A school district in rural Alabama has encountered a lack of parental involvement, which research shows could have a deleterious effect on student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore parents' perceptions about their involvement and the impact of that involvement on students' academic achievement. The conceptual framework that informed this study was Vygotsky's theory of social constructivism. The research questions addressed the parents' perceptions of their role in the education process as well as the effectiveness of the district's 2 parental involvement programs. A purposeful sample of 6 parents of students at an elementary school in Grades 3 through 5 participated in open-ended interviews. Data were transcribed, member checked, and then inductively coded for emergent themes. The findings suggested that parents believed their involvement was important, as was a strong home and school relationship. These themes were used to develop 3 days of parental involvement workshops, designed to help improve participation in the district's parental involvement programs and improve family and community relations. This study may help students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community agencies identify strategies to reduce the lack of parental involvement and increase student academic success.

The purpose of this microethnography was to explore and describe the rural schooling experiences of one female adolescent who lives in a one industry, non-farming rural village and attends high school in a nearby small town. The pursuit of a post-secondary education usually results in the out-migration of local youth. This study describes and explores: (a) the ways in which the school environment and the interactions between the adolescent participant and her network educators shaped the meanings she ascribed to schooling; (b) the meanings of school curriculum for the adolescent participant; (c) the meanings of academic achievement for the adolescent participant; and (d) the role of the adolescent’s parents in her education at home and at school and the ways in which interactions between the adolescent and her parents shaped the meanings she ascribed to schooling. Data collection took place on site over 12 consecutive weeks and two re-visits which each lasted one week. The methods of data acquisition included participant observation, interviewing, document analyses, and photographs of local places. The adolescent participant’s mother and father and five educators at her high school also participated in this microethnography. Through addressing the specific rural issues and concerns of the rural context in which this microethnography took place this research reveals a deeper understanding of one adolescent’s rural schooling experiences. Implications for future rural schooling practices and research are discussed. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-26 08:13:17.519

Modernioje visuomenėje patyčių reiškinys laikomas rimta socialine problema. Jos paplitimo mažėjimas tiesiogiai siejamas su visuomenės pažangos, raidos ir saugumo perspektyvomis. Patyčių fenomeno problemiškumas argumentuojamas jų aukštu paplitimu vaikystės ir paauglystės laikotarpiuose, tai savo ruožtu sukelia individų visapusiškos asmenybės formavimosi proceso sutrikimus. Šiuo metu pastebimas patyčių paplitimas elektroninėje erdvėje, kurioje jos išsivadavusios iš laiko ir vietos sąlygotumo būdingo tradicinėms patyčioms tampa greitesnėmis ir lankstesnėmis. Elektroninių patyčių savybės lemia didesnį jų paplitimo mąstą ir to pasėkoje dar labiau sustiprina šio reiškinio problemiškumą visuomenės ir individo atžvilgiu. Elektroninės patyčios plinta ten kur virtualybėje šiuo metu dažniausiai renkasi jaunimas. Šiuo metu fiksuojamas itin aukštas socialinio tinklapio „Facebook“ populiarumas santykyje su kitomis elektroninėmis erdvėmis. Ypač jauni asmenys naudojasi įvairiomis „Facebook“ tinklo paslaugomis ir funkcijomis, todėl ši elektroninė erdvė suprantama kaip palanki terpė plisti patyčioms tarp paauglių. Socialinių mokslų praktikoje dar nėra žinomas ugdymo institucijų vaidmuo šios problemos sprendime tame tarpe ir tėvų socialinės grupės santykis su paauglių elektroninėmis patyčiomis nėra išsamiai išnagrinėtas ugdymo sociologijos kontekste. Šio tyrimo tikslas siejamas su siekiu atskleisti tėvų vaidmenį elektroninių patyčių tarp paauglių problemos sprendime. Tyrime tėvų vaidmuo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The phenomenon of bullying is considered to be a serious social problem in modern society. Its decrease in the prevalence is directly related to perspectives of social advancement, development and safety. The problem of the bullying phenomenon is being argued of its high prevalence during childhood and adolescence, which in turn causes disorders of individuals’ comprehensive personality formation process. Currently, the prevalence of bullying is noticed in cyberspace, where bullying, which escaped from time and conventionality of a place which is related to