This thesis is an analysis of certain factors associated with school progress of students of the graduating class of the Hillsboro Junior High School for 1940. The study is limited to considering the effect of age, attendance, environment, and economic status on progress during four years that these students attended junior high school.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research project explored the learning experiences of two groups of first-year students in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western Cape during the course of 2009/2010. The aim was to obtain insight into the learning challenges that these students encountered and the reasons why some of them were less successful in the learning process, while others were successful. The perspective of this study was therefore student centred. The project was undertaken against the backdrop of a higher education institution that caters mainly for so-called ‗disadvantaged‘ and ‗underprepared‘ students. Such students come predominantly from marginalised and poorly resourced education environments and socio-economic backgrounds, which suggests that they would find higher learning challenging and, as a result, would most likely experience failure in the learning process. The objective of the research project was two-fold: firstly, to identify and determine which factors have an impact on failure or successful completion of the first year of study in this faculty; and secondly, to derive from the data a socially situated, supportive and holistic learning approach that could assist more students to be successful in the learning process. The argument in the study was that learning is socially situated and constructed. To realise the objective, Vygotsky‘s social cultural theory and Bandura‘s social cognitive theory were used as theoretical orientation of the study. This qualitative, interpretive inquiry was characterised by multiple data collection methods. Qualitative data concerning the perceptions of the participants were generated via written reflective pieces, a questionnaire and individual interviews and content analysis. In addition, quantitative data were collected and this further contributed to the triangulation of rich, in-depth data. An ‗open coding‘ strategy for the content analysis was used, but the approach for the analysis was not purely inductive. A student-centred analytical framework based in part on theories and findings of five studies conducted on student learning, failures and dropouts, and the context of UWC as HBU served as a framework for the analysis but new sub-themes also emerged from the data collected. The results of these two Case studies revealed that some of the students experienced multiple learning challenges simultaneously which increased in severity during the course of the academic year, and that, in Case 1, these challenges became too overwhelming and severe for the students and that was why they were less successful; while in Case 2, the students managed to overcome and deal with these challenges successfully. The findings of this project, while specific to the context in which it was undertaken, contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of higher education and in the identification of enabling factors that could assist more students to be successful in their first year of study at a higher education institution. The findings provide guidelines for a socially situated, supportive and holistic learning approach that could help higher education institutions to mitigate the cumulative effects of learning on students‘ personal, academic and social lives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek ondersoek twee groepe eerstejaarstudente se leerervaring gedurende 2009/2010 in die Fakulteit Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe aan die UWK. Die doel was om insig te verkry in die leeruitdagings waarvoor hierdie studente te staan gekom het en die redes hoekom party van hulle min sukses in die leerproses behaal het, terwyl ander suksesvol was. Die perspektief in die projek was daarom gerig op die studente en hoe hulle the leerproses ondervind. Die projek is onderneem teen die agtergrond van ‘n instelling van hoër onderwys wat hoofsaaklik vir sogenaamd ‗benadeelde‘ en ‗swak voorbereide‘ studente voorsien. Sulke studente kom meestal uit ‘n gemarginaliseerde opvoedkundige en sosio-ekonomiese agtergrond met gebrekkige bronne, wat daarop dui dat hoër onderwys vir hulle ‘n uitdagings sal wees