This thesis describes a research study that investigated the relationships between school level environment and student outcomes. The study involved 620 teachers and 4645 students from 57 Australian secondary schools in all states and territories. Student outcome measures included mathematics achievement, attitudes and beliefs toward mathematics and were collected as part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Teachers perceptions of their school environment were measured using the School Level Environment Questionnaire and included variables such as student support, affiliation, professional interest, mission consensus, empowerment, innovation, resource adequacy and work pressure. Previous research has shown that factors at the school level, like environment, influence education at the classroom level and to further investigate this, data regarding the instructional practices of teachers was included in the analysis. The unique methodology used to investigate influences on student mathematics achievement is also described in this thesis. A two-step approach to modelling consisted of the analysis of two conceptually distinct models. The first was an analysis of the measurement model, which specifies the relationships between the observed variables and the latent variables. The second involved a structural equation model, which specifies the relationships among the latent variables as posited by theory and previous research. In addition, a multilevel analysis was included to further partition the variance in student outcomes between the student level, the classroom level and the school level. The results of these analysis linked particular variables of interest to improved student outcomes. / For example, teachers who felt supported and empowered were more likely to employ student-centred instructional practices and that work pressure and resource adequacy influenced the instructional approaches in the classrooms. The success attribution of students determined which method of instruction promoted positive outcomes. Furthermore, these results indicate relationships between student outcomes, attitudes and achievement, and the relationships between attitude and achievement were recursive with influences from student background variables. The multilevel analysis demonstrated the importance of the influence of factors at the classroom level in influencing student outcomes and highlighted factors at the school level that explained differences in achievement. The significance of this study is in the provision of evidence that demonstrates the effects on student outcomes and not only supports, but significantly adds to previous research. This thesis provides practical implications for teaching and for school policy that can be implemented to promote positive student outcomes. The thesis also provides a rationale for further research that would involve an investigation of the effects of change as suggested from the results of these analysis reported from this study.

The Multidimensional Model for Coping with Bullying (MMCB; Parris, in development) was conceptualized based on a literature review of coping with bullying and by combining relevant aspects of previous models. Strategies were described based on their focus (problem-focused vs. emotion-focused) and orientation (avoidance, approach – self, approach – situation). The MMCB provided the framework for the development of the Coping with Bullying Scale for Children (CBSC; Parris et al., 2011), which was administered as part of a research project in an urban, southeastern school district. The Student Survey of Bullying Behaviors – Revised 2 (SSBB-R2; Varjas et al., 2008) and the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition (BASC-2; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2004) also were completed. The first research aim was to examine the factor structure of the CBSC in relation to the MMCB and investigate the relationship between coping style and student outcomes of depression, anxiety, and social stress. This study also examined the relationships between coping, victimization, and student engagement in bullying behavior, as well as the moderating effect of age, gender, and ethnicity on these relationships. The fourth research question was is there a relationship between student coping with bullying and their perceptions of control or self-reliance? Data analysis resulted in a four factor coping structure: constructive, externalizing, cognitive distancing, and self-blame. Externalizing coping was found to be a predictor of depression while constructive and self-blame coping was associated with more social stress. Self-blame also predicted higher rates of anxiety. Results indicated that more frequent victimization predicted the use of constructive and self-blame strategies, while students more often engaged in bullying behaviors indicated a higher use of externalizing and self-blame. Gender, age, and ethnicity were not found to be associated with levels of victimization, bullying behaviors, or the use of any of the four types of coping. Further, these demographic variables did not moderate the relationship between victimization and coping or bullying and coping. Finally, feelings of control were not associated with student coping; however, more self-reliance was predictive of constructive coping, cognitive distancing, and self-blame. Implications for future research and interventions for students involved in bullying are discussed.

