This study was undertaken to investigate changes in classroom environment as students move between upper primary and lower secondary school in selected schools in South Australia. A new instrument, the Middle School Classroom Environment Indicator (MSCEI), was devised to measure students' perceptions of particular aspects of classroom environment that were considered important in this transitional phase along the educational continuum. Actual and preferred versions of the instrument were used longitudinally with students in Grade 7 and again in Grade 8 in order to determine whether students perceived an improvement or deterioration in salient aspects of their classroom climate. Also, student satisfaction was assessed before and after transition. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were supported by qualitative data gathered through discussions with teachers, students and administrators, as well as classroom visits before and after transition into secondary school.Research questions were answered through numerous statistical analyses of questionnaire data: item analysis, factor analysis and analysis of variance for establishing the reliability and validity of the MSCEI; simple correlation and multiple regression analyses for investigating associations between student satisfaction and classroom environment scales; and paired t tests to compare and contrast perceptions of classroom environments in Grade 7 and Grade 8.The sample consisted of 311 students in six schools in Grade 7 and 575 students in six schools in Grade 8. The schools represented different enrolment profiles and 'distinctive settings. The schools involved were two single-sex boys' schools, one single-sex girls' school, and three co-educational schools. Five of the six schools in the sample had both primary and secondary classes in the school, while one school terminated enrolment as a primary school ++ / in Grade 7 and students moved to a new secondary setting in Grade 8.Classroom environments in secondary settings were generally perceived less favourably, given rapid lesson turnover, multiple specialist teachers and larger school sizes, which were associated with a perceived increase in alienation. These findings seem generally consistent across the sample of schools involved in the study, although variations were evident in different schools with differing enrolment profiles and internal arrangements for catering for students moving from primary to secondary schooling. Satisfaction was closely associated with the classroom environment dimensions of affiliation and autonomy in Grade 7, and with affiliation, autonomy and teacher support in Grade 8.Given the extensive work undertaken by researchers and scholars in the area of middle schooling, this study holds significance for teachers and administrators who wish to promote effective and manageable classroom experiences for students as they move from upper primary to lower secondary schooling.

This study investigated the secondary school students' learning of genetics when their teachers included an interactive computer program BioLogica in classroom teaching and learning. Genetics is difficult to teach and learn at school because it is conceptually and linguistically complex for students who have little or no prior knowledge about it. Yet genetics is now central to learning and research in biomedical sciences and is essential for understanding contemporary issues such as genetic engineering and cloning. Interactive multimedia programs such as BioLogica have provided new opportunities for learning as these programs feature multiple external representations (MERs) of knowledge in different formats, including visualgraphical and verbal-textual and at different levels of organisation. Users can manipulate and observe the behaviour of these MERs. Ainsworth (1999) summarised three functions of MERs claimed by researchers in supporting learners - to provide complementary information or processes, to constrain interpretations of phenomena and to promote construction of deeper understanding of the domain. Using an interpretive, case-based research approach with multiple methods and multiple sources of data, this study was guided by two foci of inquiry - teachers' integration and implementation of BioLogica in their classroom teaching, and students' learning with BioLogica alongside other resources. The theoretical framework drew on perspectives from educational psychology, the conceptual learning model in science education, and cognitive/computational sciences. / Student learning was interpreted using a multidimensional conceptual change framework (Tyson, Venville, Harrison, & Treagust, 1997)-social/affective dimension in terms of students' interests and motivations, epistemological dimension in terms of genetics reasoning of six types (Hickey & Kindfield, 1999), and ontological dimension in terms students' gene conceptions (Venville & Treagust, 1998). Teaching and learning with BioLogica were also analysed and interpreted using Ainsworth's three functions of MERs. Necessary techniques including triangulation were used to increase the rigour of data analysis and interpretation in keeping with the qualitative research tradition. The study was conducted during the years 2001 and 2002 at six classroom sites across four senior high schools of different contexts in the metropolitan Perth area in Western Australia. Five teachers and their Year 10 students (four classes) and Year 12 students (two classes) - 117 students (90 girls and 27 boys), aged from 14 to 18, - participated in the study. Data were collected in response to the initial research questions and the reformulated case-specific research questions. The findings in terms of general assertions were generated from within-case and cross-case analyses and interpretations. Findings of the study suggest that teachers idiosyncratically incorporated (rather than integrated) BioLogica activities in their classroom teaching based on their beliefs and referents for normal classroom teaching. The teachers' implementation and scaffolding of student learning with BioLogica were affected by their knowledge of the software and beliefs about its usefulness based on the salient features of the MERs rather than their functions. / Institutional support, technical issues, and time constraints were the possible barriers for using BioLogica in teaching. The findings also suggest that most students were motivated and enjoyed learning with BioLogica but not all who were actively engaged in the activities improved their genetics reasoning. Mindfulness (Salomon & Globerson, 1987) in learning with the BioLogica MERs, learning together with peers, scaffolded learning within the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978) were deemed important to students' conceptual learning. The postinstructional gene conceptions of most students were not sophisticated and were generally intelligible-plausible (IP) but not intelligible-plausible-fruitful (IPF). While most students identified two salient features of BioLogica MERs, visualisation and instant feedback, some students who substantially improved their reasoning believed that these two features helped their understanding of genetics. Overall, students exhibited social/affective (motivational) and epistemological conceptual change but little or no ontological change. The findings have implications for further and future research. First, Thorley's status analysis is useful in analysing multidimensional conceptual change (Tyson et al., 1997). Second, MERs have provided new learning opportunities and challenges for classroom learning and science teacher education. Third, there is urgency for improving Year 10 genetics teaching and learning. Fourth, the notion of multiple representations is promising in unifying theoretical constructs in psychology, cognitive/computational sciences, science education and science teacher education.

