This report explores factors contributing to absenteeism and attrition in government-funded adult ESL programs. Because adult learners enrolled in inexpensive programs typically juggle numerous priorities and responsibilities beyond their schooling, their motivation must be maintained in order for them to continue to attend their language classes. As consumers, they "directly or indirectly assess the cost-benefit ratio of their program participation every time they attend or do not attend classes/tutoring sessions" (Tracy-Mumford & Baker, 1994, p. 8). Tendencies toward absenteeism can ultimately lead to attrition, which poses serious challenges for programs as it inhibits their success rates, their funding, and ultimately their ability to continue to offer services. This research attempted to identify key factors in program procedures, structure and organization, as well as key classroom factors that negatively affect adult Hispanic students' motivation to continue to attend. Specifically, it focuses on which aspects of overall program structure and which classroom factors have the greatest impact on students motivation and attendance patterns. We found that student affective factors (e.g., social sensitivity, lack of congruence), ineffective teaching methods or incomplete methodologies, students' perceived lack of progress, and assessment issues were the most prominent factors that emerged from the analysis of the data. Additionally, we offer suggestions for influencing these factors so that retention is boosted and attrition minimized.

Cette thèse porte sur la motivation ou engagement cognitif de l’étudiant vietnamien dans ses études. Selon le constat de plusieurs universitaires, au début, une grande partie d’étudiants s’engagent dans leurs études avec de très bons résultats, mais au fil des ans, la motivation des étudiants décroît sensiblement et le non-engagement tend à augmenter progressivement. Selon la littérature scientifique, la motivation d’un apprenant est intrinsèque mais influencée par bon nombre de facteurs externes. Dans le contexte socio-éducatif du Vietnam, ce travail cherche à répondre à deux questions suivantes : (i) Entre les deux groupes de facteurs pédagogiques et sociaux, lequel expliquerait le mieux le découragement de l’étudiant dans ses études ? (ii) Si ces deux groupes ont chacun des influences importantes, quels éléments de chaque groupe expliqueraient le mieux ce découragement ? Pour ce faire, nous effectuons 32 entretiens semi-directifs auprès des étudiants de 3e et de 4e année (Licence) en S.H.S et 6 auprès des enseignants. Les résultats de l’enquête, à travers l’analyse plutôt qualitative des données, montrent que les deux groupes de facteurs en question ont chacun des influences sur la démotivation de l’étudiant, et que les facteurs sociaux l’emportent légèrement sur les facteurs pédagogiques. Ces résultats identifient également huit éléments démotivants d’ordre pédagogique et social les plus puissants sur lesquels les analyses profondes menées permettent de conclure que le non-engagement de l’étudiant dans ses études est la conséquence inéluctable des erreurs systémiques gisant en profondeur de la gouvernance de l’éducation et de la société. / This dissertation explores Vietnamese students’ motivation or engagement in their studies. Many university lecturers notice that initially a great proportion of students are active in their learning and achieve high results. However, their motivation dropped sharply over time, and the disengagement from learning increased gradually. According to the literature, a learner’s motivation is intrinsic, but it can be affected by a number of external factors. Situated within Vietnam’s socio-educational context, this dissertation answers the two following questions: (i) Between the two groups of pedagogical and social factors, which one can best explain students’ demotivation in their studies ?(ii) If both groups have significant influences, what factors in each group can cause students’ demotivation ? To answer the questions, 32 semi-structured interviews with third- and fourth- year students majoring in humanities and social sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) and 6 with lecturers were conducted. The results, mainly through the qualitative analysis of the collected data, showed that both aforementioned groups of factors affected students’ learning demotivation, with the social factors outweighing the pedagogical factors. The results also revealed eight pedagogical and social factors that contributed to causing learning demotivation the most. The results also indicated that students’ learning disengagement was an inevitable consequence of systematic errors having existed in educational and social management mechanism.

