Background and objective: Patients’ and parents’ involvement in nursing students’ pediatric clinical practice assessment is informal. This study explored patients’ and parents’ perceptions of their role in students’ formative assessment. Approach: Interviews were conducted with patients and parents admitted at the study setting who received care from a nursing student. They were transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using a qualitative content analysis while Lincoln and Guba’s criteria of rigor and trustworthiness were upheld. Findings: Three categories emerged from the data: 1) Patients’ and parents’ current involvement in the assessment of nursing students’ pediatric clinical practice; 2) How they would like to be involved; and 3) The benefits and challenges of their involvement. Conclusion: This study has provided an understanding of patients’ and parents’ past encounters with nursing students, the elements of care that they would want to assess, and their perceived benefits and challenges of their involvement.

This thesis reports the findings of a case study into the outcomes and learning environments of students studying for a Diploma of Technology at a New Zealand Tertiary Education Institution. The primary focus of the study was to develop an assessment framework that would facilitate simultaneous assessment of the local Institute achievement-based Diploma of Technology and the competency-based assessment of a National Diploma that the local diploma subsumed. From this primary focus on assessment, the study provided the opportunity to undertake a grounded theory study of literature that impacted on the learning environment, supported the necessity to rationalise the student learning outcomes from both an academic and work skill perspective, and presented a suitable situation in which to take a fresh look at the method of grading and marking students’ assessment material. / The grounded theory study grew out of the need to condense the vast amount of literature that was gathered in the process of searching for background material to use in the building of a foundation on which to construct a dual assessment model. Although no literature was found that specifically dealt with the simultaneous dual assessment, a large amount of material was found that related to various aspects of the learning environment. Through the process of a grounded theory study, this material was condensed into categories of data that in turn were used to develop a theoretical model of an ‘ideal’ learning environment. Into this model was also added the results of a questionnaire based research study into the perceived need for diploma graduates to have a range of employability skills. This study involved a range of employers who considered themselves likely to employ a diploma graduate. Because the learning outcomes for the two diplomas covered essentially the same material yet the actual wording of the outcomes were substantially quite different, there was a need to rationalise the sets of learning outcomes for each diploma. This process led to a common set of outcomes that in turn were used as a focus for students’ learning and assessment. / Once these common outcomes had been identified, a rubric based marking/scoring system was developed so that both students and teacher could quickly grade students’ assessment material and then convert that grade into a mark. The use of the grade facilitated the assessment of achievement against a unit standard and the resultant marks satisfied the need for an achievement mark. The results and findings from the various studies were then translated into a working model that was used for two courses over one semester. Various other research methodologies were then used in order to provide some evaluation of the working model.The thesis does present some of the difficulties facing tertiary teachers in an environment that is becoming more and more of a production line business rather than a service to provide learning opportunities for students. However it also presents solid evidence that teachers can take measures to prove themselves through study and initiative and provide those focussed learning environments where students can attain the outcomes necessary for a successful career in tomorrow’s world.

Abstract High stakes testing is popularly examined in educational research, but contemporary analyses tend to reflect a qualitative or quantitative research design (e.g., Au, 2007; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2006; Gamble, 2010). Exhaustive debate over the relative success or failure of high stakes testing is often framed between competing visions of epistemological constructs, and the historical foundations of high stakes testing policies are rarely explored. The origins of high stakes testing can be traced to local school reform efforts in states like Louisiana, and investigating the roots of high stakes testing at the state level contextualizes the national debate on student assessment in research and scholarship. Using historical research methods, this project details the local campaign to implement the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) as Louisiana’s comprehensive high stakes testing program. Enacted under state law in 1986, the LEAP is a series of K-12 student assessments aligned to prescriptive state standards. The LEAP is among the nation’s longest comprehensive high stakes testing programs and is the centerpiece to Louisiana’s school accountability system. The narrative of its development offers critical insight into the overarching rationales for high stakes testing that continue to drive accountability policies throughout the country. This study interweaves sociological and political history into a singular chronological record of the LEAP. Historical research methodology informs this study by establishing the basis for data collection and analysis. Historical research method is the systematic collection and evaluation of primary source data in order to determine trends, causes, or effects of past events (Gay, 1996; Lucey, 1984). Methods used in this research investigation include document analysis and oral history interviews. Multiple data sources are used to gain a thorough understanding of the historical context surrounding the implementation of the LEAP. The LEAP functions as both a student assessment program and policy of school accountability, and the story of its development is an important narrative within the field of high stakes testing research and scholarship.

