Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Educational research has examined factors contributing to teachers' burnout symptoms, including their perceptions of student behaviors (Ingersoll, 2003). Interestingly, teacher and students' races have been differentially related to teachers' perceptions of student behavior (Downey and Pribesh, 2004); this disparity in perceptions has been associated with teachers making more negative recommendations for African American students than for White students (Tenenbaum and Ruck, 2007). However, racial categories are not psychological constructs and offer little room for designing interventions to restructure teachers' perceptions of student behavior as a strategy to prevent teacher burnout. Since most teachers are White, using Helms's (1995) White racial identity model could offer a conceptual framework for examining different perspectives by which teachers understand their students' racial dynamics, which in turn, might affect how teachers feel, think, and act. Thus, if teachers' racial identity relates to their burnout symptoms, perceptions of student behavior, and recommendations, educational researchers could investigate more effective means of preventing teacher burnout symptoms and affect teachers' reactions to racially diverse students. White teachers (N = 237) completed an on-line survey containing an abbreviated White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale (Helms, 2011), behavior subscales of the Conners' Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale - Teacher Form (Conners, 2008), Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators' Survey (Maslach, Jackson, and Leiter, 1996), two teacher recommendations measures, and a demographic questionnaire. Results from Multivariate Analyses of Covariance suggested that teachers did not react differently to students' ethnic names or pictures with respect to their perceptions of students' behavior or teachers' likelihood of using specific recommendations. However, canonical correlations suggested that teachers' levels of burnout symptoms were related to their perceptions of students' Defiant Aggressive and Conduct Disorder symptoms. Moreover, teachers' biased and confused racial identity perspectives were strongly positively related to teachers' (a) burnout symptoms; (b) perceptions of angry, argumentative, and defiant behaviors; and (c) likelihood of using negative behavior management strategies with their students. Discussion included recommendations for educational training programs, methodological limitations, and implications of the results. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Brain development in children has always been fascinating to me; it was the reason I chose to major in Early Childhood Education. I have often wondered how the expectations and behavior of parents and teachers affect young children academically. Specifically, how do early gender messages from adults, peers, and the popular media have a powerful impact on the development of young brains? The professional responsibility of all educators is to help every child reach their full potential. This thesis explored the potential impact early childhood educators have in developing and reinforcing stereotypes that can affect children academically by surveying teachers about their own backgrounds, thoughts and feelings about their male and female students. Confirming my belief that most teachers had similar backgrounds I was able to find that among the 59 respondents surveyed; 98% were female, 81% attended mixed gender public schools, 85% grew up in a two-parent home and 90% had a father working full-time outside of the home. While looking for similarities in descriptive language I was able to find that given a choice of 14 words from a word bank teachers used the same terms over and over to describe their male and female students. Teachers chose words that described physical characteristics when recalling their male students and chose emotional words when they were asked to describe their female students. When teachers were asked to recall which students they believed to be the most challenging in their classrooms and to identify the gender of these students, they identified male students three times more than their female students. I was left wondering if the mostly female teachers who all shared similar backgrounds were transferring unconscious bias onto their students. Why was the descriptive language they used so similar? Why were males students identified as challenging so much more than female students?

