Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / One in five children in schools today are from immigrant families and speak a language other than English. Research reveals many teachers in urban schools feel inadequately prepared to meet the unique needs of these students. Teachers lack research- based knowledge about culturally relevant teaching and differentiated instructional strategies that benefit all learners. They do not understand issues such as ethnicity, poverty, racism, cultural and linguistic identities, and immigration. Few studies have described the nature of the learning experiences of English Language Learners (ELLs) and immigrants in urban high schools. Using identity, sociocultural, and self-efficacy conceptual frameworks (relevant immigrant pedagogy), this qualitative case study focused on classroom interactions and instructional efforts of two teachers in an English 10 class in an urban high school. The researcher observed class activities, took field notes, interviewed teachers and students, collected instructional planning documents, and photographed student artifacts and interactions. One teacher in the classroom had an English as a Second Language (ESL) certification and extensive professional development to increase her competency as a teacher of immigrants. The other teacher had English Language Arts certification. Findings indicated that relevant immigrant pedagogy was an expansive instructional framework which transformed ELLs and immigrants to grow in their construction of self and identity, self-efficacy, sociocultural consciousness, and academic rigor within a period of five months despite the prescriptive curriculum from vii the district in a restricted environment. The urban teachers displayed skills, zeal, and commitment to building a community of learners of all ability levels in class and bridged the gaps between immigrants and non-immigrants. All students grew together in their learning and socio emotional experiences and became advocates and helpers for one another, not competitors. The conclusions suggest that it is possible to improve the educational programs for immigrant students and English Language Learners through well-developed research-based instruction, and proposes a model for effective urban teacher education.

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Linamarase application exists in biotechnology such as potentiometric sensors for linamarin by coupling linamarase from cassava leaf with a cyanide ion-selective electrode and to measure glucose in biomedical applications. It is used in a batchwise process to detoxify fermenting cassava during ‘garri’ production. Linamarase along with its naturally occurring substrates, linamarin and lotaustralin, is found in a variety of edible plant tissues such as those of cassava from which garri is produced. However, the separation and purification of linamarase at reasonable large quantity for these applications from plants has been a challenge. In the study a miniflex Ultrafiltration (UF) Cross Flow obtained from Schleicher and Schuell (Germany) was used for linamarase isolation and purification from cassava tissues. Membranes with different pore sizes of 0.45, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.02 μm, made from polyethersulfon screnes and silicone adhensives, with surface area of 2.4 mm2, were experimented. Fluxes were observed to decrease very sharply from 0.45 to 0.02μm membrane pore sizes. No permeate was collected from 0.1 and 0.02 μm membranes due to concentration polarisation and clogging of these membranes. Permeate and retentate from 0.45 and 0.2 μm membrane contained linamarase, while the retentate of the 0.1 and 0.02 μm membranes contained linamarse and that no permeate was collected from 0.1 and 0.02 μm membranes due to the fouling and clogging of the small membrane pores. It was therefore concluded that linamarase was finally purified by the 0.2 μm membrane. A simple mathematical model derived from the Hagen-Poiseuille equation could not predict the linamarase flux data, perhaps due to the effect of concentration polarisation, which led to the proposition of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. It was interesting to observe that the plot of 1/v versus 1/Δp from the use of the Langmuir equation gave a linear relationship from which the linamarase flux iii was predicted. The standard error between the experiment and the model was 0.011, which is a good measure of the agreement between data. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm therefore predicts the fouling and concentration polarisation of the membrane during linamarase purification from cassava tissues. This proposition was supported by the solute deposits on the pores and surface of the membrane where van der Waal forces were created between the molecules, thus resulting in the fouling and chemical polarisation.

College readiness is a challenge for numerous college-bound students in the United States. A recent high school graduate or returning to school student has to contend with collegiate curricula, unfamiliar faculty, and new peers at a foreign institution. Therefore, acclimating to the new environment and new routine of college is necessary for a student’s success. A natural question that begins to arise is whether or not this experience is different for various subjects and disciplines. Mathematics is among one of the main disciplines in which college readiness is a main concern. Further complicating the situation, a true definition of college readiness is yet to be agreed upon. This qualitative study investigates the perceptions of math college readiness (MCR) of ten participants at a small parochial school. A purposeful sample of three types of individuals participated in the study. In particular, it documents teachers’, administrators’, and alumni’s experiences and how these experiences connect to their definitions of MCR. The primary data collection method was semi structured interviews and observations. Three main ideas emerged from the data relating to the definition of MCR: (1) content, (2) student behavior, and (3) school culture. Specifically, the cumulative characteristic of mathematics requires that gaps in knowledge need to be addressed as early as possible to ensure mastery. Student’s behavior allows for the material to be absorbed more efficiently. School culture plays a role in how this environment is formed in which students become learners and citizens in their community. Investigating how MCR is perceived can shed light on how we will better address the needs of a body of students in mathematics remediation. By examining the learning of mathematics we are offered an opportunity to explore the issues to better understand a remedy. This study provides recommendations for other practitioners in mathematics education.