en dat hulle gevolglik heelwaarskynlik in die leerproses sal misluk. Die doelwit van die navorsingsprojek was tweevoudig: eerstens, om te bepaal watter faktore ‘n invloed het op die mislukking of geslaagde voltooiing van die eerste studiejaar aan hierdie fakulteit; tweedens, om uit die inligting ‘n sosiale gestruktureerde, ondersteunende en holistiese leerbenadering af te lei wat meer studente kan help om in die leerproses sukses te behaal. Die projek berus op die uitgangspunt dat die leerproses ‗n sosiaal gebaseerde en gestuktureerde proses is. Die teoritiese raamwerk was daarom gebaseer op Vygotsky se sosiale kulturele teorie en Bandura se sosiale kognitiewe teorie. Hierdie kwalitatiewe, vertolkende ondersoek word deur veelvoudige metodes van inligtinginsameling gekenmerk. Kwalitatiewe inligting oor die deelnemers se waarnemings is verkry deur middel van nadenkende skryfwerk, ‘n vraelys en individuele onderhoude, en die ontleding van die inhoud daarvan. Ook kwantitatiewe inligting is ingesamel, wat tot die triangulering van ryk, diepgaande inligting bygedra het. Daar is ‘n ‗oopkode‘-strategie vir die ontleding van die inhoud gebruik, maar die ontledingsbenadering was nie suiwer induktief nie. Ontleding het plaasgevind binne ‘n studente gebaseerde ontledingsraamwerk wat gegrond is op teorieë en bevindings uit vyf studies oor leer, mislukking en uitsakking onder studente asook die konteks van die UWK as historiese Swart inrigting. Unieke temas het ook uit die inligting in hierdie studie na vore gekom het. Die resultate van hierdie twee gevallestudies het getoon dat studente veelvoudige leeruitdagings tegelykertyd ervaar het wat al hoe meer geword het deur die loop van die jaar en dat hierdie uitdagings in die een geval te oorweldigend en straf vir die studente geraak het, sodat hulle min sukses behaal het. In die ander geval het die studente daarin geslaag om hierdie uitdagings te hanteer en dit suksesvol te oorkom. Hoewel die bevindings van hierdie projek gekoppel is aan die konteks waarin dit onderneem is, dra dit nietemin by tot die groeiende kennisbasis oor die terrein van hoër onderwys en oor die bepaling van bemagtigende faktore wat meer studente sou kon help om in hulle eerste studiejaar aan ‘n instelling van hoër onderwys sukses te behaal. Die bevindings bied riglyne vir ‘n sosiale ondersteunende holistiese leerbenadering vir akademiese steun wat instellings van hoër onderwys moontlik sal help om die kumulatiewe effek op die studente se persoonlike, akademiese en sosiale lewens in die leerproses te help verlig.

東尼•庫許納的劇本《美國天使》曾經被批評為「宣揚啟蒙主義式的進步觀，即使這種觀點造成的災難正在二十世紀末顯現」。儘管明顯受到華特•班雅明 (Walter Benjamin) 的歷史觀點影響，批評者仍認為庫許納在《美國天使》劇中刻意忽視班雅明對進步的歷史觀發出的警告。然而，事實上庫許納在《美國天使》劇中，藉由劇中角色所刻畫的，即是班雅明對於歷史中進步 (progress) 的觀點，而非啟蒙主義式的進步史觀。造成這種批評觀點上的差異的原因，乃在於《美國天使》的批評者未能真正了解班雅明對於進步的概念，以及此概念在庫許納劇中的重要性。本文欲以班雅明進步的概念為出發，來檢視《美國天使》劇中對於進步與救贖 (redemption)的應用，並在其中闡明庫許納以班雅明的進步與救贖概念為基礎，試圖在劇中發現自我救贖 (self redemption) 之可能的企圖。 《美國天使》分《千禧年近了》和《重建》上下兩部，是庫許納分別在一九九一及九二年完成的劇作。劇中主要描述主角普萊爾華特 (Prior Walter) ，一位男同志愛滋病患，在遭遇愛人的拋棄，以及美國天使 (American Angel) 的啟示之後，努力尋找在千禧年的各種災難與異象的威脅下，人類生存的希望的過程。在劇中，庫許納以美國紐約多元的種族、文化、信仰為背景，探討世紀末的各種問題與困境，並且尋找對於未來的展望。 　　　本文的第一章為總論，將介紹庫許納的生平、《美國天使》的故事情節、批評家與劇評對於該劇的分析、以及班雅明的理論對此劇的影響。根據班雅明的看法，在人類的歷史中真正的進步並非在空洞的時間 (homogeneous, empty time) 之中前進，而是察覺到人類歷史真正的組成分子─辯證影像(dialectical images)，其型態為不斷反覆出現的歷史影像。當人類認知到此種影像的存在時，此認知將使人類從現有的歷史框架中解放，進而認識到徹底改變現有狀態的可能性。這種革命性的 (revolutionary) 認知即是班雅明所謂的進步，這也是第二章的討論範圍。在第三章中，則是以班雅明的救贖理論 (theory of redemption) 解釋庫許納劇中角色的「彌賽亞式的救贖力」(messianic power) 的覺醒 (awakening)。根據班雅明在歷史哲學綱要 (Thesis on the Philosophy of History) 的說法，人類擁有彌賽亞式的救贖力，並且憑藉之發現以「彌賽亞式的視界」(messianic vision) 的形式出現的辯證影像。此即為班雅明定義下的救贖。第四章則以解釋庫許納對於班雅明理論的修正—重建 (restructuring)—為出發點，探討《美國天使》劇中救贖的完成。第五章為結論，以劇中角色的得到救贖為《美國天使》一劇的結尾，同時也是另一個偉大的工作 (The Great Work)—人類在新千禧年的救贖—的展開。 / Tony Kushner’s Angels in America has been accused of its proposing the Enlightenment progress when its disastrous consequence is seen at the end of the 20th century. In spite of the obvious color of Walter Benjamin’s philosophy of history in the play, critics still consider that Kushner ignores Benjamin’s warning of the idea of progress for human history in Angels. Nevertheless, what Kushner describes in the play, through the struggles of the characters, is actually a Benjaminian progress instead of an Enlightenment one. The reason for such a difference of critical viewpoints is: the critics of Angels fail to fully understand Benjamin’s concept of progress and its real significance in the play. Starting from