traditional bullying, became faster and more flexible. Features of cyberbullying lead to its higher prevalence and consequently reinforce the problem of the phenomenon in the case of a society or an individual. Cyberbullying prevail where currently youth usually choose in virtuality. Currently, a very high popularity of “Facebook” social network is being fixed in comparison with other cyberspaces. Especially young people use different “Facebook‘s” services and functions, therefore this cyberspace is understood as friendly environment for the prevalence of bullying among adolescents. The role of training institutions in solving the problem is still not known in social science practice. The parental relation of social group with cyberbullying of adolescents in educational sociology context is not examined in detail. The aim of the research is to reveal the role of parents in solving the problem of cyberbullying among... [to full text]

This study investigated the way in which educators identified and managed the needs of the orphaned learners they encountered in their situation as educators in a school setting. The sample in the study consisted of a total of 12-orphaned learners and 8 educators from one primary and one secondary school in the rural part of Mpumalanga Province in South Africa. Data on how orphaned learners viewed their situation were collected using draw-and-write strategy and observation followed by in-depth interviews and follow-up interview questions. The aim of interviewing the orphans themselves was to explore their own views of the realities of their lived experiences of orphanhood and their expectations of the world around them. Data on how educators identified and responded to the needs of the orphaned learners were collected using in-depth interviews and follow up interview questions. The experiences of the orphaned learners interviewed indicate a need for social and emotional support besides the obvious material need. Two distinct identities (among the educators themselves) emerged from the interviews with these educators: <ul><li>There were educators who responded positively by providing support to the orphaned learners.</li> <li>And there were educators who responded by referring the orphaned learners to the educators who help orphaned learners.</ul> The findings of the study revealed that internal motivational factors had a strong influence on the choices these educators made in responding to the needs of the orphans; and lack of knowledge and skills in identifying and responding to the orphans’ emotional needs could have a negative impact on educator response. The findings also showed that the level of interaction and involvement in a relationship with the orphans determined the way the educators identified and responded to these orphans’ needs. The study suggest the need for training educators to be in a position to provide care and build relationships, as a means of helping fulfill the social and emotional needs of these learners. / Thesis (PhD (Education Management, Law and Policy))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

This research is a case study focusing on a group of Chinese teachers working in a senior high school in northern China. It seeks to explore their experiences and perceptions of gender roles, both in the workplace and at home. It aims to discover the impact of cultural values and beliefs on them as well as on their teaching practice, and to explore how they deal with the potential contradictions. There are three questions being addressed in this research: (1) In what way do male and female teachers experience and perceive gender (in)equality at the workplace? (2) In what way do male and female teachers experience and perceive gender (in)equality at home? (3) How do their experiences and perceptions of gender roles influence their teaching practice? The results show that both modernization and communism have positive influences on gender equality. However, tradition and stereotype impose men and women with specific roles and qualities. They influence participants’ domestic life to different extents: decision-making, housework division, attitudes toward marriage, premarital sex and gender preference of their children. Whether caring or paternalistic, parents play a very important role in the family. It also can be seen that women are trying to take an active role in household finance management. At the workplace, the ongoing work-family conflict and stereotype about gender roles hinder women’s career development. The participation and the percentage of female representation in management positions are rather low, even though they are encouraged to take an active role. When seeking employment, women face more frustration than men. In the classroom setting, gender difference can be seen when teachers give criticism and assign legwork. Students are expected to develop different qualities: male students with “male characteristics” and female students with “female characteristics”, as a result of social pressure.

