Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2007. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 194 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of these studies was to examine the predictors of African American and European American adolescents’ attitudes toward affirmative action (Study 1) and school desegregation (Study 2) policies. It was hypothesized that support for both policies would be higher among adolescents who (1) attended more racially diverse classes, (2) held less prejudiced racial attitudes, (3) were more aware of historical and continuing racial inequality and discrimination, (4) described themselves as politically liberal, and (5) had engaged in more racial identity exploration. Participants in both studies included African American and European American adolescents ages 14 to 17 attending a high school in the Midwestern U.S. On the first day of data collection in both studies, adolescents completed assessments of the hypothesized predictor variables in the context of their high school social studies classrooms. On the second day of data collection, adolescents learned about either an affirmative action (Study 1) or a school desegregation (Study 2) policy that had been proposed for their school. Immediately following the policy presentations, adolescents reported their opinions of the policy in open-ended and forced-choice formats. Across studies, results indicated that African American and European American adolescents often held significantly different views of race, racism, and race-related policies. In general, African American adolescents were more aware of racial discrimination, endorsed more positive views about African Americans, and were more supportive of affirmative action and school desegregation policies than European American adolescents. Predictors of individuals’ views of race-related policies also varied by participant race. Among African American adolescents, higher awareness of interracial disparities and discrimination predicted stronger support of affirmative action and school desegregation. Among European American adolescents, in contrast, higher awareness of interracial disparities and discrimination predicted weaker support of affirmative action and school desegregation. More work is needed to examine the origins of differences between African American and European American adolescents’ understanding of, and beliefs about, race in society. / text

This study considers the manifestations of social closure attitudes by pupils in the open white and Indian state secondary schools in the Durban and greater Durban areas. This study is contextualised with reference to the state's move towards semi-privatisation of the white state schools in South Africa, thus indicating a gradual shift from race to class subjectivities. Therefore, an argument is offered for the use of Parkin's social closure model which explains both race and class phenomena within the same explanatory framework. A multiple research strategy was used, with questionnaires being administered to 240 pupils, while interviews were held with 40 pupils. The viewpoints of both principals and teachers were also considered. Analyses of the results indicated that pupils of all three race groups (Africans, Indians and whites) displayed exclusionary attitudes. Furthermore, the admissions criteria used by the open schools were found to be operating under racist effects and served as an exclusionary device. The African pupils in this study formed part of a larger subordinate majority grouping and as such, displayed usurpationary attitudes, in terms of their aspirations and goals. "Speaking English" was found to be a salient category and served as a credential to gain access to advantages, and was also used as a justificatory basis for excluding other African pupils. This indicates evidence of dual closure. Finally, the middle class background of most of the African pupils within these open schools indicates that the open schools are catering for a very small sector of the African population. This will result in a small social category of "eligibles", while the majority of the African population will form part of the "ineligibles" or "outsiders", thus widening class inequalities within South African society. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1993.

Little has been written of either parochial or integrated educational history in northern British Columbia. Prince George College, founded in 1956 by Bishop Fergus O'Grady of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, represents a. particular attempt by the Catholic community of the Diocese of Prince George to offer a Catholic education for both Aboriginal and white students in northern British Columbia. Using the personal and professional files of the late Bishop O'Grady and other documentary evidence made available to me by the Archives of the Diocese of Prince George an attempt has been made to construct an image of Bishop 0'Grady's "vision" for Prince George College. Using letters, memos, minutes, personal notes, and a number of available monographs on the subject of parochial, Aboriginal, integrated,- and northern Canadian education, this thesis begins the process of piecing together some of the bishop's plans and visions for the school from its founding to its change of name in 1989 to "O'Grady Catholic High School" and eventual closing in June, 2001. Chapter One details the bishop's construction of not only the school's financial groundwork, but more importantly its ethos - a narrative rooted in century's old stories of the Oblates and their pioneering efforts to establish Christianity in northern B.C. The second chapter examines the role of volunteerism and parental support in staffing the school. In'particular, much credit must be given to the Frontier Apostles - a lay, volunteer organization started by Bishop 0'Grady - for the day-to-day running of the school for most of its thirty years. The third chapter looks specifically at the "integrated" nature of the school - the supposed presence of integration of both Aboriginal and white students. What is constructed is an image of the bishop's vision that finally provides some context to his plans for the school. The school lay on a foundation of a carefully constructed ethos, the sacrifices of hundreds of lay volunteers, and the involuntary financial subsidies provided by Aboriginal students from approximately 1960 to 1989. The school finally closed its doors in 2001 citing both financial difficulties and a lack of local parental support. Much can be learned from the mistakes of the past in any future attempts to re-open the institution.

