Youth Futures is a community-based intervention intended to improve post-secondary education (PSE) access rates among high school youth from low-income families, who tend to be under-represented in higher education (Berger, Motte, & Parkin, 2009; Norrie & Zhao, 2011). The bilingual (French and English) program spans seven months and consists of mentoring by university students, leadership training, workplace training and skill development activities, paid summer employment, and exposure to college and university settings. This thesis examined the outcomes of the Youth Futures program through three distinct studies. First, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate short-term outcomes among program participants (N = 44, mean age of 16 years old at baseline) in comparison to a group of their peers (N = 40, mean age of 16 years old at baseline). Second, a qualitative study was conducted with a purposeful sample of program participants (N = 20, mean age of 17 years old) to explore their first-hand experiences through semi-structured, open-ended interviews. Third, program alumni (N = 79, mean age of 19 years old) were briefly interviewed via telephone to investigate longer-term outcomes, including employment experience and enrolment and persistence in PSE. Overall, no evidence was found to suggest that exposure to the Youth Futures program contributed to increased access to PSE among participants. Some characteristics of the Youth Futures sample recruited in the three studies raised questions about whether participants were at risk of not accessing PSE in the absence of the intervention (Berger et al., 2009; Childs, Finnie, & Mueller, 2015; Finnie, Childs, & Wismer, 2011). Findings indicated several program improvement strategies that may be useful in modifying the Youth Futures program to ensure that students in need of the intervention receive tailored programming and that the timing of the intervention is effective. Experts have called for a stronger evidence base in this area to facilitate sound decision-making about which potential program models to establish or expand and how to match students to the programs that best address their particular needs (Barnett et al., 2012; Brock, 2010; Le, Mariano, & Faxon-Mills, 2016; Shultz & Mueller 2006; Tierney & Hagedorn, 2007).

This study is about the transition planning of young people with special educational needs (SEN) from secondary mainstream and special schools to post-secondary opportunities. Leaving secondary school is the first task related to the transition to adulthood and it has been identified as a particularly complex task for pupils with SEN. A systematic literature review was undertaken to start to develop a ‘map of transition’, a framework of positive transition practice. Interviews with key professionals, parents and teachers and pupil case studies were used to generate qualitative data. It was used to analyse transition practice in the real world of schools and the involvement of families, pupils and external services. This study was particularly concerned with understanding any barriers or gaps of transition work. Pupil annual reviews, including those adopting a person-centred format were thematically analysed in terms of their ability to address transition planning and future options. Results suggest similarities and differences in transition planning practices between mainstream and special schools. In both settings there was appreciable reliance on the Connexions Service. For pupils with SEN in mainstream schools transition planning could be conceptualised as ‘invisible transition’. It was a not an explicit process, with experiences and access to services likely to be related to schools’ perception of need, option pathways and whether or not pupils had a Statement of SEN. In special schools, transition planning was conceptualised as ‘visible but blurred’. It centred on gaining external service involvement, with limited focus on transition-related education. In both mainstream and special schools there were difficulties with the compilation of distinct transition plans and their implementation. Tensions related to unclear roles and responsibilities, difficulties with access to external services and limited post-secondary opportunities were highlighted. This allowed revision and extension of the ‘map of transition’. The study leads to suggested improvements to service delivery for young people by schools and other stakeholders.

The number of OIF and OEF veterans who are choosing to pursue post-secondary education is increasing due in part to increased financial scholastic benefits earned as part of their military service. Veterans are not returning from combat unharmed however, and many are presenting with newly experienced difficulties that may impact their academic careers. This includes for example, PTSD, TBI, depression, and anxiety. This study examined the impact of a veterans only college course entitled Life After War: Post-deployment Issues taught at a large Midwestern University. The class includes the instruction of scholastic skills, education on the natural consequences of post-deployment issues, as well as discussion of commonly reported transition issues. Participants of the study were OIF and/or OEF veterans who were currently pursuing post-secondary education and were enrolled in the Life After War college course. Participants completed self-report measures at the beginning and the end of the semester. Change in the areas of self-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and help-seeking attitudes were examined over time. Demographics and other background information were obtained from each student to provide a framework for understanding the potential impact of the course. Results revealed several major findings including a pattern of likely under-reporting of symptoms by participants in the study, an increase in self-report symptoms from pre to post-test, a higher self-report of symptoms and difficulties from those participants who did not return for post-testing and finally, a higher level of negative help-seeking attitudes and beliefs among those who did not return for follow-up testing. Implications and future considerations for working with student veterans are addressed.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to examine the phenomenon of institutional credential devaluation and the impacts on internationally-trained social workers in Canada. International social workers are recruited to immigrate to Canada based on their credentials and experience but some discover after immigrating that their qualifications are devalued which limits or prohibits their ability to engage in professional practice. This experience is recognized within the literature in other professions; however, there has been insufficient attention given to it within social work itself and to the various stakeholders involved. Using critical theory and interpretative phenomenological analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with internationally-trained social workers to gain insight into their experiences of devaluation and graduate degree repetition in Ontario universities. Extensive exploration of the institutional stakeholders in credential assessment, the field of social work and universities was also undertaken and provides systemic context to the experiences of international social workers. While internationally-trained social workers have high views of Canada prior to immigrating, these perspectives change upon encountering systemic devaluation and discrimination post-immigration. They describe confusion, frustration and powerlessness as they navigate through social work systems in seeking to gain recognition of their credentials in order to practice. When they eventually decide to return to Ontario universities to obtain the recognition they need/deserve, they experience continued devaluation. Instead of identifying different or better social work education in Ontario, they describe repetition of what they learned in their countries of origin, raising questions about the similarities and differences in international social work education. The personal costs and psychological impacts of these experiences are shared by the participants. The practices of social work and post-secondary institutions in creating systemic barriers to internationally-trained social workers are examined with recommendations for further research and policy and practice changes that will lead to greater justice and equity. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