Detta examensarbete undersöker hur välutvecklade arbetsförberedande metoder kan leda till förbättrad säkerhet, lönsamhet, ökat engagemang för medarbetare, hållbarhet och digitalisering i byggbranschen. Studien fokuserar på NCC, en ledande aktör i branschen och med huvudsyfte i hur en effektiv arbetsförberedande process kan bidra till företagets fortsatta utveckling. År efter år återkommer rapporter från arbetsmiljöverket om att byggbranschen är den mest olycksdrabbade. Ett steg mot en säkrare arbetsplats är genom användning av arbetsberedningar som är ett verktyg där arbetsmiljörisker och planering kring det kommande momentet utförs. Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur entreprenadföretag arbetar idag med arbetsberedningar. Efter detta analyserades resultatet med tidigare studier och litteratur för att besvara de andra frågeställningar om hur arbetet kan förbättras med hänsyn till aspekter som ekonomi, arbetsmiljö och digitalisering. Målet med denna studie var att komma fram till förslag på förbättringsåtgärder som kan implementeras i dagens arbetssätt. Att hitta lösningar som är användbara och lätta att implementera för NCC i sitt vardagliga arbete. Forskningsmetoderna som används inkluderar litteraturgenomgång, fallstudieanalys och intervjuer med NCC:s ledning och medarbetare. Resultaten av studien tyder på att goda arbetsförberedande rutiner kan ha en positiv inverkan på säkerhet och arbetsmiljö, ekonomisk lönsamhet, medarbetarnas engagemang, hållbarhet och digitalisering. Vidare belyser studien även vikten av effektiv kommunikation, utbildning och samarbete i arbetsförberedelseprocessen, samt också fördelarna med att utnyttja teknik och dataanalys. Avhandlingen avslutas med rekommendationer till NCC och även andra entreprenadföretag, om hur man implementerar nya tillvägagångssätt i en arbetsberedning för att uppnå förbättrad prestation och konkurrenskraft i branschen. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

The obesity epidemic is steadily increasing and affecting all age groups. Obesity rates among young adults are scarcely reported but merit special attention as being overweight during young adulthood will likely result in being overweight or obese throughout adulthood. Because college students are still forming lifestyle patterns, the university setting is ideal for intervention and educating young adults on the importance of developing and maintaining healthy behaviors. This study evaluated whether participation in a 16-week first-year college seminar cooking course increased students’ self-efficacy in food preparation skills and dietary behaviors. Significant changes in food preparation skills were observed between before and after participation (p<0.05) but self-efficacy, overall, did not increase significantly. Institutions of higher education should provide experiential learning opportunities to improve food preparation skills and hence dietary habits of young adults by developing and implementing programs such as first-year seminars focusing on hands-on food preparation basics and techniques.

<p>This dissertation research used an embedded qualitative case study research design to investigate a single educator’s actions in teaching Black youth engineering and computing in a culturally appropriate and accessible manner. Historically, the engineering discipline has preserved and upheld Eurocentric standards for how learners should think and practice, perpetuating the marginalization of racially and ethnically diverse learners, such as Black American children. Such standards have excluded and pushed out diverse learners, and it is not uncommon for Black youth seeking entry into precollege engineering pathways to make trade-offs that require them to compromise their culture, linguistic practices, literacy practices, histories, and authentic selves in order to succeed. Given the educational debt that persists in K-12 education for Black American learners, approaches that are meaningful, engaging, and culturally oriented should align with teaching engineering and computing alongside Black Americans' historical and current racial inequities, injustices, and disenfranchisement. The research problem addressed in this dissertation study is the significance and influence of the culturally centered and community servant facilitator who teaches with relevance to the development of the whole Black child's mind, body, and soul while developing their knowledge in engineering and computing.</p><p>This project was founded on an asset-focused culturally relevant pedagogy to reveal how a Black STEM educator’s teaching supported the STEM learning of Black youth at an intentionally designed informal summer camp— Hit Maker Summer Camp (Hit Makers). Hit Makers was purposefully designed by a collaborative group of educators, directors, researchers, and artists at the intersection of engineering, computing, hip-hop culture, dance, and Makerspace culture for 28 Black youth learners who resided in a mid-sized Midwestern city. This study investigated the teaching practices enacted by the STEM educator that led the Black youth learners to become more academically, socio-politically, and culturally engaged in STEM. The facilitator’s beliefs, role, ethos, and influence were investigated using a data corpus that included a single narrative interview, in-field observations by the researcher, facts gathered from ongoing conversations (2019 - 2022), and video and audio recordings of the facilitator while teaching.</p><p>A qualitative embedded case study design was employed for this research. Data collection occurred continuously from July 2019 to February 2022, utilizing a range of methods including in-situ field observations, video and audio recordings, and a formal online interview. The findings of this study underscore the influence of Black STEM educators' beliefs and previous instructional approaches on their teaching practices within the context of Hit Makers Summer Camp. Notably, the enacted teaching practices demonstrated a significant alignment with the tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy, particularly in the domains of academic success and cultural competence. Although the alignment with sociopolitical consciousness within the pedagogical framework was less pronounced, it is evident that the educator’s teaching philosophies were deeply entrenched in their own sociopolitical awareness. The study's findings empower educators in precollege engineering education to transcend traditional teaching paradigms by unraveling the interplay between pedagogical philosophies and culturally resonant practices, offering a tangible blueprint for fostering deeper connections with students, promoting diversity, and dismantling barriers to empower historically underrepresented Black students to excel in STEM.</p>