After fifty years of challenges to the color line in Montgomery, Alabama, the Metropolitan Statistical Area is more integrated now than it was in 1950. Through exploring the effects of Brown v. Board of Education, the bus boycott, school integration court cases, re-segregation of schools in city and suburban districts, and federal open-housing policies, the volatile transformation appears to shows how, after fifty years, Montgomery has moved from a segregated dual society to a partially integrated society in spite of the massive resistance to integration.

President Mandela, in his inaugural speech of 1994, inscribed the metaphor of a / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

This study explores the perceptions of racial desegregation and integration in schools from the point of view of students in three schools that previously fell under NED, HOR and HOD. Democratization of schools which has coincided with desegregation is also touched on briefly. Schools that previously catered for one race group have had to admit all learners irrespective of race after desegregation. This has encouraged migration of learners from township schools to previously 'coloured' , 'Indian' and 'white' schools in search of spaces. This process of school desegregation which is just a simple mechanical process inevitably leads to a more complex one, racial integration. In each of the schools studied, a questionnaire with items on racial desegregation and integration was given to a grade 11 class and a follow-up interview schedule based on questionnaire responses was drawn. 45 minute interviews were conducted with smaller groups in each grade 11 class and one group per school was used for interviews. The results showed that students are very positive about desegregation, integration and democracy. It became evident that in South Africa, there is a shortage of a strong cadre in integration issues. Students tended to show support for strategies of avoiding issues as evidenced by a strong preference for 'colour blindness' and for students to see themselves as one 'Rainbow Nation'. The results also showed that while racial desegregation was evident among students, the same could not be said about the staff and the school governing bodies. There was a noticeable drop in numbers of students to whom the school previously belonged and an increase of African students. The study also revealed that students know what they want to learn in schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 1999.

L’instruction des ADV (Aveugles et Déficients visuels) sous-tend leur apprentissage et leur intégration aussi bien scolaire que sociale, et est fondée sur des politiques mises en œuvre dans divers pays. En France et dans d’autres pays, sont conçues au profit des ADV des politiques d’intégration dont celles en milieu ouvert et en milieu spécialisé. Les études de terrain en France et en Tunisie montrent, qu’avec de supports et de matériels spécifiques, les ADV ont pu apprendre les mathématiques en concrétisation de ces politiques d’intégration. / Teaching the BVI (Blind and Visually Impaired) is the foundation of their learning and integration in both school and society, and is based on policies implemented in various countries. In France and in other countries, integration policies, in an open and specialized setting, are formed for the BVI. Field studies in France and in Tunisia show that with specific media and materials, the BVI were able to learn Math, thus concretizing these integration policies.

This study focuses on the implementation of a thematic approach in the Namibian Lower Primary Phase of schooling. The purpose of the study is to investigate teachers’ perceptions and understanding of the thematic approach and also to explore how teachers plan and implement a thematic approach in their classrooms. It is argued that a thematic approach allows for a combination of subjects that integrate content across the curriculum in such a way that learners can see the relations among concepts and so build up their knowledge in a more meaningful way. The work was done in a qualitative paradigm using a case study approach. Findings reveal that the majority of teachers have a shallow conceptual understanding of the principles of a thematic approach and this causes difficulties in their practice. The investigation concludes that in order for teachers to deepen their conceptual understanding of the thematic approach, follow-up workshops are necessary to help them develop appropriate strategies for their classrooms.

For my thesis I have chosen the theme of the importance and possibilities of a teacher assistant in school integration of children with disabilities. The research was conducted in the district of Český Krumlov. There are currently 20 basic schools and 26 kindergartens of which eight basic schools and two kindergartens have integrated pupils with disabilities. My two hypotheses are based on the fact that teacher assistants are the ones who, in my opinion, form an indispensable part of a pedagogic team, ensuring successful and beneficial integration of disabled children into the regular type of schools and school facilities and affecting the process of integration (hypothesis 1). Moreover, I believe that the competencies of two different professional groups, being teacher assistants and personal assistants, are often confused and neither professionals nor the lay public are able to clearly distinguish between their functions (hypothesis 2). In order to obtain information in respect of the set out issues, the method of interviews in the form of questionnaires was used. The questionnaire was designed for directors and teachers of basic schools and kindergartens integrating pupils with disabilities and also for parents of disabled children integrated in a regular school. The processed data are displayed in graphs and tables. Both the raised hypotheses have been confirmed. It was revealed that the respondents consider a teacher assistant as an indispensable element without which the school integration would not be successful. Some of them refer to their previous experience when no teacher assistant was available. The hypothesis which assumed confusion of competencies of an assistant teacher and a personal assistant was also clearly confirmed. The research revealed that some respondents suggested an interesting idea to unify these two assistants' functions into one that would fall under one resort. By this diploma thesis I would like to contribute to the explanation of ambiguities in the competences of a teacher assistant and a personal assistant and to promote the importance of a teacher assistant in school integration of children with disabilities.