Abstract This thesis examines the progress of pupils through New Zealand schools in the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century. The purpose of this study was to apply demographic techniques to primary historical education data to enable the progress of pupils to be quantified and to allow comparisons to be made among different Education Districts and longitudinally over a period of some three decades. The present work applies demographic methods using cohort and period analyses to overcome difficulties in direct comparisons of historical education data because of differences in population structure and differing examination pass rates in various Education Districts. This approach allows the determination of retention rates of pupils both by age and by level from Standard 4 to Standard 6 using primary data from the nineteenth century. In addition, gender differences in retention by age are analysed from the 1880s to the end of the first decade of the twentieth century. Previous published work considered school attendance only in general terms and usually on a national basis, but generally without analysing specific educational data on gender differences. Studies prior to the present work have suggested that in the nineteenth century Education Districts differed in school enrolments (Hodder, 1996) and it is thus likely that there were differences in school retention of pupils between various Education Districts. Pilot research to the present work developed demographic methods for studying retention of pupil populations allowing for changes in the number and structure of the pupils populations over time (Hodder, 2005). These pilot methods are applied in the present research to study pupil retention in all thirteen Education Districts over the approximately 30 years from the 1880s. In addition to age and level cohorts, gender differences are analysed. Direct comparisons among all Education Districts and over time are now possible. This study has used a novel approach to the analysis of historical education data. The results enable comparisons to be made among all thirteen Education Districts and across several decades; such comparisons have not previously been possible and will facilitate future research on the possible factors affecting pupil retention particularly in relation to employment opportunities for school leavers and differences according to gender. __________ Hodder, C. (1996). Cambridge District High School and its community, 1880 - 1888. Unpublished Master of Arts thesis, Department of Education Studies, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Hodder, C. (2005). Old data, new methods: the use of demographic methods to study historical education data. Unpublished Directed Study, Department of Societies and Cultures, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-01-22T13:14:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1877121 bytes, checksum: 611201c8884d831f78e7a16c6a3ae5b6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-22T13:14:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1877121 bytes, checksum: 611201c8884d831f78e7a16c6a3ae5b6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-31 / This study aimed to analyze the tension between the outlook on school retention and the institution of continued progression in PNAIC practice context. The specific objectives have sought to understand how the perspective on student retention acts in the interpretation and acceptance / non-acceptance of continued progression, identify the tension elements, reaction attitudes and / or accepting the continued progression within the practical context of PNAIC and know the perspective of literacy teachers about the guarantee of the right learning. The study was justified by the importance of understanding the perspective of literacy teachers, to understand how these educational protagonists interpret the student retention and the institution of continued progression, and how these interpretations are reflected in his performances in PNAIC practice context. Since this study analyzes perspectives on school retention shared by literacy teachers, it was necessary to know the theories which sought to explain the phenomenon of retention and school failure as well as know the current problem configuration. The analytical focus of the study was given on the practical context of the National Pact for Literacy in the Age One (in Portuguese language: PNAIC), taking as theoretical and methodological reference to the continuous policy cycle approach, thought by Stephen Ball and cooperators. Thus, it has aimed to understand the influence and production contexts giving rise to political texts that have sought to guarantee the right to education and especially guaranteeing the right to quality education, as well as the strategies and programs that longed quality assurance and focused more directly on the problem of school retention. Aiming to reach the proposed objectives, were adopted three instruments for data collection work: the enclosed questionnaire, the free observation and semi-structured interview. The data collected through closed questionnaires were processed from a quantitative point of view through statistical analysis. Qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews and the free observation were treated from the perspective of content analysis (Bardin, 2011), but also based on the analysis perspective of the practical context, part of the continuous policy cycle approach. By the analysis it was revealed that the perspectives drawn up by literacy teachers about school retention exert direct implications on how to interpret and act in relation to continued progression, which generates tensions and even subterfuge within the PNAIC practice context. / O presente estudo teve como objetivo principal analisar a tensão entre as perspectivas sobre a retenção escolar e a instituição da progressão continuada no contexto de prática do PNAIC. Como objetivos específicos buscou-se compreender como a perspectiva sobre a retenção escolar atua na interpretação e aceitação/não-aceitação da progressão continuada, identificar nos elementos de tensão, atitudes de reação e/ou aceitação à progressão continuada dentro do contexto de prática do PNAIC e conhecer a perspectiva dos (as) professores (as) alfabetizadores (as) a respeito da garantia do direito a aprendizagem. O estudo justificou-se pela importância de se conhecer a perspectiva de professores (as) alfabetizadores (as), de se compreender como estes (as) protagonistas educacionais interpretam a retenção escolar e a instituição da progressão continuada, e como estas interpretações se refletem em suas atuações no contexto de prática do PNAIC. Uma vez que o presente estudo aborda perspectivas sobre a retenção escolar partilhada por professoras alfabetizadoras, se fez necessário conhecer as teorias que buscaram explicar o fenômeno da retenção e fracasso escolar, bem como conhecer a configuração atual do problema.O foco analítico do estudo se deu sobre o contexto de prática do Pacto Nacional pela Alfabetização na Idade Certa (PNAIC), tomando como referência teórica e metodológica à abordagem do ciclo contínuo de políticas, pensada por Stephen Ball e colaboradores. Dessa forma, procurou-se compreender os contextos de influência e produção que originaram os textos políticos que buscaram a garantia do direito à educação e principalmente a garantia do direito à educação de qualidade, assim como as estratégias e programas que almejaram a garantia de qualidade e incidiram mais diretamente sobre o problema da retenção escolar. Visando atender os objetivos propostos, foram adotados três instrumentos para o trabalho de coleta de dados: o questionário fechado, a observação livre e a entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados coletados por meio dos questionários fechados foram processados do ponto de vista quantitativo através de tratamento estatístico. Os dados qualitativos coletados por meio das observações livres e entrevistas semiestruturadas foram tratados do ponto de vista da análise de conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011), como também com base na perspectiva de análise do contexto prática, integrante da abordagem do ciclo contínuo de políticas. A partir das análises foi possível perceber que as perspectivas elaboradas por professoras alfabetizadoras a respeito da retenção escolar exercem implicações diretas sobre como interpretam e atuam em relação a progressão continuada, o que gera tensões e até mesmo subterfúgios dentro do contexto de prática do PNAIC.