Benjamin’s concept of progress, this thesis aims at examining the application of Benjamin’s concept of progress and redemption in Angels and discovering Kushner’s intention to propose a self-redemption. Angels is comprised of part I: Millennium Approaches (premier in 1991) and part II: Perestroika (1992). It is Kushner’s most celebrated play. The play begins when a gay man, Prior Walter, has found his infection with AIDS. Facing his destined death and deserted by his lover, one day, Prior is visited by an American Angel, who calls him the “prophet” and gives him a gospel of anti-migration to spread. Since then, his life becomes a journey searching for self-awareness and hope in the future. In Angels, Kushner discusses the questions in the United States at the end of the 20th century against the multi-cultural background of New York and America. The prospect of the human race’s future becomes his ultimate concern in the play. This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter, “Introduction,” provides the background information of Angels, including the plot summary, critical history, and my concerns on the critiques of play. In Chapter Two, Benjamin’s theory of progress will be used to analyze the idea of progress in Angels, which means discovering the dialectical images of history that are suppressed in historical time. This concept of progress is “revolutionary” because it will change mankind’s recognition of history and their conception of themselves. Chapter Three begins with Benjamin’s definition of “redemption” of human history, which means the awakening of the “weak messianic power,” the power that a whole generation of human beings is endowed with. This power gives human beings a “messianic vision,” a glimpse of the redemptive world. In Chapter Four, Kushner’s supplement to Benjamin’s theory of redemption, the idea of “restructuring,” will be applied as the key word for the completion of redemption for the characters in Angels. Chapter Five concludes this thesis with the self-redemption of the characters in the play and the beginning of the “Great Work”: the redemption of the entire humanity in the coming Millennium.

<p><strong>Bakgrund </strong>Att inducera en förlossning innebär att försöka manipulera igång ett förlossningsarbete i syfte att åstadkomma en vaginal förlossning. Nyttan med induktionen måste alltid överväga riskerna för förlossningskomplikationer. Riksgenomsnittet för inducerade förlossningar var år 2007, 13,2 %. <strong>Syfte </strong>Kartlägga inducerade förlossningar på en förlossningsklinik i södra Sverige under året 2009. Kartläggningen inbegrep induktionsindikation, använda induktionsmetoder samt förlossningsförlopp och utfall. <strong>Metod </strong>Retrospektiv observationsstudie där samtliga inducerade förlossningar med levande foster vid induktionsstarten under 2009 på förlossningskliniken inkluderades. Detta gav ett underlag på 306 inducerade förlossningar. Chi-två test och Fisher´s exakta test användes för att testa skillnader i resultatet. <strong>Resultat </strong>Indikationerna till förlossningsinduktion fördelade sig så att 250 (82 %) utgjorde medicinsk indikation, där vattenavgång utgjorde den främsta anledningen, och 56 (18 %) på humanitär indikation. Det var 220 kvinnor som krävde minst ett upprepat induktionsförsök innan de kom i aktivt förlossningsarbete. Det fanns en signifikant skillnad som talade för att ju högre Bishop score det var vid första induktionsförsöket, desto kortare tid till partus. Förlossningsutfallet blev 71% partus normalis, 18% sectio, 6% vakuum extraktion och 5% partus cum haem. <strong>Slutsats </strong>Studien visade att<strong> </strong>det kan finnas anledning för förlossningskliniken att förbättra journalföringen och öka följsamheten av PM vid förlossningsinduktioner.</p> / <p><strong>Background </strong>To induce labour means trying to manipulate labour to start in order to achieve vaginal childbirth. The benefits of induction must always outweigh the risk of labour complications. The national average of induced labour in 2007 was 13, 2%. <strong>Aim </strong>To map induced labours at a childbirth clinic in Southern Sweden during 2009. The mapping included induction indication, used methods of induction, childbirth processes and outcome. <strong>Method</strong> Retrospective observation study which included all induced labours with living foetuses at the start of induction, at the childbirth clinic during 2009. This gave a basis of 306 induced labours. Chi-squared testing and Fisher’s exact testing was used to test significant differences in the result. <strong>Result</strong> Indications of labour induction were divided where 250 (82%) constituted medical indication, the water breaking constituting the main reason, and 56 (18%) humanitarian indication. 