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION DEBORAH A. DIFFENAUER, for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Education, presented at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. TITLE: Job Satisfaction and the Perceived Organizational Culture of U. S. Military and Military Affiliated Personnel at a Midwestern University MAJOR PROFESSOR: C. Keith Waugh, Ph.D. This study examined the relationship between demographic characteristics, level of job satisfaction, and current/preferred organizational culture in a sample of 139 off-campus military degree program participants. Responses were received from undergraduate students in the fields of engineering, applied sciences and arts, and education. The Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1985) was used to assess the participant's level of satisfaction in current occupations. The second instrument used to assess the participant's current and preferred organizational culture was a combined version of Harrison & Stokes (1992) Diagnosing Organizational Culture Instrument DOCI and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument OCAI developed by Cameron & Quinn (1999b). Descriptive characteristics, eta cross tabulations and Spearman's Rho bivariate correlations were executed on the data and statistically significant differences were found. The study provided evidence to validate the existence of correlations between levels job satisfaction and perceptions of organizational culture. Specifically, there exists a relationship between some of the participant's demographic characteristics (gender, status, and current occupation), with job satisfaction, and organizational culture within the military environment given the various subcultures and defined roles.

The literature contains repeated claims that most aspiring principals have limited academic knowledge and exposure to special education related issues. However in this same literature there is substantial discussion that, for prospective administrators to be prepared to deal with the ever-increasing demands of special education, principal preparation programs need to increase the amount of instructional time and structured experiences related to special education issues. This qualitative study gives voice to faculty directly involved in the preservice training of principals in this ongoing call to reform principal preparation programs and increase the attention paid to issues concerning special education. In addition, this study offers insight into the nature of the supports and barriers that influence faculty in their decisions to include or exclude special education issues in course curricula and among departmental requirements for students in principal preparation programs. The results indicated that faculty often are untrained, inexperienced, or disinterested in special education and, because of academic freedom, may freely exclude special education topics from the courses they teach. Faculty often inadvertently assume that special education is a topic that can be delegated to another department member who is more knowledgeable, better trained, or has a passion for addressing special education issues. Findings also indicated that faculty members often perceived a belief among their colleagues that special education-related topics can be delegated to others. In addition, students enrolled in principal preparation programs were noted to often be as untrained, inexperienced, or disinterested in special education issues as the faculty who prepare them.

The curriculum at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) currently has two programs: Foundations and Academic. In order for students to progress from Foundations to the Academic Program, they must pass their Level Achievement Tests (LATs), which are administered as final exams. Each semester there are students who do not pass their LATs. The question then is what should happen to these students? Should they be asked to leave the ELC, should they have to repeat the same level until they pass, or should they be promoted without passing their LATs? This project presents an alternative solution to this situation through a curriculum specifically designed for these students. Outlined in this document are the analysis, design, development, and results of implementing that curriculum. The main elements of the course consist of 3 main classes: Reading, Listening/Speaking, Writing/Grammar, and an individualized Language Learning Plan (LLP) that allows the curriculum to be tailored to meet the individual student needs. These LLPs are an integral part of the curriculum and both the problems and benefits associated with them are set out in this paper. The course is woven together using a themed textbook series, which recycles vocabulary and helps to ensure that the students experience an integrated system despite having 3 separate classes. Budgeting is always a consideration for any school, and methods to increase the cost effectiveness of the curriculum are also discussed at various points of the document. Finally, the outcomes and value of the program to the different stakeholders and lessons learned are outlined in order to provide a summary of the overall usefulness and effectiveness of the General Academic Prep (GAP) curriculum.