For the analysis of changes in educational inequality, several quantitative methods have been developed in educational research. One of them is the school transition model (also known as the Mare model). The school transition model has been criticised on many grounds in recent years. In the following, I introduce the advantages of this model, its analytic conception, its critique and explain why this critique is not such a big problem in empirical analyses as is generally assumed. Finally, I give a summary.:1. Introduction 2. Advantages of the Mare model 3. Statistical conception of the Mare model 4. Critique of the Mare model 5. Summary

Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om under vilka omständigheter elever med dövhet eller hörselnedsättning (d/hns) utövar self-advocacy i övergången från högstadiet till gymnasiet. Self-advocacy innebär att individen står upp för sina behov och påverkar sin omgivning för att få likvärdiga förutsättningar till delaktighet. Detta är en kvalitativ intervjustudie med abduktiv ansats. Resultatet bygger på intervjuer med åtta gymnasieelever med dövhet eller hörselnedsättning som går tillsammans med hörande klasskamrater. Teorier om self-advocacy och identitet används i analysen och relation och interaktion mellan olika aktörer är centrala. Resultaten visar att eleven med d/hns i en skolövergång hamnar i flera situationer där hen kan förbättra tillgängligheten i klassrummet genom att utöva self-advocacy. Exempelvis kan eleven berätta om sin d/hns, påverka mikrofonanvändande och påverka lärarens undervisning. Studien visar också att elever ibland väljer att inte stå upp för sina behov för att undvika stigmatisering. I resultatet har en modell tagits fram som lyfter in eleven i sin kontext under övergångsprocessen och modellen kan användas för att förstå det komplexa samspelet mellan elev, lärare och klasskamrater under övergången. Slutsatsen är att det kan vara krävande för eleven att återkommande förväntas stå upp för sitt behov av tillgänglig kommunikation och att omgivningens bemötande skapar eller hindrar handlingsutrymmet för self-advocacy. Lärarens relationsskapande och förståelse för sin maktposition verkar vara de mest avgörande faktorerna för utvecklandet av handlingsutrymme för elevens self-advocacy. / The purpose of this study is to contribute with knowledge about under what circumstances pupils with deafness or pupils who are hard of hearing (d/hh) practice self-advocacy during the transition from lower secondary school to upper secondary school. Self-advocacy means that the individual stands up for their needs and influences their surroundings to achieve equal conditions for participation. This is a qualitative interview study with an abductive approach. The results are based on interviews conducted with eight upper secondary d/hh pupils and attend classes with hearing classmates in mainstream school settings. Theories of self-advocacy and identity are used in the analysis, and relationships and interactions between people are central. The results show that the student with d/hh during a school transition ends up in several situations where he or she can improve accessibility in the classroom by practicing self-advocacy. For example, the student can inform their classmates and/or teacher about their d/hh, influence them to use microphones and influence the teaching. The study also shows that students sometimes choose not to stand up for their needs in order to avoid stigma. In the results, a model has been developed that highlights the student in its context during the transition process and the model can be used to understand the complexity in the interaction between student, teacher and classmates during the transition. The conclusion is that it can be demanding for the student to recurrently be expected to stand up for their need of accessible communication and that the environment's response creates or hinders the acting space for self-advocacy. The teacher's ability to build relationships and understanding of his or her position of power appears to be the most decisive factors for the development of acting space for the student's self-advocacy.

This study was conducted to examine the experiences of first-year, traditional aged Honors College students who were placed on academic probation at the conclusion of the first semester and how they perceive their current circumstances, reasons for their inability to meet the honors requirements, and future academic pursuits. A comprehensive literature review was performed, specifically in the areas of first-year college students, retention, Honors Colleges and Honors Programs, high achievers, honors students in trouble, help-seeking behaviors, and academic probation at the collegiate level. A phenomenological research design was employed where participants met with the investigator one-on-one for a semi-structured interview. Ten students participated in the study; six were first-year students on honors probation, and four were in academic good standing following the end of the first semester. Participants described several common experiences, including: difficulty with the high school to college transition, planning and organizational challenges, overconfidence in academic abilities, and poor attendance and class participation. Based on these findings, several recommendations are made.

Sammanfattning Syftet med denna studie var att se hur övergången mellan mellanstadiet och högstadiet ser ut i olika skolor i olika kommuner gällande elever i behov av stöd utifrån specialpedagogers/ speciallärares och mentorers perspektiv när det kommer till upplägget av extra anpassningar och särskilt stöd, med den sociokulturella teorin som bas. En kvalitativ forskning genomfördes innehållande 13 semistrukturerade intervjuer, sju med specialpedagoger/ speciallärare och sex med mentorer, med hjälp av en intervjuguide. Intervjupersonerna var involverade i övergångsprocessen på överlämnande eller mottagande skola och intervjuernas resultat diskuterades sedan gentemot rådande styrdokument och tidigare forskning som handlar om övergångar mellan olika stadier. Det som framkom i studien var att intervjupersonerna ansåg att samarbetet mellan specialpedagoger/speciallärare och mentorer när det kommer till elevärenden och hälsofrämjande och förebyggande arbetssätt fungerade bra och att den öppna kommunikationen professionerna emellan samt specialpedagogens roll som handledare och rådgivare upplevdes som positiv. Studien visade även att specialpedagoger/speciallärare och mentorer ansågs viktiga då det kommer till utformandet av en god lärmiljö och lyckade övergångar. Elevernas delaktighet i övergångar ansågs nästintill obefintlig och istället är det vårdnadshavarna som representerade eleverna vid överlämningen. Studien visade också att mottagande skola bjöd in alla elever till prova-på dagar och andra aktiviteter innan skolstart samt att elever i behov av stöd och deras vårdnadshavare erbjöds att träffa blivande lärare eller elevhälsoteamets medlemmar för ytterligare överlämning. Vidare framkom att alla elever samt vårdnadshavare fick tycka till om blivande klasstillhörighet och stödinsatser. Det påvisades även att delaktigheten i övergångar ställde höga krav på elever i behov av stöd och att även förändringar i den fysiska miljön och andra skillnader mellan stadierna kunde leda till ångest och oro för eleverna.  Nyckelord: grundskola/primary school, mellanstadiet/middle school, skolövergång/school transition, särskilt stöd/special needs, överlämning / <p>På grund av de rådande omständigheterna på grund av covid19 presentationen av examensarbetet gjordes via ZOOM. </p><p></p>