Taiwan is an island country, and thus the relationship between Taiwan and ocean is very closed. In 2007, the Ministry of Education published ¡§The White Paper on Marine Education Policies¡¨. In 2008, the Ministry of Education subsumed marine education into the A trial nine-year compulsory's subject. In this study, the author integrated marine educational related references, actual interviews and questionnaire survey of the teachers who Teaching in Secondary School in Central and Southern Taiwan. In addition, the author investigated the understanding and importance of the teachers. The purpose of this study is to explore the incorporation into secondary school curricula and improvement strategies. However, the teachers may face comprehensive problems when they conduct marine educations. Some suggestions and thoughts are provided at the end of this research for teachers and researchers' future use. The author analyzed the statistical dates of this study, and concluded as followed: (1) teachers have the motivation to spread marine educations; (2) teachers were deficient in teaching means and teaching materials of the marine educations; and (3) the awareness of marine consciousness had not increased and improved. According to the above conclusions, the author suggested: (1) upgrading proseminars' assessment and feedback mechanism; (2) providing more channels for the teaching means and teaching materials of the marine educations; and (3) promoting the marine consciousness in educational environment. According to the research results, there were some suggestions for researchers' future use: (1) integrating elementary school, secondary school, and senior high schools' marine educations; (2) keeping assessing marine educations; and (3) appraising the management of marine education resources center and web site.

This study modifies Cummins' (1997) theoretical framework of minority student achievement and social power relations to account for differences in educational achievement among different identifiable subgroups of the ESL population. This framework provides the conceptual structure for a multidimensional understanding of ESL academic achievement (e.g. Gonzales, 2001) whereby the mediating influence of the broad social power relations between dominant and minority groups, students' individual characteristics, including personal abilities, experiences and socio-demographic backgrounds, interacts with ecologies, including educational structures such as curricula, curricular organization, school populations and the policy environment to influence educational trajectories. This study employs descriptive, bi-variate, and logistic and multiple regression to perform secondary analysis on data describing the academic trajectories of the ESL students (n=7 527) of British Columbia's 1997 grade eight cohort (n=48 265). It compares the results to a native English speaker (NES) baseline. ESL students are disaggregated by ethno-cultural background, English proficiency, gender, age on entry to the BC school system, and socio-economic status. School population effects are also considered. The dependent variables are five and six-year graduation rates, and participation and performance across academic subjects. Results show that identifiable ethno-cultural subgroups of ESL students navigate widely varying academic trajectories. English proficiency and gender differences also affect achievement, more so in already under-achieving ethno-cultural groups. Later ages of entry generally prove advantageous for some groups in mathematics and the sciences but predict diminished outcomes in the humanities for all groups. Socio-economic effects only partially account for differences among ethno-cultural groups. School composition also has minimal effect. Most ethno-cultural groups have higher academic participation rates but lower performance scores than NESs. ESL graduation rates are more stable across socio-economic strata than NES graduation rates. The need to disaggregate data for research and decision-making, and to target support toward under-performing student groups is discussed. While ESL students perform well in aggregate, lower outcomes of identifiable subgroups are masked. The study concludes with a call for more refined data, and for further methodologically advanced research.