Syfte och frågeställningar Syftet med studien är att undersöka och jämföra hur klassrumsundervisning bedrivs i två svenska och två finska skolor för att finna möjliga förklaringar till PISA-undersökningens resultat (Programme for International Student Assessment). Syftet besvaras med hjälp av följande frågeställning: Hur och till vad utnyttjas lektionstiden till? Hur upplevs det allmänna klassrumsklimatet? Hur ser ledarskapet i klassrummet ut? Metod De metoder som använts i studien är löpande och på förhand kategoriserade observationer och kvalitativa intervjuer. Totalt har 24 klassrumsobservationer, tio lärarintervjuer och två intervjuer med rektorer genomförts vid två högstadieskolor i Storstockholm och vid två högstadieskolor i Helsingfors. Det som observerades var; lektionsinnehållet och tiden lagd på olika moment, elevernas självständighet, det disciplinära klimatet och relationen mellan lärare och elev samt klassrumsklimatet. Lärarintervjuerna rörde deras inställning till och åsikter om lärarrollen, undervisningen och eleverna medan rektorerna intervjuades om andelen behöriga lärare i kollegiet, lärarlöner, upplevda skillnader mellan skolor i Finland och Sverige samt effekter av skollagen. Resultat Det viktigaste fyndet i studien var den markanta skillnaden av andelen eget arbete. Med eget arbete menas att eleven arbetar enskilt med givna uppgifter eller att eleven självständigt eller med hjälp sätter egna mål, planerar, genomför och utvärderar det egna arbetet. I de finska skolorna användes 32% av lektionstiden till eget arbete medan samma siffra i Sverige var 70%. De finska lärarna hade även ett mer varierat lektionsinnehåll än de svenska lärarna. Dessutom undervisades de finska eleverna till 94% i helklass inom klassrummets fyra väggar medan samma siffra i Sverige bara var 74%. Andra skillnader mellan länderna var lärarnas ledarstil, synen på läxor och relationen till eleverna där de finska lärarna över lag utövade mer kontroll än de svenska. Klassrumsklimatet i de båda länderna skiljer sig åt i mindre grad.  Atmosfären i klassrummen upplevdes positiv i de båda länderna. Slutsats En förklaring till resultatskillnaderna mellan Sverige och Finland i PISA-undersökningen och de svenska elevernas försämring kan vara att lärarna i Sverige har en mer elevorienterad ledarstil medan lärarna i Finland har en mer uppgiftsorienterad ledarstil. I den elevorienterade ledarstilen är det den enskilda elevens förutsättningar som är i fokus och läraren ses som en handledare som vägleder sina elever i det egna arbetet. I den uppgiftsorienterade ledarstilen är det uppgiften, kunskapen som är i fokus och läraren ses en kunskapsförmedlare.

The relationship between achievement motivation and academic achievement is complex, but generally, the more a student is motivated to do an academic task, the greater the effort, persistence, and use of cognitive strategies expended on the task, and the better the performance on the task (Pintrich, 2003). The majority of achievement motivation research has been conducted in Western countries (Kumar, 2004). This is a concern as North American classrooms are become increasingly culturally diverse. The present study looked at the relationships between motivation and academic achievement in two distinct cultures: Western (Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom) and Asian (Hong Kong-China, Japan, and Korea). Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to analyze data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2003 (PISA; OECD, 2004). The outcome measures used for all countries were achievement scores in mathematics, science, reading, and problem-solving. The variables examined at the student level were instrumental and intrinsic motivation, performance orientation, and self-efficacy. The variables examined at the school level were teacher support, student morale, and teacher behaviours affecting school climate. In the null models, the intraclass correlations for the Western countries were consistently lower (ranging from .17 to .27) than for the Asian countries (ranging from .36 to .53). In the final HLM models, at Level 1, intrinsic motivation predicted an increase in scores for all six of the Asian country models in which it was significant, but results were inconsistent for the Western country models. Instrumental motivation predicted an increase in scores in seven of the Western country models, but was not significant in any of the Asian country models. Performance orientation predicted a decrease in score in all of the Western country models and in seven of the Asian country models. Self-efficacy predicted increased scores for all models for all countries. All Level 1 results were similar across all academic domains. At Level 2, teacher support was significant in the models for Japan only. Results for teacher behaviours were inconsistent. Student morale was significant in all models for all countries. The findings from this study demonstrate that there are some distinct cultural differences in the relationships between achievement motivation and academic achievement.