The current study examined preservice teachers’ expectations for student academic, behavior, and social, outcomes using the Prognostic Outlook Scale (Thelen, Burns, & Christiansen, 2003). A 2 x 2 x 2 MANOVA analysis was used to determine differences between label specificity (i.e., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition diagnostic label versus the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA] Emotional Disturbance [ED]) label, behavioral presentation (i.e., internalizing versus externalizing) and symptom severity (i.e., mild versus severe). The goal was to identify labels that elicit higher expectations for students with ED in order to inform the labeling practices within the school setting. Results suggested statistically significant differences for the behavioral presentation (p < .001) condition. Statistically significant interactions for behavioral presentation and label specificity (p = .043) and behavioral presentation and severity (p = .045) were also found. Implications and limitations of findings will be discussed.

This dissertation presents findings from a study investigating of the effects of a middle-school intervention, using the "Skill-Builders" curriculum, on participating students' attitudes, self-efficacy, achievement, self-regulated learning, and classroom learning behaviors in mathematics. The main research questions were 1) will a nine week school-counselor-led intervention using the "Skill-Builders" curriculum have a significant effect on the outcome variables of interest, and 2) will the effects be different for females than for males. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for differences between conditions and between sexes on all outcome measures. Results from the study demonstrated statistically significant post-intervention differences between students in the experimental and control conditions on their attitudes toward math learning, self-efficacy, achievement, and self-regulated learning behaviors, and the gains made by students in the experimental condition were maintained at follow-up. Students in the control condition showed no changes or declined on measures of attitudes, achievement, self-efficacy, and self-regulated learning behaviors at post-test and follow-up. Results also indicated a significant interaction for sex and condition, which suggests that the intervention had different effects for the participating females than the males. Implications of the findings, within the theoretical framework of the study and within the context of school counseling outcome research, are discussed.

Thesis advisor: Mary E. Walsh / School readiness at kindergarten is an important predictor of children's future academic success (Duncan et al., 2007). While early pre-academic and behavioral skills are important for all students, there is considerable inequality in students' levels of readiness at the start of school (Coley, 2002; Lee & Burkam, 2002; Razza, Martin & Brooks-Gunn, 2010; Ryan, Fauth, & Brooks-Gunn, 2006; Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman & Nelson, 2010), and research has pointed to a range of out-of-school and poverty-related factors that contribute to these inequalities (Coley, 2002; Dearing, 2008; Foster, 2002; Hill, 2001; Razza et al., 2010; Ryan et al., 2006). This study utilizes relational developmental systems theory (Lerner, 2006; 2011) to examine the individual and contextual factors that co-act dynamically to shape and predict student outcomes. Specifically, this study extends the body of research on early child development by examining the factors that predict school readiness skills within a sample of 521 young children preparing to enter the first grade from urban early education programs. Multilevel regression models indicate that student characteristics, classroom characteristics, and peer contexts each predict students' school readiness scores, and that the interactions among these variables make unique contributions to the prediction of school readiness scores as well. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed along with recommendations for future research. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Thesis advisor: Karen D. Arnold / As students increasingly incur high amounts of debt for their undergraduate education, there is heightened concern about the long-term implications of loans on borrowers, especially borrowers from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Drawing upon the concepts of cultural capital and habitus (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) and the human capital framework (Becker, 1993), this research explores how student debt and social class intersect and affect individuals' trajectory into adulthood. A total of 50 interviews were conducted with young adults who had incurred $30,000 to $180,000 in undergraduate debt and who were from varying social classes. The findings explore how four categories of students -<italic>Insiders, Entrepreneurs, Pioneers, and New Moneys</italic>- varied along dimensions of economic and cultural wealth, and experienced their college search, college education, and transition to the workforce differently. The findings point to the immense role that habitus (Bourdieu, 1986) plays in shaping borrowers' educational experiences and post-graduation outcomes: Individuals' embodied cultural capital shaped their educational experiences and interactions with institutions and the labor market. Those who had high levels of cultural resources tended to have a more rigorous college search, stronger academic orientation, and greater student involvement during college. Compared to other students, they were more likely to transition to high-paying, high-status professional positions after graduation and attend graduate school. In contrast, individuals with low cultural resources tended to have a more casual college search, were more prone to encountering errors with their financial aid, spent a great deal of time working during college, and later faced underemployment in the labor market. They were less likely to report benefiting from a social network and their credential in the labor market and more likely to express regret about their debt and college education. The findings illustrate the inequitable payoff that college and debt have for borrowers with varying levels of cultural resources, and suggest that loans can serve as a form of social reproduction. A conceptual model outlines the factors associated with incurring high levels of debt and illustrates how they relate to borrowers' college experiences and lives post-graduation. In highlighting how debt exacerbates social inequities and the risks it can pose to students, especially students with low income and cultural resources, the findings call for higher education institutions to conduct a comprehensive review of their practices and services from the time students apply to college to after they graduate. Enhanced supports at high schools and community organizations can also assist families, particularly in encouraging participation in early savings plans and strengthening their financial literacy. Additionally, increased governmental scrutiny of borrowing can help protect students from over-indebtedness. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