Topological Data Analysis is a quickly expanding field but one particular subfield, multidimensional persistence, has hit a dead end. Although TDA is a very active field, it has been proven that the one-dimensional persistence used in persistent homology cannot be generalized to higher dimensions. With this in mind, progress can still be made in the accuracy of approximating it. The central challenge lies in the multiple persistence parameters. Using more than one parameter at a time creates a multi-filtration of the data which cannot be totally ordered in the way that a single filtration can. The goal of this thesis is to contribute to the development of persistence heat maps by replacing the persistent betti number function (PBN) defined by Xia and Wei in 2015 with a new persistence summary function, the accumulated persistence function (APF) defined by Biscio and Moller in 2016. The PBN function fails to capture persistence in most cases and thus their heat maps lack important information. The APF, on the other hand, does capture persistence that can be seen in their heat maps. A heat map is a way to visually describe three dimensions with two spatial dimensions and color. In two-dimensional persistence heat maps, the two chosen parameters lie on the x- and y- axes. These persistence parameters define a complex on the data, and its topology is represented by the color. We use the method of heat maps introduced by Xia and Wei. We acquired an R script from Matthew Pietrosanu to generate our own heat maps with the second parameter being curvature threshold. We also use the accumulated persistence function introduced by Biscio and Moller, who provided an R script to compute the APF on a data set. We then wrote new code, building from the existing codes, to create a modified heat map. In all the examples in this thesis, we show both the old PBN and the new APF heat maps to illustrate their differences and similarities. We study the two-dimensional heat maps with respect to curvature applied to two types of parameterized knots, Lissajous knots and torus knots. We also show how both heat maps can be used to compare and contrast data sets. This research is important because the persistence heat map acts as a guide for finding topologically significant features as the data changes with respect to two parameters. Improving the accuracy of the heat map ultimately improves the efficiency of data analysis. Two-dimensional persistence has practical applications in analyses of data coming from proteins and DNA. The unfolding of proteins offers a second parameter of configuration over time, while tangled DNA may have a second parameter of curvature. The concluding argument of this thesis is that using the accumulated persistence function in conjunction with the persistent betti number function provides a more accurate representation of two-dimensional persistence than the PBN heat map alone.

Estruturas de dados (EDs) permitem operações de acesso e de modificação; operações de acesso apenas consultam um ou mais campos de uma ED, enquanto operações de modificação podem alterar os campos da estrutura. Dizemos que, ao realizar uma operação de modificação, criamos uma nova versão da ED. Uma ED é parcialmente persistente se permite apenas operações de acesso a versões anteriores e modificação apenas na versão mais nova, e totalmente persistente se também permite operações de modificação em todas as versões. Esta dissertação apresenta a descrição e implementação de uma versão total ou parcialmente persistente de várias estruturas: pilhas, filas, deques e árvores rubro-negras. Também são discutidas técnicas gerais para tornar persistentes certas classes de estruturas de dados. Por fim, é apresentada uma solução ao problema de localização de ponto, que usa uma árvore de busca binária persistente. / Data structures (DSs) allow access and update operations; access operations only allow accessing the value of one or more fields of the DS, while update operations allow modifying the fields of the structure. We say that, whenever an update operation is done, a new version of the DS is created. A DS is partially persistent if it allows access operations to previous versions of the structure and update operations only on the newest version, and totally persistent if it also allows update operations on all versions. This dissertation presents the description and implementation of totally or partially persistent versions of several data structures: stacks, queues, deques, and red-black trees. General techniques to make certain classes of DSs persistent are also discussed. At last, a solution to the point location problem, using a persistent binary search tree, is presented.

No description available.

Computer-based instruction including distance learning is fast becoming an integral part of higher education. Much of the current research has found that computer-based instruction is as effective as lecture-based instruction. Despite the wealth of studies that purport that students enrolled in computer-based instruction perform equally well as compared to their lecture-based counterparts, there is a high dropout rate associated with computer-based instruction including distance learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in students' withdrawal and completion rates in classes delivered via different instructional formats (distance learning, hybrid, or traditional) to determine if student learning style and/or student reasons for choosing an instructional format have an effect on the dropout rate in a remedial mathematics course. This non-experimental quantitative study employed logistic regression to estimate the probability of withdrawal from a Basic Algebra (MAT 0024) course based on student learning style, student reasons for selecting the instructional format, and CPT scores. Learning styles and their relationship to completion status within the three instructional delivery formats were examined. It was determined that those students who were enrolled in a hybrid or distance learning course had greater odds of withdrawing as compared to students enrolled in a lecture-based course. It was also determined that learning style did not impact the completion or withdrawal of students regardless of the delivery format. Student reasons for enrolling in a particular delivery method and the relationship to completion or withdrawal within the three instructional delivery formats was also examined. It was determined that those students who enrolled in the course based upon personal factors had greater odds of completing the course without distinction to a particular instructional delivery method. Those students who enrolled in the course because of their perceived learning needs had greater odds of withdrawing from the course without distinction to a particular instructional delivery method. CPT scores and their relationship to completion or withdrawal within the three learning styles were examined. Based on the data, there is no relationship between students' CPT scores and their withdrawal or completion in a particular delivery format.