New Zealand education policies and documents (Ministry of Education, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011a, 2014a) situate students at the centre of assessment processes that are underpinned by the New Zealand Curriculum. They identify building student assessment capability as crucial to achieving improvement in learning. Documents recognize the impact of quality interactions and relationships on effective assessment. However these core beliefs about assessment are not observed to guide teaching practices for all students. Disabled students remain invisible in assessment data and practices within New Zealand secondary schools. There appears to be little or no assessment data about learning outcomes for this group of students. This thesis investigates possible ways to recognize the diversity of student capability and learning through the use of narrative assessment. It challenges the absence of disabled students in assessment landscapes as educator roles and responsibilities within assessment, teaching and learning are framed within an inclusive pedagogy. This research project focuses on how a team of adults and two students labeled as disabled make sense of assessment and learning within the context of narrative assessment in the students’ regular high school. The project examines the consequences of narrative assessment on student identity, wellbeing and participation within learning. The study offers opportunities to observe how specialists from outside of the school respond to the use of narrative as they work with the two student research participants. This study undertakes a critical inquiry that recognises the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – partnership, protection and participation – as pivotal to inclusive practice where all students are valued as learners. It investigates how narrative assessment can honour these principles in everyday teaching practice. The project aims to inform education policy and practice, with a view to enriching learning outcomes and opportunities for disabled students who are frequently marginalized by inequitable assessment processes. It is argued that narrative assessment can support the construction of student identity and wellbeing. It can support the recognition of disabled students as partners in their learning. However the value of narrative assessment can be undermined by the responses of educators and other professionals who continue to work within deficit models of assessment, teaching and learning. Within this thesis adult participants from family and education contexts have clear ideas about the value and validity of assessment practices and processes that do not respect a presumption of competence or a need to establish a relationship with a student being assessed. Their views challenge everyday practices that fulfill assessment contracts, but ignore Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand Curriculum commitments. Their views can inform better ways of working between specialists and schools supporting disabled students.

No description available.

