The strong hold of the research paper on the English curriculum over the past fifty years has created instructional and learning challenges that call for innovative solutions. Although concerned educators have developed creative variations to spark student interest and promote critical thinking, research has revealed little change in curriculum design or student performance on the research paper, even with advanced ability students (Ford, 1995; Moulton & Holmes, 2003). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how students’ perceptions of the knowledge task presented by a literary analysis research paper related to research and composing strategies for five twelfth-grade advanced students. Social constructivism (Creswell, 2003; Vygotsky, 1934/1986) and phenomenology (Schutz, 1967; Seidman, 1998) served as theoretical frameworks for the study. Three questions guided the research: 1) How might students’ epistemological views be described as they initiate the research paper process? 2) How do students’ epistemological views relate to the choices they make during the research and composing processes? 3) How do students’ epistemological views relate to the final research product? Data collection and analysis occurred over an eight-month period. Data sources included an epistemological questionnaire (Schommer, 1989), four in-depth phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 1998) conducted with each student at drafting stages, member checking, discourse analysis of free responses and essay drafts, and a researcher’s log. Constant comparative in-case and cross-case analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Miles & Huberman, 1994) were used to analyze data. Holistic and four-dimension rubric scoring (content, organization, style, conventions) was used to analyze and evaluate the final essays. Trustworthiness was established through methods that ensured credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). While participants expressed strong beliefs in complex knowledge and demonstrated high levels of reflective thinking, they differed in their views towards certain knowledge, which resulted in variations in composing strategies and essay quality. Significant relationships were indicated between knowledge views and concept formation, knowledge views and composing strategies, problem solving and the research experience, and reflective thinking and academic challenge. Prior knowledge, motivation, and gender also contributed to different outcomes. Results suggested important directions for research paper design and instruction in the language arts curriculum.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Teacher Education, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 23, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-182). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M. Ed.(Education Management)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 163-167).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--UCLA, 2009. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-158).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-167). Also available in print.

It is the purpose of this study to review in brief the changes that have taken place since the turn of the century in content of mathematical studies in the high school and to examine theoretically the significance of such changes.

