The college graduation rates for African-Americans, as compared to other ethnic cohorts, remains at a continuous low level. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2014), 1,602,480 baccalaureate degrees were conferred nationwide to college students during 2009-2010. The purpose of this phenomenological research study is to understand how second-year African-American males attending a mid-sized, southwestern historically Black university and college (HBCU) perceived their ability to achieve academic success. For this study, I collected, thematically analyzed and correlated data from participant profile sheets, focus group meetings, follow-up interviews and observational field notes. The 11 research participants provide a descriptive account of their academic experiences as they have progressed towards their impending graduations. Data analysis rendered six emergent themes: family influence, cultural awareness and exposure, mentorship, networking, academic achievement, and campus climate. This study is significant for individuals who are interested in improving the academic advancements of African-American males in higher education. The findings may aid academic researchers, campus administrators, academically focused organizations, faculty, staff, and students in understanding what is needed to develop new programs and campus initiatives that foster African-American males’ achievement. The research findings also add to the body of limited research that is available on the achievement patterns of African-American males attending HBCUs.

No description available.

In this study, undergraduate student attitudes towards organic chemistry and the influences that shape those attitudes were explored using the Attitudes Towards Organic Chemistry Instrument (ATOC) to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings from the qualitative ATOC items provide evidence that students displayed a wide range of attitudes towards organic chemistry, including positive, negative, neutral, and blended attitudes. Five major influences were shown to have shaped these attitudes including the reputation of the course, students' educators, experiences with organic chemistry, experiences with introductory chemistry, and individual experiences. Students responses longitudinally provide evidence that their influences and attitudes change over time in the course. The findings from the quantitative ATOC items provided evidence that the data generated was valid and reliable, and a relationship was found to exist between what students think and what they had heard about the course. Limitations of this investigation, as well as implications for research and practitioners, are discussed.

Many higher education institutions offer first-year college students the opportunity to participate in second-year retention programs in order to support the persistence of college students who seek assistance in navigating the college experience. Research regarding the traits that characterize second-year students and what the second-year experience entails is still in progress. (Braxton, 2000; Hunter et al. 2009; Schaller, 2000, 2005, 2010; Schreiner & Pattengale, 2000). While the existing research has built the foundation for research around the second-year experience, additional research is required to compose a truly holistic picture of the second-year experience. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of first-year students who choose to apply to second-year retention programs and why they choose to apply to such programs. The study will address three research questions. 1. What are the characteristics of students who apply to participate in a second-year retention program? 2. What student noncognitive variables reflect which students apply to participate in a second-year retention program? 3. What factors do first-year students consider when determining whether or not they will participate in a second-year retention program? A mixed methods explanatory design (Cresswell & Plano-Clark, 2007) was implemented to investigate the research questions. The research population was composed of 337 first-year college students, primarily first generation students and students of color, eligible for participation in a second-year retention program at a large research institution in the western United States. This study hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of the characteristics of first-year students who choose to apply to participate in second-year retention programs and why they choose to apply. The findings can inform universities as to how they can offer more effective support of second-year students in a manner relevant to their needs. / text

Statistical process control (SPC) is used in the chemical industry to monitor manufacturing and laboratory processes to ensure quality and compliance with regulatory requirements. Control charts are a key tool used in this monitoring. Industrial job postings desire experience with SPC. Most undergraduates entering the workforce have no exposure, let alone experience, with control charts. The few available literature examples of control charts in undergraduate chemistry education involve methods of instrumental analysis at the junior or senior level of an academic program. Educators may improve the student's preparation for working in industrial and regulatory environments by incorporating components of SPC early in the curriculum. This work provides an example of how to introduce the concept and use of control charts earlier as part of the Quantitative Analysis Laboratory curriculum. The titration of vinegar to determine the weight percent of acetic acid, using the same sample for all students, serves as a platform for this introduction. Using a provided control chart generated from historical student data, students stated in a written laboratory report if their results were within control. The scored laboratory reports and questions on the written final exam assessed student learning and retention of how to use a control chart. Meeting the learning outcomes for the laboratory exercise required the student to report the correct weight percent of vinegar and state whether their result is within control. The learning outcomes on the written final exam were met when the student answered the questions correctly, stating the given result was out of control and suggesting correct experimental changes. The goal was to see 70% or more students meet the learning outcomes. Assessment showed that a simple titration experiment enables the introduction of how to use control charts during the Quantitative Analysis Laboratory curriculum.