In South Africa, little is documented on the strategies for addressing conflicts in schools and on the problems that are caused by lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools. Principals exist in a world of problems that always have the potential to result in serious conflicts. Their abilities to solve problems and manage conflict efficiently and effectively are important measures of their school leadership. Current literature in conflict management, particularly in developed countries like U.S.A and U.K concentrates on the issues that the frequency of conflict has destructive consequences for some schools. The apparent inability of those involve to manage conflict in schools constructively pointed to a serious need for programmes to be formulated with regard to actions to be taken and training that is needed for principals to manage conflict. These studies show that the very nature of schools invites conflict because schools are composed of individuals that have diverse and conflicting values, personalities, goals, perceptions and interests. the purpose of this study was to determine from the literature the nature and the scope of conflict management in schools and to investigate empirically the problems that are caused by the lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools. Furthermore, to examine the current conflict management models for schools with the ultimate aim of developing a conflict management model for secondary schools principals in the North West Province. The study also examined the existing conflict management models. The conflict management models investigated revolve around the idea that in any organization there is a we-them distinction between the parties. Energies are directed towards the other party in any atmosphere of total victory. Each party in a conflict situation, sees the issue from its own perspective, rather than defining the problem in terms of mutual needs. There are important theories that provide a background to the concept of conflict. Researchers have advanced different theories to explain the origin of conflict. Swindle (1996), Rahim (1990), Benyon and Solomon (1997), Cronk (1997), Bloch (1997) and others have proposed a wide spectrum of theories to account for the rise of conflict. According to bureaucratic theory, the existence of conflict in an organization is evidence of organization breakdown and that there has been a failure on the part of the management to plan adequately or to exercise sufficient power and control. On the other hand, the human relation theory view conflict as an especially negative and evidence of failure to develop appropriate norms in the organization. Maslow argues that there exists in people a wide range of needs, which determine behaviour and motivation. In his hierarchy of needs theory, he postulates that people have physical needs such as a need for shelter and food. He also states that, people have needs for security, for love, for recognition, for self-esteem and fulfilment. The theory of needs as a driving force for human actions has been advanced by other scholars, such as Adair (1995), Jones and Jones (1995) and Burton (1997). They state that the failure to satisfy the needs mentioned above, results in frustration, insecurity, withdrawal and a persistence to fulfil them even in socially unacceptable ways that may result in conflict. The majority of the respondents 378 (90%) viewed intensive training in conflict management as an extremely important required skill for the principals, meaning that not possessing this skill would render it highly impossible for the principals to manage conflicts in schools effectively and efficiently. Principals spend most of their time dealing with or resolving conflicts caused by teachers, parents and learners. Most of these problems emanate from not complying with some of the policies of the Department of Education. It is therefore, of paramount importance that the Department of Education organizes workshops on the modem trends of conflict management and resolution strategies for the principals. For the principals to manage conflicts effectively and efficiently, they must be prepared to undergo training in conflict management and resolution strategies. These findings support what is suggested by the literature consulted. The literature consulted revealed that lack of viable conflict management in schools could be ascribed to the fact that the Department of Education does not give conflict management in schools the attention that it deserves. The survey population was drawn from twelve educational districts of the North West Province. From all the secondary schools in the North West Province (N = 365) a random sampling (n=500) was selected by randomly samples of 5 secondary schools in each of the twelve educational districts of the North West Province. In each of the fitly (50) randomly selected secondary schools in the North West Province: 1 principal; 1 deputy principal, 3 heads of departments and 5 teachers were requested to complete the questionnaires. Thus the sample of (n=500) was composed of ten (10) respondents from each of the fifty (50) randomly selected secondary schools in the twelve educational districts of the North West Province. A computer-aided statistical analysis was employed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)-programme was used to compute the results of the study. The first step in the analysis of data was to compute descriptive data for each respondent in the study. These include statistics like frequency distribution, percentages, mean scores, standard deviation and chi-square. The study also revealed that the majority of the respondents were of the opinion that conflict is a product of many factors that go wrong in the school Evaluation of teachers and incompetence of certain teachers have emerged as one of the important causes of conflict in most schools. Misunderstandings, insulting remarks and racist remar1ts were ranked high under the causes of conflict in schools. Major findings of this investigation revealed that conflicts in schools are caused by problems arising from not complying with some of the policies of the Education Department; unprofessional behaviour of certain teachers; scarcity of resources; clash of personality traits and abrupt changes. Effects of lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools were also revealed in this investigation. Conflicts that drag over a period of time impede the culture of learning and teaching; conflict produces irresponsible behaviour; conflict decreases expected production; conflict destroys morale and conflict diverts energy that could have been used to achieve the vision and mission of the school. Problems identified by Everard and Morris (1990) and Robbins (1995) in the U.K. help us to understand problems in developed countries. For example, the problems caused by lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools as experienced by principals in the U.K. and U.S.A. However, it is noted that principals in developing countries are also concerned about the problems that are caused by lack of viable conflict management strategies, how lack of conflict management affects the overall performance of the school and essential skills needed by principals to manage conflicts effectively and efficiently. little attention is paid to develop comprehensive conflict management models for principals, more especially in developing countries like South Africa. Similarly, little is written about how the principals go about resolving conflicts in schools. The theoretical framewor1t provided forms the basic rationale for developing a conflict management model for principals; a comprehensive conflict management model was developed. The main purpose of this study was to develop a conflict management model that could be used by principals as a guide when solving conflicts that usually emerge in schools. The study recommends that, since lack of viable conflict management strategies affect the overall academic performance of the learners and conflict is inevitable; the principals must be well prepared and equipped to manage all forms of conflicts that emerge in schools. Principals have a great responsibility of managing conflict to such an extent that it does not escalate to a point where it ruins the aims of learning. The majority of the respondents indicated that it is extremely important for the principals to possess conflict management skills, styles, techniques and conflict resolution strategies if they want to curb conflicts in schools. A poor principal manages conflict in one of the following ways: He swallows it and develops ulcers, or he spits it out and digests his colleagues with a barrage of threats and bureaucratic cliches, or he avails himself of cloak-and dagger "strategies-whereby his integrity and credibility as a leader are sometimes permanently destroyed by his own senseless behaviour. / (Ph.D.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

This study modifies Cummins' (1997) theoretical framework of minority student achievement and social power relations to account for differences in educational achievement among different identifiable subgroups of the ESL population. This framework provides the conceptual structure for a multidimensional understanding of ESL academic achievement (e.g. Gonzales, 2001) whereby the mediating influence of the broad social power relations between dominant and minority groups, students' individual characteristics, including personal abilities, experiences and socio-demographic backgrounds, interacts with ecologies, including educational structures such as curricula, curricular organization, school populations and the policy environment to influence educational trajectories. This study employs descriptive, bi-variate, and logistic and multiple regression to perform secondary analysis on data describing the academic trajectories of the ESL students (n=7 527) of British Columbia's 1997 grade eight cohort (n=48 265). It compares the results to a native English speaker (NES) baseline. ESL students are disaggregated by ethno-cultural background, English proficiency, gender, age on entry to the BC school system, and socio-economic status. School population effects are also considered. The dependent variables are five and six-year graduation rates, and participation and performance across academic subjects. Results show that identifiable ethno-cultural subgroups of ESL students navigate widely varying academic trajectories. English proficiency and gender differences also affect achievement, more so in already under-achieving ethno-cultural groups. Later ages of entry generally prove advantageous for some groups in mathematics and the sciences but predict diminished outcomes in the humanities for all groups. Socio-economic effects only partially account for differences among ethno-cultural groups. School composition also has minimal effect. Most ethno-cultural groups have higher academic participation rates but lower performance scores than NESs. ESL graduation rates are more stable across socio-economic strata than NES graduation rates. The need to disaggregate data for research and decision-making, and to target support toward under-performing student groups is discussed. While ESL students perform well in aggregate, lower outcomes of identifiable subgroups are masked. The study concludes with a call for more refined data, and for further methodologically advanced research.