This survey introduces the analysis of parents’ help impact on pupils’ choice of educational profiles, the theoretical and practical aspects such as the aims and objectives, the notion of the profiled learning; the analysis of documents, regulating the profiled learning, careers counseling and career education. One of the major tasks was to define the parents’ influence on efficiency in choosing the profiles of learning. Several methods were used in the survey: the analysis of scientific literature, the questionnaire for the pupils of 11th -12th grades, conversations, the analysis of mathematical-statistical data performed by computer programme SPPS 10.0 for Windows. The survey was performed in January-March 2006 where 430 respondents from 11-12 grades, their parents and class-mistresses took part. The analysis of the documents regulating the profiled learning shows that the essence of such learning is to differentiate teaching according to pupils’ ambitions, abilities, capabilities, gifts etc. giving them possibilities to choose certain subjects and levels associated with their chosen educational direction. The profiled learning, which was introduced on 1st September 2000, gives possibility to satisfy pupils’ interests,’ likings and also to learn what they prefer or what they have knowingly chosen according to their career interests. Parents have the right to choose a certain educational direction, which is closest to their... [to full text]

La presente investigación tuvo como finalidad explorar las percepciones de los padres y madres de familia con relación a la poca presencia de varones en el nivel inicial y a su ejercicio docente en estos espacios educativos. Se empleó un enfoque de investigación cualitativo y de carácter exploratorio. Se realizó una entrevista semiestructurada a padres y madres de familia de centros educativos de nivel inicial públicos y privados de la ciudad de Lima (Perú). La información fue analizada de manera inductiva y clasificada en categorías que respondían al objetivo de la investigación. Los principales resultados que emergieron de este proceso fueron: a) el rol de la sociedad en el ejercicio docente del nivel inicial; b) el dominio femenino y su rol maternal; c) desconfianza en la relación de varones y el cuidado de la niñez; y d) el varón como figura de disciplina, autoridad y juego. Este estudio permite introducir diálogos en relación con el vínculo entre varón-infancia y abre una oportunidad para que las escuelas dirijan sus estrategias de cambio a fin de reducir la brecha de género masculina en este contexto docente. Asimismo, provee bases para desarrollar futuras investigaciones acerca del impacto de este grupo en los niños y niñas y en sus entornos próximos al conocer sus percepciones como actores educativos clave. / This research aimed to explore parents’ perceptions concerning the low presence of men at the initial level and their teaching practice in these educational spaces. Method. A qualitative and exploratory research approach was used. A semi-structured interview was conducted with fathers and mothers of public and private initial-level educational centers in Lima (Peru). The information was analyzed inductively and classified into categories that responded to the objective of the investigation. The main results that emerged from this process were the following: a) the role of society in the teaching exercise of the initial level; b) the female domain and her maternal role; c) distrust of the relationship between men and the care of young children; and d) the male as a figure of discipline, authority, and play. This study introduces dialogues in relation to the link between male and childhood and opens an opportunity for schools to direct their change strategies in order to reduce the male gender gap in this teaching context. It also provides the basis to develop future research on the impact of this group on children and their immediate surroundings, knowing their perceptions as key educational actors. / Tess

La présente recherche a pour objet la pratique orthophonique en suppléance à la communication (SC) auprès de personnes qui ont une déficience intellectuelle (DI). Des recherches ont montré que les aides à la communication à sortie vocale (ACSV) pouvaient améliorer la communication des personnes ayant une DI. Cependant, la plupart de ces recherches ont été menées dans des conditions idéales qui ne reflètent pas nécessairement celles que l’on retrouve dans les milieux cliniques typiques. On connaît peu de choses sur les pratiques professionnelles en SC auprès des personnes ayant une DI. Le but de cette recherche est de décrire la pratique orthophonique, de documenter les perspectives des utilisateurs sur les résultats des interventions et de décrire l’implication des parents et leurs habiletés à soutenir leur enfant dans l’utilisation d’une ACSV afin de proposer un modèle d’intervention en SC auprès de cette clientèle qui tienne compte de ces différentes perspectives. Une méthode qualitative a été choisie pour réaliser la recherche. Des entrevues individuelles semi-structurées ont été réalisées avec onze orthophonistes francophones et avec des parents ou familles d’accueil de dix utilisateurs d’ACSV et des entrevues structurées ont été menées avec huit utilisateurs d’ACSV. Un outil d’entrevue a été conçu à