This study focused on the relationship between school-based management, student outcomes and school performance. Its purpose was to identify the conditions that exist in self-managed schools which facilitate improved student outcomes and school performance. In particular, the study investigated three questions: 1. what are the enabling conditions in schools employing school-based management which school staff and parents consider influential in the achievement of improved student outcomes? 2. what explanations do these people give for how these conditions are applied within their schools to achieve success? 3. what judgents do school staff and parents make about the relationship between school-based management, student outcomes and overall school performance? The dissertation commences by describing major challenges and issues facing education over the next decade and by discussing how international and Australian systems of education are responding to these challenges through the implementation of various models of school-based management A review of international literature covering the last fifteen years is then presented to show that the promises and potentials of school-based management espoused by educational authorities have not necessarily led to an automatic improvement in student outcomes and school performance. Various conditions that may enable a school to implement school-based management effectively are suggested.. These conditions, derived from the literature review, are used as the initial prompts to undertake research in fOur Queensland primary schools Qualitative methodologies are used to gather data related to the three questions of the study in these four schools. The data obtained from the fouw case studies are then presented and discussed. The research findings suggest that the relationship between school-based management, student outcomes and school performance are dependent on the existence of severa1 conditions within school-based managed schools. These involve: 1. a comprehensive understanding of the powers available within a school-based management regime; 2. a school's organisational readiness to take on school-based management responsibilities and authonties; 3. the existence of six bases and their enabling conditions: i. an Ideology Base; ii a Relationship Base; iii. a Performance Base; iv. a Pedagogy Base; v. a Management Base; vi. a Governance Base. 4. the capacity of the school to implement school-based management in terms of contextual issues such as the size of the school, workfbrce experience and competency, geographical location and complexity of the campus; 5. the requirement of the controlling authority to delegate key powers and resources such as staffing, facilities management and total school budgeting; 6. a school-based process to manage change and school improvement. It is argued that these conditions maximise the ability of those involved in school-based management to influence improvements in student outcomes and school performance. The dissertation concludes by suggesting five major implications of the study and at least three areas of possible filture research The five major implications are: 1. the development of clear understandings of the scope of the authorities and responsibilities available to school-based managed schools in Queensland; 2. the need to develop methodology to evaluate and identify school organisational readiness to take on school-based management; 3. the development and implementation of a process that will enhance school effectiveness; 4. the development and implementation of a process that can enhance the quality of governance within Education Queensland schools; 5. the development of differentiated school-based management options that broaden the decentralised authorities to schools in consideration of their organisational readiness and capacity to implement school-based management. There are at least three areas of possible future research. The first of these areas involves research to investigate the conditions that exist within schools (to which Education Queensland has assigned the most advanced devolution of authority) that are not successful in improving student outcomes and school performance.. The second area of further research involves an evaluation of the effect that the current school council governance model has on the improvement of student outcomes and school performance.. The third area of future research involves the investigation of the possibilities of enhancing existing school-based management responsibilities and authorities in Education Queensland schools. In summary, this study suggests that school-based management has been used by educational authorities in Australia and overseas as a possible means to improve student outcomes and school performance. The fmdings suggest that for school-based management to achieve what it was set out to achieve, schools need to work an a number of enabling conditions. The most important of these include: an understanding of the school's core purpos~, a school-wide commitment to high teaching expectations, an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of staff, a principal who has a strong commitment to students, a principal who has high hopes, aspirations and expectations for the school, a strong fOcus on literacy, especially reading, effective behaviour management programmes, systems that identify and target student's needs, highly professional staff and school staffing that responds to the complexity of the school. These fmdings are consistent with the argument that there is no automatic causal link between the implementation of school-based management and improved student outcomes and school performance.. It is only when particular enabling conditions exist or are developing within a school, that effective school-based management can take root and support a range of school-based initiatives focused on the improvement of student and school performance When this is the case, school-based management may influence a school's ability to improve student outcomes and school performance.