220 women required at least one repeated induction try before they were in active labour. There was a significant difference indicating that the higher the Bishop Score was at the first induction try, the shorter the time until delivery. Labour outcome was 71% partum normalis, 18% caesarean sections, 6% vacuum extractions and 5% post partum haemorrhages. <strong>Conclusion </strong>The study showed that there might be reasons to improve the journal keeping and follow the PMs regarding labour induction at the childbirth clinic.</p>

兩岸關係迥異於世上其他分裂國家，自成一特殊格局，學界對兩岸關係及政府大陸政策之研究亦相當的多，本文的研究目的主要在探尋政府大陸政策之主導因素，是否隨著台灣的民主化進程及政黨輪替，而由「國家中心」轉為「社會中心」，亦即大陸政策反映何者的偏好與利益。依據本文的研究結果發現，民主進程初期的大陸政策，不論是高政治性議題或低政治性議題，其主導因素均屬「國家中心」；至民主進程後期，高政治性議題大陸政策之主導因素兼具「國家中心」與「社會中心」，而低政治性議題大陸政策之主導因素則屬「社會中心」。由此觀之，民主轉型改變了國家與社會的互動關係，也因為民主化的發展，致使國家逐漸開放與社會階層溝通，社會因素因此獲得參與政策決策過程的管道，使社會利益更易於轉化成國家政策。顯然，我政府大陸政策已非全由國家所主導，亦包含社會因素的介入。 / The cross-Strait relations is completely different from those of other divided nations, numerous researches have been made focusing on the cross-Strait relations and Taiwan’s Mainland policies. According, the main object of this research is to explore if the leading factors of the Mainland polices should be transferred from “state-centered” to “society-centered” under the process of democratization and turnover of the political party, that is the Mainland policies reflect whose preference and interest afterall. According to the research results, we can find that in the initiate stage of democratic progress, no matter for Mainland policies of high politics or low politics, the leading factors are “state-centered”. However, in the later stage of democratic progress, the leading factors for the Mainland policies of high politics are both “state-centered” and “society-centered”, and the leading factors for the Mainland policies of low politics are “society-centered”. Therefore, it can be seen that democracy transformation has changed the interaction of state and society, and because of the development of democratization, the state gradually open up to communicate with social classes, so the social factors obtained the channels to participate in the process of policy-making. That is to say the social interests are easier to transfer to the national policies. Obviously, not all the Mainland polices are dominated by state; they also include social factors.

Starting with the development of an enzymatic assay, where an enzyme in solution hydrolysed a solid-phase bound peptide, a model for the kinetics of enzyme action was introduced. This model allowed the estimation of kinetic parameters and enzyme activity for a system that has the peculiarity of not being saturable with the substrate, but with the enzyme. In a derivation of the model, it was found that the sensitivity of the signal to variations in the enzyme concentration had a transient increase along the reaction progress with a maximum at high substrate conversion levels. The same behaviour was derived for the sensitivity in classical homogeneous enzymatic assays and experimental evidence of this was obtained. The impact of the transient increase of the sensitivity on the error structure, and on the ability of homogeneous end-point enzymatic assays to detect competitive inhibition, came into focus. First, a non-monotonous shape in the standard deviation of progress curve data was found and it was attributed to the random dispersion in the enzyme concentration operating through the transient increase in the sensitivity. Second, a model for the detection limit of the quantity Ki/[I] (the IDL-factor) as a function of the substrate conversion level was developed for homogeneous end-point enzymatic assays. It was found that the substrate conversion level where the IDL-factor reached an optimum was beyond the initial velocity range. Moreover, at this optimal point not only the ability to detect inhibitors but also the robustness of the assays was maximized. These results may prove to be relevant in drug discovery for optimising end point homogeneous enzymatic assays that are used to find inhibitors against a target enzyme in compound libraries, which are usually big (&gt;10000) and crowded with irrelevant compounds.