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O presente estudo traz como lócus central de interesse apreender as percepções que alunos formandos do ensino médio de uma escola estadual do município do Rio de Janeiro, possuem sobre suas chances de terem ascensão educacional, via ingresso no ensino superior, focalizando, em especial, como percebem as contribuições da escola e da classe social a que pertencem nesse processo. O estudo foi realizado apenas durante o turno da manhã, utilizando-se de aporte teórico-metodológico ancorado nas pesquisas sobre os efeitos das escolas, campo de estudo que se iniciou fora do Brasil, e que recentemente tem experimentado mais entrada no campo educacional brasileiro. Esta pesquisa congregou o uso das metodologias quantitativa e qualitativa, com aplicação de questionários estruturados a todos os alunos formandos, bem como buscou conhecer mais das expectativas destes estudantes, através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas realizadas com dois alunos de cada turma. Estudos apontam que, ainda que os fatores extra-escolares, especialmente aqueles relacionados às condições socioeconômicas dos indivíduos, exerçam forte influência sobre o desempenho escolar dos alunos, sobre suas trajetórias escolares, e, posteriormente, sobre suas trajetórias profissionais, outros trabalhos vêm sugerindo que há mais elementos que precisam ser introduzidos na análise, elementos estes que dizem respeito a aspectos relacionados à própria escola, que se convencionou chamar no Brasil como efeitos das escolas, ou simplesmente, efeito-escola. Acredita-se, segundo esta perspectiva de análise, que as escolas podem vir a afetar as trajetórias dos alunos, assim como suas expectativas de vida e suas motivações, embaralhando a influência dos fatores socioeconômicos, que, ainda que presentes, não seriam os únicos condicionantes. Estas pesquisas revelam que, depois de controladas as variáveis concernentes às condições socioeconômicas dos indivíduos, os dados sugeririam que as escolas exerceriam influência sobre o desempenho dos alunos, em maior ou menor grau, com maior ou menor êxito, mostrando que as escolas podem fazer diferença, e que não são apenas os fatores extra-escolares os únicos determinantes para o sucesso e insucesso escolar dos indivíduos. / The present study has as central locus of interest to understand the perceptions of the students graduates from high school in a state school in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, have had about their chances of educational ascension via access to higher education, focusing, in particular, as the students realize the contributions of school and social class they belong in this process. The study was conducted only during the morning shift, using the theoretical and methodological anchored in research on school matters, field of study that began outside of Brazil, which has recently experienced more entry in the Brazilian educational field. This research gathered using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, applying questionnaires to all senior students and sought to know more of their expectations through semi-structured interviews with two students from each class. Studies show that, although outside school factors, especially those related to socioeconomic conditions of individuals, have a strong influence on the academic performance of students on their path through school, and later on their professional careers, other studies have suggested that there are other elements that need to be introduced into the analysis, which are relate to schools, which has been called in Brazil as efeitos das escolas, or simply efeito-escola. According this analysis perspective, schools are likely to affect students trajectories, as well as their expectations of life and their motivations, mistaking the influence of socioeconomic factors, which, though present, were not the only constraints. These researches show that after controlling for variables pertaining to the socioeconomic conditions of individuals, the data suggest that schools exert influence on student performance to a greater or lesser extent, with varying degrees of success, showing that schools can make a difference, and that the outside school factors are not the only determinants for the school success and failure of the individuals.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O presente estudo traz como lócus central de interesse apreender as percepções que alunos formandos do ensino médio de uma escola estadual do município do Rio de Janeiro, possuem sobre suas chances de terem ascensão educacional, via ingresso no ensino superior, focalizando, em especial, como percebem as contribuições da escola e da classe social a que pertencem nesse processo. O estudo foi realizado apenas durante o turno da manhã, utilizando-se de aporte teórico-metodológico ancorado nas pesquisas sobre os efeitos das escolas, campo de estudo que se iniciou fora do Brasil, e que recentemente tem experimentado mais entrada no campo educacional brasileiro. Esta pesquisa congregou o uso das metodologias quantitativa e qualitativa, com aplicação de questionários estruturados a todos os alunos formandos, bem como buscou conhecer mais das expectativas destes estudantes, através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas realizadas com dois alunos de cada turma. Estudos apontam que, ainda que os fatores extra-escolares, especialmente aqueles relacionados às condições socioeconômicas dos indivíduos, exerçam forte influência sobre o desempenho escolar dos alunos, sobre suas trajetórias escolares, e, posteriormente, sobre suas trajetórias profissionais, outros trabalhos vêm sugerindo que há mais elementos que precisam ser introduzidos na análise, elementos estes que dizem respeito a aspectos relacionados à própria escola, que se convencionou chamar no Brasil como efeitos das escolas, ou simplesmente, efeito-escola. Acredita-se, segundo esta perspectiva de análise, que as escolas podem vir a afetar as trajetórias dos alunos, assim como suas expectativas de vida e suas motivações, embaralhando a influência dos fatores socioeconômicos, que, ainda que presentes, não seriam os únicos condicionantes. Estas pesquisas revelam que, depois de controladas as variáveis concernentes às condições socioeconômicas dos indivíduos, os dados sugeririam que as escolas exerceriam influência sobre o desempenho dos alunos, em maior ou menor grau, com maior ou menor êxito, mostrando que as escolas podem fazer diferença, e que não são apenas os fatores extra-escolares os únicos determinantes para o sucesso e insucesso escolar dos indivíduos. / The present study has as central locus of interest to understand the perceptions of the students graduates from high