With a growing and more diverse population nationally, physical therapist programs have evolved to meet the demands for physical therapists in our healthcare system. Despite the substantial efforts to increase student populations to meet workforce shortage, 5-35% will depart in the early years of their program. Current evidence suggests the association of measurable factors with students’ academic success in physical therapist education. However, these measurable factors have accounted for a small variance in explaining the experiences of academic success. In order to sustain the current healthcare system, physical therapist programs need to ensure that students persist and graduate. The purposes of this qualitative study are to explore how recent graduates experience the first year of a physical therapist program and how these experiences contribute to academic success and persistence. Eleven recent physical therapist graduates were interviewed for the study. Program, student, and participant-generated documents were collected. Six themes emerged from the data: (a) establishing career goals, (b) evolving expectations from undergraduate to professional education, (c) encountering transitions in personal, social, and financial aspects, (d) balancing multiple identities (e) seeking supports inside and outside of classroom, and (f) modifying strategies to overcome academic challenges. The findings of this study indicate that the participants navigated a complex educational environment by integrating social and academic experiences to achieve their academic success. The findings can be used to inform physical therapist and undergraduate programs as well as potential and current first-year students.

This study sought to examine how schools influenced and promoted student resilience through the lens of persistence, leading to high school completion. The focus of this study was significant because there are few studies that focus on student resiliency as it relates to high school completion through the lens of persistence. Previous studies have generally identified at-risk factors for non-high school completion and either qualify or quantify the results. They have not taken into account the social and economic contexts of school and the communities and their influence on student resiliency. This study utilized a phenomenological methodology that identified the lived experiences of twenty-six 11th - grade students of color at an urban high school in Southern California that manifested resilience and persistence. Semi-structured interviews of participants drawn from a stratified variation sampling were utilized. A CRT framework was applied to examine the role of high school as a protective factor, the interactions of faculty and staff, and the perceptions of participants as it relates to school culture and climate. External factors such as supportive relationships in the familial and community context were also examined and discussed. The results of this study highlighted school climate that promotes belonging along with a collective focus on the study of student success, the role of teacher-student and counselor relationships as being pivotal to the development of resilience in students of color. The findings from this study provide examples for schools to develop supportive climates that focus on promoting and developing academic, social, and emotional resiliency in students of color with specific next step recommendations.

Although Latina/os are the largest minority group in California and enrolling in higher education in record-breaking numbers (Zarate & Burciaga, 2010), the graduation rate of this group is very low (Kewal-Ramani, Gilbertson, Fox, & Provasnik, 2007). A phenomenological approach was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of Latina/o students at a for-profit college in the Inland Empire. Students from different major fields of study described how they explored and sought college information, how they experienced both community and for-profit colleges, and described their levels of sense of belonging in both community and for-profit colleges. Students shared their experiences reflective of the serpentine pathway of college-conocimiento (Acevedo-Gil, 2017) and the influence of a sense of belonging (Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Hurtado & Ponjuan, 2005; Maestas, Vaquera, & Zehr, 2007) on their persistence in higher education. Findings indicate that Latina/o students have limited college choices, weigh criteria to choose a for-profit college after departing from community colleges to “transfer across,” and feel that they belong in the for-profit institution for reasons that included either feeling cultural congruity with other students, or simply experienced college community support from faculty/ staff. Recommendations include: instructors be assigned as mentors who are personable and exhibit genuine caring; for-profit colleges should be as financially accessible as community colleges for all students; and the personalization available in for-profit colleges should be implemented into the community colleges.

Over the last forty years, the U.S. community college system has expanded, allowing disadvantaged groups greater access to higher education. With that expansion, a body of research has emerged examining community college students' educational outcomes. However, the research is limited in understanding the academic persistence of low-income students and community college student in particular. The purpose of this comparative, qualitative study is to explore some of the unanswered questions about how low income white and Latino students' experience academic persistence similarly and differently and understand how gender influences the challenges students may face during college. This study draws from interviews of 22 (11 White/11 Latino/a) low-income community college students at a rural, Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in the West. All students share similar challenges because of their class constraints, but Latino/a students in particular face challenges of racism and discrimination that carried over into their college careers. Faculty and family are the key sources of support for all students, which mediate some of the challenges. Variation is seen between the experiences of males and females, as traditional gender roles are reinforced and maintained in the family. This study offers insights into how structural inequality creates barriers for students from their perspective and gives recommendations for practitioners on how to mediate some of these challenges and increase student persistence.