Esta tese tem como objetivo mostrar como a construção das masculinidades juvenis produzem armadilhas na intersecção da trajetória escolar dos meninos do ensino médio da escola pública e seus projetos de vida futuros. Para tanto, realizei pesquisa empírica em uma escola de um município da Grande Porto Alegre, a qual visitei durante um ano inteiro. Ali realizei observações, entrevistei alunos, conversei com professores e funcionários e formei grupos aos quais chamei de grupos de discussão para que pudéssemos conversar acerca de questões de gênero na escola. O foco de todo o trabalho se deu em torno do comportamento dos meninos, a construção de suas masculinidades e as implicações desta construção com o desempenho escolar e possíveis consequências na vida futura. Durante as visitas, registrei cenas e falas em um caderno, ao qual chamei de caderno de campo. Além disso, gravei, com o consentimento prévio de cada informante, suas contribuições. Tudo foi transcrito e registrado em um diário de campo, configurando-se, assim, no que chamei de bricolagem como método de pesquisa. A tese, portanto, discute e problematiza questões relacionadas à construção de masculinidades, mais especificamente, à construção de um tipo de masculinidade, considerada hegemônica e os privilégios que este tipo de masculinidade traz aos meninos que a exercem. Problematizou-se ainda, e principalmente, o fato de que tais privilégios podem trazer consigo armadilhas que, por sua vez, interferem no desempenho escolar dos meninos. Dados como o maior número de meninas pleiteando uma vaga nas universidades mostram que algo está acontecendo com os meninos, daí a armadilha que acompanha os prováveis privilégios das masculinidades. Já no mestrado, concluído em 2012, analisei um gap de gênero na educação brasileira, também à luz de pesquisa realizada em uma escola pública do mesmo município. Do gap ao trap, ou seja, do distanciamento à armadilha, aprofundei no doutorado as discussões trazidas no mestrado. O foco, desta vez, ficou nas armadilhas que se encontram na trajetória da construção do menino enquanto aluno e dono de uma masculinidade considerada hegemônica. Evidenciei tais armadilhas relacionando-as com tecnologias de gênero que formam um e outro gênero na escola, dando relevância a uma série de acontecimentos e atitudes cotidianas e que, na maioria das vezes, são consideradas sem importância, à luz do que nos diz Foucault quando nos fala que gestos aparentemente sem importância importam nas relações de poder às quais estamos todos submetidos. Esta tese nos convida a perceber a relevância de tais tecnologias, vistas muitas vezes como gestos aparentemente sem importância, e o que eles têm a nos dizer acerca da construção das masculinidades na escola e as implicações de tais construções no desempenho escolar dos meninos e no reflexo em suas vidas futuras. Esta tese convida, ainda, para além de problematizarmos tais questões, a estranhá-las, e assim, no desconforto da desacomodação, percebê-las como fundamentais na construção do menino enquanto aluno, com evidentes impactos em sua vida futura. / This doctoral thesis aims to show how the construction of juvenile masculinities produces traps in the intersection of boys’ trajectory during high school in the Brazilian public school and their future life projects. To this end, I made an empirical research in a public school in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, which I visited during an entire year. There, I made observations, interviewed students, talked with teachers and employees and also formed groups which I called discussion groups, in order to talk about gender issues at school. The focus of the entire work was about the boys’ behavior, the construction of their masculinities and the implications of such construction with their performance at school and probable consequences in their future lives. During the visits, I registered scenes and talks on a notebook, which I called field notebook. Besides, I recorded, with the previous consent of every informant, their contributions. All was written out and registered on a field diary, setting up as what I called a bricolage as a research method. This thesis, therefore, discusses and questions issues related to the construction of masculinities, more specifically, the construction of a kind of masculinity, considered hegemonic and the privileges that such masculinity brings to the boys who pursue it. It is also questioned, and mainly, the fact that, such privileges bring traps, which, in turn, interfere in the boys’ school performance. Data like a major number of girls trying a vacancy in the universities show that something is happening to the boys, given the trap which comes with these probable privileges of masculinities. During my master degree, concluded in 2012, I analyzed a gender gap in the Brazilian education, also in the light of a research made in a public school in the same town. From gap to trap, I deepened, during this doctor degree process, the discussions brought by the master degree. The focus, however, is the traps which can be found on the trajectory of the boy’s construction as a student and the owner of a kind of masculinity considered hegemonic. I put such traps in evidence relating them to gender technologies which form both genders at school, giving relevance to a series of facts and everyday attitudes which, most of times, are considered without importance, just like Foucault says when he tells us that apparently unimportant gestures matter in the power relations to which we all are subjected. This thesis invites us to perceive the relevance of such technologies, many times seen as apparently unimportant gestures, and what they can tell us about the construction of masculinities at school and its implications with the boys’ school performance as well as the reflex on their future lives. This thesis also invites us, beyond such issues, to make them strange, in order to, in the discomfort of the displacing, perceive them as fundamental in the construction of the boy as a student, with evident impacts on his future life.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Education, 1998. / This case study explores, through critical reflection, the process of a school-based curriculum change (SBCC) and examines to what extent the application of adult education principles facilitates this process. The change is related to three issues: the process of curriculum development; the shift towards professional development based on adult education principles; and the changing role of the consultant in relation to curriculum development. Tire consultant came to realize that in order to promote school based curriculum development it was necessary to work with the head of the department and the teachers in a participative mode, rather than taking a stand as a curriculum development expert. The research findings suggest that in order to apply adult education principles to teachers’ professional development, the consultant needs to move from consultancy based on an expert role towards consultancy based on a process role. The research proposes that professional development based on adult education principles and teamwork could be a promising introduction to a secondorder change promoting a school culture of teamwork and critical reflection. The researcher came to question the appropriateness of a case study based on participant observation as a research methodology in the workplace. She suggests that an action research could be more advantageous to promote a second-order change and could be more in line with adult education principles.

This study examined the perceptions of Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) master's-level school counseling program coordinators and faculty members about the importance and relevance of family systems theory and techniques coursework in their program curriculum. Family-systems theory coursework is lacking in two-thirds of those accredited programs, although mandated by their major accrediting body, CACREP. CACREP issued curriculum standards and guidelines to ensure proper training of school-counseling students and the American School Counselor Association--the foundation that expands the image and influence of professional school counselors through advocacy, leadership, collaboration, and systemic change--has issued guidelines for the training and practice of school counselors in family systems. The ASCA goal is to ensure school-counseling professionals are adequately and appropriately trained to work with children and adolescents in the school setting. Participants were 45 chairs, coordinators, or faculty members of master's-level school counseling programs from across the United States who consented to participate. Five factors influenced perceptions of the relevancy of family-systems theory for school-counseling-program respondents: the status of a family-systems course in the school-counseling program (stand-alone or not stand-alone), respondent's role as a coordinator or faculty member, single or double accreditation, formal training in family-systems theory, and attitude about family-systems theory as an enhancement to professional development. Results from other analyses included internal influences, external influences, past and future influences, demographic distinctions, limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for the field.