives. It is therefore recommended that to overcome all these problems there needs to be regular interaction between the community and the educators. During such interactions, issues pertaining to community development and how community development should benefit both the community and the educators should be highlighted. It is the researcher's hope that through such interactions, it will be possible to build genuine partnerships between the community, educators and other stakeholders.

AbstractThe aim of this essay is to identify English out-of-school activities among students with an immigrant background to find out to what extent English out-of-school activities have an impact on the students’ results at the National Test of English.An additional aim is to find out if English out-of-school activities are a way of integration outwards or vice versa if the lack of English out-of-school activities is a sign of integration inwards. The present study is based upon a questionnaire with closed questions, which was filled in by 54 third graders enrolled in the Child and Recreation Programme. The informants are divided into two groups, one of which is a control group of native Swedish students. The study showed a tendency that students with an immigrant background who are not involved in English out-of-school activities obtain lower grades in English and that they integrate inwards by using their native language on the Internet, listening to music and watching films from their home country. Furthermore, the study showed that there is a slight difference between native Swedish students and students with an immigrant background as regards computer habits.Keywords: English out-of-school activities, integration, third language acquisition, informal learning, computer habits, National Test of English, the third culture