school in a state school in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, have had about their chances of educational ascension via access to higher education, focusing, in particular, as the students realize the contributions of school and social class they belong in this process. The study was conducted only during the morning shift, using the theoretical and methodological anchored in research on school matters, field of study that began outside of Brazil, which has recently experienced more entry in the Brazilian educational field. This research gathered using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, applying questionnaires to all senior students and sought to know more of their expectations through semi-structured interviews with two students from each class. Studies show that, although outside school factors, especially those related to socioeconomic conditions of individuals, have a strong influence on the academic performance of students on their path through school, and later on their professional careers, other studies have suggested that there are other elements that need to be introduced into the analysis, which are relate to schools, which has been called in Brazil as efeitos das escolas, or simply efeito-escola. According this analysis perspective, schools are likely to affect students trajectories, as well as their expectations of life and their motivations, mistaking the influence of socioeconomic factors, which, though present, were not the only constraints. These researches show that after controlling for variables pertaining to the socioeconomic conditions of individuals, the data suggest that schools exert influence on student performance to a greater or lesser extent, with varying degrees of success, showing that schools can make a difference, and that the outside school factors are not the only determinants for the school success and failure of the individuals.

The main aim of this thesis study is to identify the factors that affect higher education students&rsquo / perceptions of computerized assessment for learning. This study additionally aims to help effective use of computers in assessment activities by guiding the teachers or educational organization by interpreting the factors that affect students&rsquo / attitudes toward computer use in examinations. Quantitative research design has been used in this study. When choosing the participants, nonprobability sampling strategy was used due to its convenience. A total number 332 student of Middle East Technical University participated in the study. The data has been analyzed via Confirmatory Factor Analysis and interpreted by Structural Equation Modeling. The data loaded under 5 constructs: Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Intention, Computer Attitude and Anxiety. By identifying the relations between these constructs, a structural model was created to determine the intention of students&rsquo / towards computerized assessment. The findings of this study have revealed that &ldquo / perceived usefulness&rdquo / is the most important determinant in students&rsquo / willingness to use computerized assessment. Additionally, if students have anxiety resulted from computer use, this affect their easiness perceptions negatively. Computer attitude is another factor that affects students&rsquo / perceptions of easiness and their anxiety. Finally it is concluded that students&rsquo / computer attitudes and anxiety affect their behaviors toward computerized assessment.

The aim of the study is to investigate some teachers´and students´perceptions of how the teaching of the subject Swedish is designed to motivate the development of students´ language, reading and writing when one to one is used. The study has a the communicative relationally oriented perspective on teaching. The method that has been used to answer the purpose of this study is qualitative and is based on semi structured interviews with some teachers´and students´. The result of the study shows that computers should be seen as an important part of the teaching design to increase students motivation to schoolwork when teachers are forming the teaching. The computer can be seen as a motivational boost for both teachers and students in teaching, but above all, the study shows it facilitates in students´ language-, reading- and writing development. The teachers´ perception is that the major benefits of one to one teaching with computers lies in the ability to adapt for students in need of support. The teachers have different perceptions on how computers can be used in teaching. Nevertheless, they are based essentially on the same motivational factors to increase students motivation for schoolwork, wich are the same as they always have used. Both teachers and students have an idea that other factors appear to be as important as the computer in order for them to be motivated; the importance of the teacher, the importance of the teaching to be structured, and that the teaching is based on the interest of the students, that it feels relevant and can be related to, are also important motivational factors in one to one teaching with computers. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka några lärares och elevers uppfattningar om hur svenskundervisningen är utformad för att motivera eleverna i deras språk-, läs- och skrivutveckling i en-till-en-undervisning med datorer. Studien har sin teoretiska utgångspunkt i det kommunikativa relationsinriktade perspektivet på lärande. Metoden som använts är kvalitativ och för att besvara studiens syfte har semistrukturerade intervjuer med några lärare och elever genomförts. Resultatet visar att datorn bör ses som en viktig del i lärares utformande av undervisning när det gäller att öka elevers motivation till skolarbete. Datorn kan ses som motivationshöjande för lärare och elever i undervisning, men framförallt visar studien att den underlättar i elevers språk-, läs- och skrivutveckling. Lärarnas uppfattning är att de stora fördelarna med en-till-enundervisning med datorer ligger i möjligheten att anpassa för de elever som är i behov av stöd på olika sätt. Lärarna har olika syn på hur datorn kan användas i undervisningen. Trots detta utgår de från i stort sett samma motivationshöjande faktorer för att öka elevernas motivation till skolarbetet, vilka är samma som de alltid har utgått från. Såväl lärarna som eleverna har en uppfattning om att andra faktorer framstår som minst lika viktiga som datorn för att de ska bli motiverade; lärarens betydelse, vikten av strukturerad undervisning, samt att det man arbetar med utgår från elevers intresse, att det känns relevant och går att relatera till är även de viktiga motivationshöjande faktorerna i en-till-en-undervisning med datorer.