This study investigated the effects of teacher background variables on fourth grade reading achievement data collected from the 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) using a causal-comparative research design. Teacher quality variables related to teacher credentials, instructional methods, training, and support were selected from the NAEP background questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to examine teacher background information and fourth grade reading NAEP scaled scores using measures of central tendency, independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and Tukey’s HSD post hoc analysis. Findings suggest that certain teacher quality variables positively impact fourth grade reading achievement. Significant differences existed among fourth grade reading scaled scores for the following variables: teaching credentials [region (p < .05), traditional preparation route (p < .001), highest degree earned(p < .05), years of experience (p < .001)]; instructional methods [reading aloud by students (p < .01), questioning character motives (p < .01), student selection of reading materials (p < .001), explaining/supporting text (p < .05), identifying main theme (p < .001), time spent on reading (p < .001), primary language arts integration (p < .05)]; teacher support [instructional grade level support/technical assistance by reading specialist (p < .05) and mentoring (p < .05)]. This study expands the current literature on teacher quality by exploring the effects of teacher variables on reading achievement.

En retraçant le parcours intellectuel de l’historien, moraliste et critique américain Christopher Lasch, ce mémoire vise à mettre en exergue la pertinence et les subtilités de sa pensée politique. Sur la base d’une analyse de ses principaux textes, nous démontrerons, qu’au-delà du pessimisme et du catastrophisme qui lui sont généralement attribués, Lasch porte un regard fécond sur la singularité de l’époque contemporaine. Nous soutiendrons que ses critiques acerbes sur la société et l’individu sont faites, avant tout, dans le but de remédier aux carences morales et sociétales qui auraient engendré un certain idéal libéral progressiste. Selon Lasch, le déploiement continu et illimité de cet idéal est en dissonance avec le caractère essentiellement contingent et conflictuel de la condition humaine. Parallèlement, nous présenterons les incidences psychiques qui se traduisent par une « culture du narcissisme » suscitée notamment par diverses composantes de la société contemporaine. À travers une relecture de la condition humaine, Lasch préconise un correctif idéologique qui est axé sur les notions de limites et d’espoir et qui se trouve au sein de la tradition agraire populiste américaine du 19e siècle. Nous démontrerons ainsi comment ce retour en arrière est entamé dans le but de susciter un renouveau politique et identitaire au sein de la société. L’étude se conclura par une discussion sur la plausibilité de l’idéal populiste, tel que l’entend Lasch, à l’ère du 21e siècle. / By retracing the intellectual journey of the historian, moralist, and American critic Christopher Lasch, this paper aims to highlight the relevance of his critical thought. Based on an analysis of his main texts, it is demonstrated that, rather than the pessimism and catastrophism that is often identified with him, Lasch has a fruitful perspective on the uniqueness of the modern era. His trenchant criticisms of contemporary society and of the individual in it address, first and foremost, the moral and social deficiencies that he believes has been caused by the progressive ideal of liberalism. According to Lasch, the assertion of this ideal is incompatible with the essentially contingent and conflicting nature of the human condition. In parallel, the psychological effects which result from what Lasch calls the “culture of narcissism” will be examined as will Lasch’es alternative, which is based on the notions of limits and hope found in the American agrarian populist tradition of the 19th century. Lasch believes that we must engage in this turn to the past in order to bring out a political renewal of society. The study concludes with a discussion of the plausibility of the populist ideal in the 21st century.

Thesis (M.Tech. (Information Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences))--Vaal University of Technology, 2006 / The sole purpose of a test is to make a measurement. Assessment is very much a process of measurement, whether the outcome is used for baseline, diagnostic, formative or summative purposes. When measurement is taken, in whatever form, a score is obtained. The score that is obtained forms the important part of assessment, because this score determines the outcome of the assessment, the decisions that are to be made regarding the student’s progress, curriculum changes and the evaluation of a course as a whole. Although a score is obtained from a test, the analysis thereof is frequently much neglected. The use of computers in education is not a new concept. The first computer application goes back a long way when computers were first used to do psychological testing. It then became clear that computers can be applied to more fields in education, especially in the field of testing. In the early days real progress was slow, since computers were expensive and were only used in large companies. However, the scenario has changed with the widespread availability of personal computers that has enabled educators to focus on the appropriate role of computerisation in the development, administration, scoring and interpretation of tests. The main objective of this study is to show the major advantage of using computers as a comprehensive assessment tool and to demonstrate the ability to construct and ‘bank’ test items to subsequently produce a standardised test. An added advantage was the computer’s ability to administer tests to students and manage student progress records. The research findings indicate that a Comprehensive Computer-Assisted Assessment Tool (CCAT) has the potential to contribute to the enhancement of assessment and that it can enable educators to prepare valid, reliable and fair test items which were more difficult and time-consuming without technology.