The purpose of this study was to compare the level of efficacy of second year teachers with respect to their culturally and linguistically diverse students, and between groups of teachers participating in different induction programs. In addition, this study sought to determine if a relationship existed between the teachers' sense of efficacy with their diverse students and the support and training the teachers' received from their respective induction programs. This study was based on quantitative research methods. The data for the study was collected in February 2005, from each second year teacher participant in one of three California Teacher Induction Programs. The instruments used to collect data were the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale (OSTES) and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). A comparative and correlational study was used to investigate the second year teachers' sense of efficacy, and the extent to which they perceived their induction programs to have articulated known effective practices in relation to culturally and linguistically diverse students. The findings of this study indicated that the participating teachers felt less efficacious in instructional strategies and student engagement, and equally efficacious in classroom management as those teachers who served as the sample group for the development of the OSTES. Teachers indicated that they perceived some of the weaker components of the support and training of the induction programs in areas that centered around “language issues” such as: identifying language objectives, differentiating instruction based on language needs, and incorporating appropriate teaching strategies for language needs. This was further substantiated in the intercorrelation between teacher efficacy and the teachers' perception of emphasis of best practices for diverse students by their respective induction program. Specifically, the intercorrelations found correlations between teachers sense of efficacy and their perceptions of the support and training of their induction program in the following areas: differentiated instruction, instructional strategies, grouping strategies, and identifying key content vocabulary. The findings suggest that induction program administrators need to provide novice teachers serving diverse students with opportunities to create and implement lessons with language objectives and provide more training on instructional strategies that support meeting those objectives.

In this paper, to write, mainly based on Hubei Jingzhou Han Tomb No. 247 of The laws and decrees of the second year"¡Bthe Bamboo Slips of Zhangjiashan in the Eary Han Dynasty Empress Lu years (186BC) promulgated the "The laws and decrees of the second year". And these systems, do in depth. While many of these systems inherited from Qin, but also in the history of the early Han dynasty and the associated changes in state policy, under which such an amendment and gain. In addition to the time of the early Han Dynasty inherited the Qin, " Registration of Residents " and " The System of Granting Homestead ", but also because of the unified emerging empire, no longer need to use Qin "of dollars in the first grant Jue," The System of Granting Homestead, but to set the succession after the system, military medals Jue system has become extremely important to establish the household registration system supporting measures. So, the early Han Dynasty all the people's economic rights and social well-being, they are all related and the title of nobility class. In addition, even the preparation of the results of Wu is not only related to people, security and home management, also affected the litigation system, and even to sit, and even the limits of regional action. A number of related management measures, they must meet for us. Rather special is that the "The laws and decrees of the second year"Lane set a lot of bearing on women's rights law, women enjoy a number of special treatment; even the servants, there are also benefits in the slave girl slave components. "The laws and decrees of the second year" domain inside the official system should not only permit the " Shiwu System " the existence of, and its importance in the history of philology, but also presents the official system, the superiority of the domain. This with the "Shuo Wen Jie Zi ¡E order" than right, more found that "The laws and decrees of the second year".

The purpose of this study is to develop a set of behavioral objectives for the Second Year Chemistry Course in Kuwait Secondary Schools. This set of behavioral objectives will help school teachers to choose their activities, teaching methods, questions, and evaluation procedures; it will be useful in the preparation and use of behavioral objectives in their other courses. As a conclusion, the Chemical Education Material Study (CHEMS) appears more beneficial than the traditional chemistry course by its effect on student achievement and the stimulation of the cognitive abilities such as application and analysis processes. The present Kuwaiti chemistry course appears more organized than previous courses and the movement is toward the modern approach. Use of behavioral objectives appears more effective than the use of general objectives (or no objectives) in the area of students' achievements and attitudes, in the area of course content, and organization of complex cognitive processes. Recommendations for improvement of the Kuwaiti chemistry course and for further studies on behavioral objectives are listed.

No description available.

The diploma thesis Problematics of Spelling Soft and Hard Consents in Teaching deals with the given topic within the curriculum of the second year of primary school. The main aim of the thesis was to teach pupils the orthographic rules related to the topic and their application. Theoretical part describes the position of consonants in Czech language, the position of given topic in teaching and problematics of terminology. It also describes the psychomotor development of child. Further, in theoretical part is an analysis of interpretation and practice in Czech language textbooks for the second year of primary school. The subject of the practical part was to create and apply an alternative teaching method and to teach pupils to use soft and hard i/y after spellingly soft and hard consonants. The survey was conducted with pupils of the second year of primary school in the form of application of an alternative teaching method created on the basis of a synthesis of knowledge from the theoretical part. It was attended by 21 pupils for 22 teaching hours. Main testing was performed at the beginning and at the end, continuous testing took place in sections of the subject matter. The survey also included testing of fifth and seventh grade pupils in order to map the current state of knowledge of the topic....