[pt] A disciplina Psicologia da Educação se apresenta como parte importante da profissionalização docente, apesar de, muitas vezes, ser desconsiderada nos cursos de formação. Diante disso, nesta tese, buscamos investigar a influência dessa disciplina na formação de professores. Verificamos as expectativas e percepções dos licenciandos, licenciados e professores de Psicologia da Educação. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, contamos com a participação de 159 alunos licenciandos e bolsistas do PIBID de uma universidade pública de Minas Gerais. Participaram também quatro alunas egressas da universidade, ex-participantes do PIBID, e sete professoras de Psicologia da Educação da mesma universidade. Procedemos a uma pesquisa do tipo quanti-qualitativa; aplicamos questionários, coordenamos uma roda de conversa e fizemos um estudo dos documentos curriculares da universidade. Com relação aos documentos, os dados demonstraram pouca carga horária destinada à disciplina na maior parte dos cursos e uma localização na estrutura curricular que oblitera uma articulação mais contundente com as outras disciplinas dos cursos, principalmente as que tratam da formação do professor. Das quatro integrantes da roda de conversa, três deixaram demarcada, em suas falas, a importância de tudo que estudaram na disciplina. Elas dizem que os tópicos estudados, que fizeram parte de seus percursos formativos, foram de grande valia na consolidação de suas práticas, assim, também, rememoraram como se reportam na prática a esses conhecimentos, trazendo os conteúdos estudados no auxilio e orientação em cada fase do desenvolvimento de suas crianças. O ensino promovido parecia priorizar algumas teorias e técnicas de ensino, sendo elas justificadas por estarem em consonância com as necessidades dos alunos e com suas expectativas em relação à disciplina. Verificamos uma porcentagem alta de técnicas/métodos tradicionais utilizados, ainda que, para as professoras, os conteúdos fossem abordados de forma satisfatória. Vimos que os alunos das licenciaturas, ao ingressarem nos cursos de formação, tinham expectativas positivas com relação à disciplina de Psicologia da Educação, desejavam cursá-la e acreditavam ser ela essencial para sua formação. Além disso, eles tinham boas lembranças das práticas elaboradas por seus professores em sala de aula, mesmo percebendo as técnicas utilizadas como conservadoras e tradicionais. Os participantes identificaram um diálogo entre a disciplina Psicologia da Educação e outras áreas específicas da formação e foram categóricos quando disseram que a disciplina complementa as demais, mas demonstraram insatisfação com relação aos meios pelos quais o diálogo acontece, argumentando faltar estabelecer um diálogo maior entre teoria e prática, uma vez que somente metade deles disse se sentir preparada para lidar com a realidade do cotidiano escolar. / [en] The study of Educational Psychology is an important part of teacher professionalization, even though it is not considered as part of teacher training. Therefore, we investigate the influence of the discipline on teacher training and the expectations and perceptions of the graduates. The participants of our research were 159 graduates and PIBID scholarship students from a public university in Minas Gerais. We also had the participation of four students – former participants of the PIBID – from the university, as well as seven professors of Educational Psychology from the same university, and we conducted a quantitative-qualitative research. Our methodology included questionnaires, a conversation with some alumni students, and a study of the curricular documents of the university. Regarding the documents, the data revealed limited allocation time for Educational Psychology in most teacher training courses. Also, its role in the curricular structure seemed to obliterate a stronger articulation with other courses, especially those that deal with teacher training. The participating professors affirmed that the role assigned to the discipline was to train teachers, with special attention to the processes of human development and learning, and they showed concern with articulating the contents taught, having as a parameter the age group with which their students would work in the future. The teaching practices seemed to prioritize some theories and teaching techniques, based on the needs of students and their expectations regarding the subject. We verified the presence of a high percentage of traditional techniques/methods used, and, for the teachers, the contents were approached in a satisfactory way. We saw that undergraduate teaching students, upon their training courses, had positive expectations regarding the discipline of Educational Psychology, wished to take it, as well as believed it to be essential for their education. They manifested positive perceptions in relation to the Educational Psychology classes, considering them a positive addition to their coursework, and ways of eliciting good memories of the practices elaborated by their professors in the classroom, even while at the same time perceiving the techniques used as conservative and traditional. Participants identified a dialogue between the discipline of Educational Psychology and other areas, specific to their degree, and were categorical in saying that the discipline complements the others. However, they showed dissatisfaction in relation to the means by which dialogue takes place, attributing it to a lack of dialogue between theory and practice, because only half of them claimed to feel prepared to deal with the reality of everyday school life.