l’aide de pictogrammes pour permettre aux utilisateurs d’ACSV de répondre à des questions portant sur leur appréciation et utilisation de leur ACSV, leur satisfaction et priorités de communication. Un cadre conceptuel a été conçu à partir des guides de pratique clinique et un codage semi-ouvert a été utilisé pour réaliser les analyses thématiques des données provenant des orthophonistes. Un codage ouvert a servi à analyser les données provenant des parents. Des analyses descriptives ont servi à examiner les réponses des utilisateurs. Diverses procédures ont assuré la crédibilité des analyses. Entre autres, les analyses des entrevues des orthophonistes ont été validées lors d’un groupe de discussion avec sept participantes orthophonistes. Les résultats montrent que les ACSV sont utilisées surtout dans le milieu scolaire. Elles sont parfois utilisées lors des loisirs et dans la communauté, mais ces contextes sont ceux où les utilisateurs ont exprimé le plus d’insatisfaction et où se situe la majeure partie des priorités qu’ils ont identifiées. Les analyses ont permis d’identifier les facteurs qui rendent compte de ces résultats. Les orthophonistes manquent d’outils pour réaliser des évaluations exhaustives des capacités des clients et elles manquent de procédures pour impliquer les parents et obtenir d’eux une description complète des besoins de communication de leur enfant. Conséquemment, l’ACSV attribuée et le vocabulaire programmé ne répondent pas à l’ensemble des besoins de communication. Certaines orthophonistes manquent de connaissances sur les ACSV ou n’ont pas le matériel pour faire des essais avec les clients. Il en résulte un appariement entre la personne et l’ACSV qui n’est pas toujours parfait. À cause d’un manque de ressources en orthophonie, les parents sont parfois laissés sans soutien pour apporter les changements à la programmation lors des transitions dans la vie de leur enfant et certains ne reçoivent pas d’entraînement visant à soutenir l’utilisation de l’ACSV. Un modèle d’intervention en SC est proposé afin d’améliorer la pratique orthophonique auprès de cette population. / This research targets the practices in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with individuals who have an intellectual disability (ID). Prior research has shown that speech generating devices (SGDs) can help individuals with ID to improve their communication. However, these studies were conducted under ideal conditions, which do not necessarily reflect those that prevail in typical clinical settings. We have little information about AAC practices with individuals with ID or about the efficacy of SGD attribution and AAC intervention under typical conditions. The goals of this research are therefore to describe AAC practices of SLPs with individuals who have an ID, to document the users’ perspectives on the outcome of AAC interventions and to describe the parents’ implication and their abilities to support their child’s use of an SGD in order to propose an intervention model that takes into account these different perspectives. Qualitative methods were chosen to address these questions. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven French-speaking SLPs and with the parents or foster families of ten SGD users, and structured interviews with eight SGD users. These interviews were analyzed in order to gather information about research questions. An evaluation tool, made of graphic symbols, was developed to gather information from SGD users about their use of their SGD, their satisfaction, and communication priorities, and about their appreciation of their SGDs. A conceptual framework was developed based on clinical practice guidelines to analyze SLP’s interviews, and a thematic analysis was conducted with semi-open coding. Open coding was used for the data from parents’ interviews, and descriptive analysis of the SGD users’ responses was performed. Steps were taken to ensure credibility of the findings; in particular a focus group was conducted with seven of the participating SLPs to validate the interview results. The results showed that the SGDs are used most frequently in school settings. They are used only occasionally in leisure activities and in the community, but these are the contexts in which the users were most dissatisfied with their communication and in which they most frequently indicated priorities for communication. Factors that explain these results were identified through thematic analysis. SLPs lack the tools they need to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the users’ capacities. They lack procedures for involving parents in the evaluation and for obtaining a thorough description of their child’s communication needs. This might result in attribution of SGSs and identification of vocabulary that do not meet the user’s needs. Some of the SLPs lack sufficient knowledge and do not have SGDs available for trials with their clients, resulting in a less-than-perfect matches between the users and the SGDs. Lack of professional resources leaves parents without support to make changes needed in times of transition in their child’s life. Parents may be unable to support their child’s use of SGD in a variety of contexts. An attribution and AAC intervention model is proposed in order to improve AAC intervention and SLP’s practices.