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / William Adams / This is an exploratory study on the existing transition efforts of the Kansas State University Graduate School for master’s degree students. There are a variety of graduate students at Kansas State University with many different graduate program experiences. This study identifies the current status of incoming master’s degree students outreach and details experiences of transitioning graduate students to make suggestions on future strategies. It is vital to identify if, and which, programs are catering to the different needs of these students during their socialization into their graduate program. The study has three main objectives: (1) determine the level of personal contact and emphasis on relationship-building during a master’s degree student’s transition, (2) identify the general efforts and practices of specific master’s degree programs and the Kansas State University Graduate School, and (3) to document the needs of students as they transition into graduate school at Kansas State University. The research was conducted through use of confidential one-on-one in-depth interviews with nine Kansas State University graduate program directors and two Graduate School administrators. Ten newly admitted to the Kansas State University graduate program in the spring of 2013 were interviewed. The qualitative approach to this study enabled the researcher to get detailed testimonials and experience-based knowledge from all of these key stakeholders. Overall, the study revealed that graduate students value face-to-face and personal interaction and showed that student-to-student contact is a preferred component to a successful socialization of graduate students. The needs of transitioning graduate students included assistance with course scheduling, assistantship responsibilities, advisor selection, and an overall understanding that graduate school is different from undergraduate school. Future graduate program strategies that would assist in the successful socialization of graduate students include: orientations, meeting with graduate program directors, social and networking opportunities, and workshops. Involvement in student organizations and utilization of on-campus resources are also a part of most of the graduate programs, and graduate school transition outreach. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher offers suggestions to the Graduate School, graduate programs, and incoming students in order to help enhance the transition experience of master’s degree students into graduate school at Kansas State University.

The dropout rate for first-generation Mexican Americans students in American schools has increased in the past decade. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the central research question, was to explore the factors that influenced the decision of first-generation Mexican American students to transition to high school or drop out after Grade 8. The research design was a phenomenological case study. The conceptual framework was based on current research surrounding first-generation Mexican American student dropout questions. In addition, how the concepts of family and community involvement and relationships between the home and school have an impact on the first generation Mexican American dropout rate. Participants were 10 first-generation Mexican Americans between the ages of 18-24, who either dropped out of school at the end of Grade 8 or completed high school. Data was collected from multiple interviews with participants. Data analysis involved coding, categorization, and analysis of themes and discrepant data. Factors that influenced students' decisions to stay in school or drop out included lack of support at home, lack of support at school, and financial needs. This study contributes to positive social change because educators may develop a deeper understanding about how to prevent first-generation Mexican American students from dropping out of school. In helping these students to graduate from high school, educators will assist these students in developing educational and employment goals that will confidently lead them to lives that are more productive.

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomena of middle school transition and achievement as it relates to Hispanic students. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there are more than 35 million registered Hispanic citizens. Of those, 3.6 million are public school students. The literature indicated that there was a marked regression in student achievement during the transition to middle school. Through the use of descriptive statistics and regression analysis, sixth grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and math developmental scale scores (DSS) were analyzed to determine if the mean achievement improved or declined after the transition to middle school. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select 615 Hispanic students from more than 6,000 students that were enrolled in sixth grade during the 2008-2009 school year. The major findings of this study did not support the literature that indicated that students experienced a decline in achievement when they transitioned to middle school. Analysis of the descriptive statistics indicated that sixth grade Hispanic students experienced a substantial increase in their mean FCAT reading DSS and a smaller increase in the mean math DSS only increasing by 30 points or 2% after they transitioned to middle school.

The diploma thesis deals with the importance of small schools for municipalities and their inhabitants. It focuses on the views and memories of individual residents who attended a small school in their village. The theoretical part of the thesis is divided into two main chapters, the first one deals with mixed-grade education and the other with a teacher in the classroom with mixed grades. The first chapter defines the concept of a small school, it also takes into account the history and distinguishes between the types of small-class schools. This chapter also discusses small-scale schools in the countryside, it examines the climate and environment in the small schools, and their advantages and disadvantages. Last but not least, it sees the small school as an alternative school, and also takes into account alternative schools with mixed grades structure abroad. The second chapter focuses on the teacher in the small school, his attitudes, values, personality, authority, as well as his professional knowledge and skills. The research part of the thesis was realized by semi-structured interviews. Qualitative research has shown that even though former pupils often remember at school in a good way, they do not always trust that system of teaching so much that they entrust their children to school unconditionally. The biggest surprise of the thesis was the finding that the memories of a particular small school are largely influenced by the memories of a particular teacher, his personality, behavior and manners, not the school itself. On the other hand, most of the respondents have had bad memories about their transition, it was stressful for most of them, they have been badly integrated into a new collective and a new environment, some of them have also encountered bullying. These facts discourage some people from putting their children in a small school.

No description available.

No description available.