Thesis (Habilitation)--Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universiẗat, 2008. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. [479]-494) and indexes.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Idaho, Spring 2006. / Major professor: Russell A. Joki. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-107). Also available online in PDF format.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Background. Despite widespread criticism of physician-performed evaluations of medical students’ clinical skills, clinical clerkship evaluations (CCEs) remain the foremost means by which to assess trainees’ clinical prowess. Efforts undertaken to improve the quality of feedback students receive have ostensibly led to higher assessment demands on physician faculty; the consequences of which remain unknown. Accordingly, this study investigated the extent to which physicians’ evaluative responsibilities influenced the quality of CCEs and qualitatively explored physicians’ perceptions of these evaluations. Methods. A questionnaire was delivered to physicians (n = 93) at Indiana University School of Medicine to gauge their perceived evaluative responsibilities. Evaluation records of each participant were obtained and were used to calculate one’s measurable quantity of CCEs, the timeliness of CCE submissions, and the quality of the Likert-scale and written feedback data included in each evaluation. A path analysis estimated the extent to which one’s evaluative responsibilities affected the timeliness of CCE submissions and CCE quality. Semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants (n = 8) gathered perceptions of the evaluations and the evaluative process. Results. One’s measurable quantity of evaluations did not influence one’s perceptions of the evaluative task, but did directly influence the quality of the Likert-scale items. Moreover, one’s perceptions of the evaluative task directly influenced the timeliness of CCE submissions and indirectly influenced the quality of the closed-ended CCE items. Tardiness in the submission of CCEs had a positive effect on the amount of score differentiation among the Likert-scale data. Neither evaluative responsibilities nor the timeliness of CCE submissions influenced the quality of written feedback. Qualitative analysis revealed mixed opinions on the utility of CCEs and highlighted the temporal burden and practical limitations of completing CCEs. Conclusions. These findings suggest physicians’ perceptions of CCEs are independent of their assigned evaluative quantity, yet influence both the timeliness of evaluation submissions and evaluative quality. Further elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the positive influence of evaluation quantity and timely CCE submissions on CCE quality are needed to fully rationalize these findings and improve the evaluative process. Continued research is needed to pinpoint which factors influence the quality of written feedback.

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of career and technical education programs on high school students. Specifically, the study addressed the percentage of CTE completers meeting Carl Perkins’ placement indicators in the areas of post secondary education, employment in the field trained or related field, and the military. The study examined whether the percentage of dropout for CTE students was reduced between 2006 and 2010. The study examined whether significant differences existed between CTE participants and non-CTE participants (regular high school students) based on their scores in United States History, English II Writing, English II Multiple Choice, Biology I, and Algebra I. The study also addressed significant differences among the CTE participants in the MS-CPAS scores based on gender. This study employed the ex post facto research design. The researcher used percentages and t-tests to determine the findings of the study. The population for thestudy was 675 participants. The researcher used the sample size calculator (http://www.surveysystem.com) to select representative sample size of the population based on 95% confidence level. A systematic random sampling was used to select the 140 CTE completers and 245 non-CTE participants for the study. Findings for the study indicated that from 2006 to 2010, CTE completers continued their education, entered the workforce, and enlisted in the military at percentages that met Carl Perkins’ accountability standards for placement. Results revealed that that there was no progress made in the dropout rate for Noxubee County High School. Additional findings showed that there were no statistical significant differences between CTE completers and non-CTE participants based on test scores in the Mississippi academic core subjects that included United States History, English II Writing, English II Multiple Choice, Biology I, and Algebra I. The researcher also found that there were statistical significant differences in the MS-CPAS scores based on gender.

No description available.