The effectiveness of formative assessment in student learning has been acknowledged and gained much attention since the series of publications of Black and Wiliam in early 2000. Since then, many educational institutions have initiated efforts to use formative assessment in the classroom to improve instruction and help students become independent learners and thoughtful evaluators of their own learning. However, this approach has not been well understood nor heartily embraced by many English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in post-secondary settings. This qualitative case study research, paired with a confessional ethnographic approach, investigated four EFL instructors’ beliefs about formative assessment and their instructional practices in a post-secondary English program in Vietnam. The overarching question of the study was “how do four Vietnamese university EFL teachers perceive ‘formative assessment’ and how is formative assessment implemented in their classrooms?” To this end, I used theoretical frameworks from sociocultural theories, the Constructive Alignment perspective (Biggs & Tang, 2007, 2011) and formative assessment, suggested by Black and Wiliam (2009), to collect and analyze the data from three sets of interviews, observation notes, and artifacts such as lesson plans, course outlines, and students’ work. Findings showed that the EFL instructors in the study had different perspectives on student learning, teaching, and assessment. These participants indicated two conflicting teaching philosophies: viewing learners as active collaborators in constructing knowledge and viewing instructors as knowledge providers in the student learning journey. However, they all shared the same articulated beliefs about assessment procedures and employing standardization for their teaching and student learning. Findings also showed that the EFL instructors’ beliefs were not always congruent with their actual practices. There was limited use of formative assessment, and the formative assessment principles were not implemented effectively in their actual practices. Findings also indicated that their stated beliefs and practices were affected by many internal and external factors, such as the mental model of learning, teaching experiences, testing culture, workload, and program requirements. Three key issues were discovered: First, there was a lack of understanding of learning theories informing pedagogy. Second, there was a lack of general formative assessment theories and limited use of formative assessment in the classroom. Third, cultural values and societal pressure affected instructors’ beliefs and instructional practices regarding formative assessment. This study makes significant contributions to our understanding of higher education instructors’ beliefs and formative assessment in terms of research and educational practice. Notably, it adds to the growing knowledge of teacher cognition and formative assessment. It also suggests solutions for re-educating instructors and school teachers, including EFL/ESL teachers, about formative assessment and what should be reconsidered when implementing formative strategies in the classroom to enhance student learning. This research offers the following elements: (a) equipping teachers with underpinning learning theories informing pedagogy and assessment; (b) providing assessment knowledge and improving assessment literacy for teachers; (c) making formative assessment principles and strategies explicit to teachers and students; (d) training and practicing in providing constructive feedback that promotes student learning; (e) personalizing students’ learning to enhance students’ autonomy, self-directed skills, and long-life learning skills; and (f) utilizing student learning evidence to make instructional adjustments to meet students’ needs. / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of African American students on the impact of an Upward Bound Program on their academic performance, self-esteem, and the attitudes toward post-secondary educational success. Specifically, this study was concerned with the following variables: gender, family structure, and age as they related to the students aforementioned perceptions. A survey design was employed in this investigation to collect and analyze the data. Three hundred fifty-three (353) African American high school students participated in this empirical study. An instrument entitled “The Middleton Upward Bound Survey” was used to gather the data. The investigative instrument was validated by a group of Upward Bound professionals and university research professors. The instrument had an alpha coefficient of ¬¬.84 for the test as a whole. Moreover, the data was tested through the application of the One-Way Analysis of Variance and the Scheffe’ Multiple Comparison Test. Among the conclusions of this study were the following; in general it appeared the younger African American high school students are more favorable to his/her perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on student academic achievement. African American high school students who reside with a guardian also tend to have more favorable perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on their academic achievement. Regardless, of African American high school students’ age, gender or family structure, they tend to have similar perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on their attitudes toward post-secondary educational success.

No description available.

No description available.

Since the first saxophone professor at the Paris Conservatory in 1858, saxophone instruction has primarily been a male-dominated field. Numerous sources detail the experiences, lives, and influence of male post-secondary saxophone instructors. Women have made great strides in the performance and instruction of the saxophone at the post-secondary level, but sources discussing their lives and experiences are limited. Saxophone instruction at the post-secondary level in the United States began in the late 1800s. As the instrument grew in popularity through the 20th century, more and more higher education institutions began incorporating the saxophone as an instrument for primary study. This increased the need for saxophone professors in the United States. In 1994, Elizabeth Zinn Ervin, became the first woman full professor. This was 40 years after the the first man, Larry Teal, held this rank. As of 2023, 15 women have achieved the rank of full professor. This document is intended to highlight several women saxophone instructors throughout the history of the instrument, and detail the thoughts and experiences of women saxophonists who have achieved the rank of full professor in the United States.