The study investigated the perceptions of student nurses and supervisors with regard to the block system used in the general nurse diploma programme in Zimbabwe. Their perceptions were elicited so that the researcher could identify the positive and negative aspects of the blook system which respectively promote and inhibit or obstruct the teaching and learning of student nurses. The study was conducted at the Harare, Parirenyatwa, Mpilo and United Bulawayo Schools of Nursing and in Mashonaland East province. A cross·sectional descriptive survey research design was used to obtain accurate information about the block system. Data was collected from nurse teachers, clinical teachers and sisters in charge of wards/units by means of structured interviews and from community health nurses and student nurses by means of self-administered questionnaires. The following positive aspects of study blocks were identified: the availability of time for student nurses to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes without fear of hurting patients, the availability and willingness of nurse teachers to teach, the attendance of study blocks as groups and straight off duties. During clinical area placements, the integration of theory and practice took place, and there were opportunities for student nurses to apply the knowledge and skills they learnt during study blocks and to work as members of health teams. The negative aspects of the study blocks that were identified included too much theory content taught in each study block, inadequate demonstrations, a shortage of nurse teachers, no periods for individual study, a theory-practice gap and the too-frequent use of the formal lecture teaching method. The negative aspects of the clinical area placements included the inadequate teaching/supervision of student nurses, excessive night duties for student nurses, a shortage of qualified staff: clinical allocation of student nurses not based on study block content, inadequate clinical teaching by nurse teachers, and unplanned clinical teaching. Most clinical teaching was performed by peers and the most junior professional nurses. / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

The study investigated the perceptions of student nurses and supervisors with regard to the block system used in the general nurse diploma programme in Zimbabwe. Their perceptions were elicited so that the researcher could identify the positive and negative aspects of the blook system which respectively promote and inhibit or obstruct the teaching and learning of student nurses. The study was conducted at the Harare, Parirenyatwa, Mpilo and United Bulawayo Schools of Nursing and in Mashonaland East province. A cross·sectional descriptive survey research design was used to obtain accurate information about the block system. Data was collected from nurse teachers, clinical teachers and sisters in charge of wards/units by means of structured interviews and from community health nurses and student nurses by means of self-administered questionnaires. The following positive aspects of study blocks were identified: the availability of time for student nurses to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes without fear of hurting patients, the availability and willingness of nurse teachers to teach, the attendance of study blocks as groups and straight off duties. During clinical area placements, the integration of theory and practice took place, and there were opportunities for student nurses to apply the knowledge and skills they learnt during study blocks and to work as members of health teams. The negative aspects of the study blocks that were identified included too much theory content taught in each study block, inadequate demonstrations, a shortage of nurse teachers, no periods for individual study, a theory-practice gap and the too-frequent use of the formal lecture teaching method. The negative aspects of the clinical area placements included the inadequate teaching/supervision of student nurses, excessive night duties for student nurses, a shortage of qualified staff: clinical allocation of student nurses not based on study block content, inadequate clinical teaching by nurse teachers, and unplanned clinical teaching. Most clinical teaching was performed by peers and the most junior professional nurses. / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

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