The classroom learning environment has increasingly been recognised as an important factor in education. However, over recent years the increasing research in this area has focussed on humanities or science classrooms. Virtually no investigations have been reported into the learning environment of the secondary mathematics classroom.The study reported in this thesis focusses on the perceptions of 490 grade 9 mathematics students in 23 classrooms in 14 schools in Adelaide, South Australia. Students' perceptions of their mathematics learning environment were measured using a new classroom environment instrument which has been developed in both a Personal Form (which focusses on students' perceptions of their personal interaction with the learning environment) and a Class Form (which focusses on students' perceptions of the class's interactions with the learning environment).This study confirmed the reliability and validity of both forms of the new instrument in its use with this sample of students, and examined the differences between the Personal and the Class Forms of the instrument. The sub-populations of male and female students were also profiled and differences between their perceptions of the classroom learning environment were examined. Differences between students' perceptions of their teacher's interpersonal behaviour in the classroom were also explored.The study identified associations between students' perceptions of their mathematics classroom learning environment, their perceptions of their teacher's interpersonal behaviour, and student outcomes. The association between students' perceptions of their mathematics classroom environment and attitudinal outcomes was stronger than the association with cognitive outcomes.Finally, the commonality and uniqueness of the two instruments measuring classroom learning environment and teacher's interpersonal behaviour ++ / in terms of predicting outcome variance were established, as were associations between the perceptions of students in these two areas.

The rising cost of tuition and fees is no doubt a major contributor to rising student debt but it is certainly not the only factor. The amount of debt with which students may graduate can largely be a function of the type of institution they attend (Monks, 2014). There is a dearth of research that focuses on the institutional factors that relate to student debt consumption (Craig and Raisanen, 2014; Macy and Terry, 2007). Prior studies have shown that the amount of expenditures and the area in which an institution spends their money can impact salient student outcomes This quantitative dissertation sought to examine institutional expenditures within higher education and their possible relationship to student debt through a fixed-effects analysis that used data across a six-year period. This study examined public comprehensive master's level institutions as defined by the Carnegie Classification system. This institutional type has been overlooked within higher education research (Henderson, 2007). In short, this dissertation sought to investigate the relationship between spending within the public comprehensive master's level institution and average annual federal student loan use. This study found that there was a modest negative relationship between spending on research and academic support and student loan consumption. Spending on operation of maintenance and plant was positively related to student loan consumption. This dissertation further found that the number of students receiving the Pell grant, the percent of students that identify as Hispanic and the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) students were statistically significant regarding their student loan use. The percent of students receiving the Pell grant within an institution related to higher levels of student debt. The percent of students that identify as Hispanic and the number of FTEs were related to lower average levels of student debt. This study has implications for policymakers and administrators pursuing factors that reduce student loan usage and gives insight into the impacts of institutional spending. These findings also have implications for future research that explores not only institutional spending and student outcomes but also how spending may impact institutional mission and the composition of a student body. / Ph. D.

The value of a nursing course revision for the purpose of improved student learning and outcomes is discussed in this descriptive, quasi-experimental study. An instructor of a nursing pathophysiology course devised and implemented the study to determine if outcomes would differ between two groups of first semester baccalaureate nursing students taking the required pathophysiology course. The revisions, which were applied and then evaluated, demonstrated improvement in student learning.