This study used interpretive research techniques to investigate the factors which affect the computer literacy of secondary students. The necessity that students to be prepared for life and work in a computer technology based society is widely acknowledged and has highlighted the importance of computer literacy in the high school curriculum. While the definition of computer literacy varies widely, this study defined computer literacy in terms of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to use computers to facilitate the completion of necessary tasks presently associated with life and required to enhance perceptions of the future use of computers. If schools are to achieve the aim of encouraging students to use computers to help them solve problems and complete tasks, it is important that educators know the factors which affect this use. This study involved an investigation of: student-computer interaction; the development of knowledge, attitudes and skills associated with computer use; and the present and perceived future utilization of computer technology.A variety of data were collected from a Year 8 class which was observed for a year as it participated in a computer literacy course. The data sources were: classroom observation; student interviews at the beginning and end of the course; an attitudes questionnaire; a background questions sheet; and student mathematics and computing class grades. In addition, to test assertions which emerged during the study, a group of Year 12 students was interviewed and data were collected from four Year 8 students who were given experience on a more state-of-the-art computer system than those used by the computer literacy class. All students involved in the study were drawn from a large, secondary senior high school situated in a middle to upper class suburb of Perth, Western Australia. From the analysis and interpretation ++ / of these data, nine assertions emerged. The assertions were classified in terms of: students; computers; learning environment; and concept development.The study found that students entering secondary school tend to have attitudes which are conducive to the use of computers. The Year 8 students enjoyed using computers and showed little anxiety in terms of computer-phobia. These students valued the use of computers and were confident in using computers when clearly instructed and not confronted by major obstacles. However, almost half of this group of students indicated a lack of confidence in some situations, particularly where they felt that they may do something to damage the computer. Almost all students were keen to learn about computers. As a result, most students in this group of Year 8 students had the attitudes most educators would recommend for enhanced learning and computer use.Three assertions were concerned with factors relating to computer hardware and software. The major obstacles to students' use of computers were: unreliability of hardware; lack of student keyboarding skills; and the use of abstract concepts in software design. Students lost confidence in using computers and undervalued their use when unreliable hardware was used. The use of a mouse by the students using the state-of-the-art computer demonstrated a means of overcoming a lack of keyboard skills. Finally, students had difficulty when using command driven software which incorporated abstract naming and design structures. Where concrete design features were incorporated in the software design, as was the case in the software used by the students on the state-of-the-art computer, students found the computers easier to use, thereby enhancing their perceptions of the value of computers.Four assertions concerned student learning environments. The environments which made significant ++ / contributions to student computer literacy were the school and home, with school being the dominant environment. Prior experience with, and learning about, computers at school and home were found to be associated with feelings of confidence and enjoyment with regard to using computers. The major influence of the home on student computer literacy was through the attitudes communicated by parents, which largely reflected their own use of computers at work. In addition, it was found that the perceptions students have of the value of the activities they are required to complete using computers, and the extent to which the computer improves the completion of those activities, are determinants of students' perceptions of the overall value of computer technology.The final assertion concerned student learning and concept development. Students entering secondary school have little knowledge of how computer systems work or how they are used. Therefore, they do not have a well developed concept of a computer and computer use. Students are amenable to the concept of computers as information processors as they develop knowledge from their interaction with computers. It was found that an important facet of this interaction concerned the degree to which students anthropomorphized computers and differentiated themselves from computers. As a result, students develop knowledge relevant to computer use with little understanding of how computer systems work.The findings of this study have implications for educational policy, teaching practice, and further research. It was recommended that schools need to develop computer literacy policies that provide students with specialist courses and, at the same time, give students experience at using computers across the curriculum. In addition, schools need to consider the purchase of more state-of-the-art computer hardware and software even ++ / where this may reduce student hands-on time. This study stressed the need for teachers to utilize and enhance the positive attitudes displayed by students towards the use of computers. At the same time, computer literacy teachers need to be concerned with the development of useful knowledge which is not based on technical knowledge of computer systems. Finally, this study recommended the need for further research to verify the findings and to further investigate student-computer interactions and student perceptions of future uses of computers.

Thesis--University of Pennsylvania. / Bibliography: p. 157-161.