La présente recherche a pour objet la pratique orthophonique en suppléance à la communication (SC) auprès de personnes qui ont une déficience intellectuelle (DI). Des recherches ont montré que les aides à la communication à sortie vocale (ACSV) pouvaient améliorer la communication des personnes ayant une DI. Cependant, la plupart de ces recherches ont été menées dans des conditions idéales qui ne reflètent pas nécessairement celles que l’on retrouve dans les milieux cliniques typiques. On connaît peu de choses sur les pratiques professionnelles en SC auprès des personnes ayant une DI. Le but de cette recherche est de décrire la pratique orthophonique, de documenter les perspectives des utilisateurs sur les résultats des interventions et de décrire l’implication des parents et leurs habiletés à soutenir leur enfant dans l’utilisation d’une ACSV afin de proposer un modèle d’intervention en SC auprès de cette clientèle qui tienne compte de ces différentes perspectives. Une méthode qualitative a été choisie pour réaliser la recherche. Des entrevues individuelles semi-structurées ont été réalisées avec onze orthophonistes francophones et avec des parents ou familles d’accueil de dix utilisateurs d’ACSV et des entrevues structurées ont été menées avec huit utilisateurs d’ACSV. Un outil d’entrevue a été conçu à l’aide de pictogrammes pour permettre aux utilisateurs d’ACSV de répondre à des questions portant sur leur appréciation et utilisation de leur ACSV, leur satisfaction et priorités de communication. Un cadre conceptuel a été conçu à partir des guides de pratique clinique et un codage semi-ouvert a été utilisé pour réaliser les analyses thématiques des données provenant des orthophonistes. Un codage ouvert a servi à analyser les données provenant des parents. Des analyses descriptives ont servi à examiner les réponses des utilisateurs. Diverses procédures ont assuré la crédibilité des analyses. Entre autres, les analyses des entrevues des orthophonistes ont été validées lors d’un groupe de discussion avec sept participantes orthophonistes. Les résultats montrent que les ACSV sont utilisées surtout dans le milieu scolaire. Elles sont parfois utilisées lors des loisirs et dans la communauté, mais ces contextes sont ceux où les utilisateurs ont exprimé le plus d’insatisfaction et où se situe la majeure partie des priorités qu’ils ont identifiées. Les analyses ont permis d’identifier les facteurs qui rendent compte de ces résultats. Les orthophonistes manquent d’outils pour réaliser des évaluations exhaustives des capacités des clients et elles manquent de procédures pour impliquer les parents et obtenir d’eux une description complète des besoins de communication de leur enfant. Conséquemment, l’ACSV attribuée et le vocabulaire programmé ne répondent pas à l’ensemble des besoins de communication. Certaines orthophonistes manquent de connaissances sur les ACSV ou n’ont pas le matériel pour faire des essais avec les clients. Il en résulte un appariement entre la personne et l’ACSV qui n’est pas toujours parfait. À cause d’un manque de ressources en orthophonie, les parents sont parfois laissés sans soutien pour apporter les changements à la programmation lors des transitions dans la vie de leur enfant et certains ne reçoivent pas d’entraînement visant à soutenir l’utilisation de l’ACSV. Un modèle d’intervention en SC est proposé afin d’améliorer la pratique orthophonique auprès de cette population. / This research targets the practices in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with individuals who have an intellectual disability (ID). Prior research has shown that speech generating devices (SGDs) can help individuals with ID to improve their communication. However, these studies were conducted under ideal conditions, which do not necessarily reflect those that prevail in typical clinical settings. We have little information about AAC practices with individuals with ID or about the efficacy of SGD attribution and AAC intervention under typical conditions. The goals of this research are therefore to describe AAC practices of SLPs with individuals who have an ID, to document the users’ perspectives on the outcome of AAC interventions and to describe the parents’ implication and their abilities to support their child’s use of an SGD in order to propose an intervention model that takes into account these different perspectives. Qualitative methods were chosen to address these questions. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven French-speaking SLPs and with the parents or foster families of ten SGD users, and structured interviews with eight SGD users. These interviews were analyzed in order to gather information about research questions. An evaluation tool, made of graphic symbols, was developed to gather information from SGD users about their use of their SGD, their satisfaction, and communication priorities, and about their appreciation of their SGDs. A conceptual framework was developed based on clinical practice guidelines to analyze SLP’s interviews, and a thematic analysis was conducted with semi-open coding. Open coding was used for the data from parents’ interviews, and descriptive analysis of the SGD users’ responses was performed. Steps were taken to ensure credibility of the findings; in particular a focus group was conducted with seven of the participating SLPs to validate the interview results. The results showed that the SGDs are used most frequently in school settings. They are used only occasionally in leisure activities and in the community, but these are the contexts in which the users were most dissatisfied with their communication and in which they most frequently indicated priorities for communication. Factors that explain these results were identified through thematic analysis. SLPs lack the tools they need to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the users’ capacities. They lack procedures for involving parents in the evaluation and for obtaining a thorough description of their child’s communication needs. This might result in attribution of SGSs and identification of vocabulary that do not meet the user’s needs. Some of the SLPs lack sufficient knowledge and do not have SGDs available for trials with their clients, resulting in a less-than-perfect matches between the users and the SGDs. Lack of professional resources leaves parents without support to make changes needed in times of transition in their child’s life. Parents may be unable to support their child’s use of SGD in a variety of contexts. An attribution and AAC intervention model is proposed in order to improve AAC intervention and SLP’s practices.