No description available.

The aim of this essay is to analyze the implementation process of the International Baccalaureate’s Diploma Programme in four of the approximately 30 schools currently offering the IB at upper secondary level in Sweden. The starting point is a comparison between definitions in fundamental documents in the national programmes for Natural Science (NV) and Social Science (SP) on the one hand, and the IBDP on the other. The evaluation, based on Program theory, focuses in particular on the consistencies in the Organizational plans of each system.  The basic assumption is that the IB due to a deviating organizational system, different structures, aims and objectives makes a challenge for the dominating educational discourse, to use a concept by Michel Foucault, and that resistance against the IB therefore is to be expected. As a second part of the evaluation five people who either play, or have played the role of coordinators of the IB, and who thereby are responsible for the implementation, have been interviewed. The questions have been focused around in what sense the informants can confirm resistance in their implementation work due to the differences found in the first part of the evaluation, and in what ways it manifests itself. Finally, Michel Foucault’s power structures in connection to discourse analysis have been applied on the results of the two previous parts of the essay. Foucault claims a school to be one of the state institutions acting on its behalf in conserving and defending its discourse against outside enemies. Two configurations of power are according to Foucault used in the defence; ‘marginalization’ and ‘normalization’. The result of the study confirms evidence of both power structures being found in the implementation of the IB in the four schools included in the analysis and that the resistance against the IB in these schools can be interpreted accordingly. / Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att analysera implementeringen av International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) i fyra av det 30-talet gymnasieskolor som för närvarande erbjuder utbildingen i Sverige. Utvärderingen är indelad i två delar baserad på ’programteori’, och fokuserar på delar i respektive utbildnings organisationsplan.  Den första delen har sin utgångspunkt i styrdokument i respektive utbildning och utgör en jämförelse av olika grundläggande definitioner för, å ena sidan de nationella Naturvetenskapsprogrammet (NV) och Samhällsprogrammet (SP), och å andra sidan IBDP. Detta är av relevans för att IB-utbildningen skiljer sig tillräckligt mycket från de nationella programmen för att utgöra en utmaning av det nationella systemet, det som Michel Foucault skulle kalla den dominerande diskursen. Den andra delen består av fem intervjuer med nuvarande eller före detta coordinatorer, de personer som ansvarar för implementeringsarbetet på de enskilda skolorna. Här är frågorna fokuserade runt de områden där implementeringsarbetet antas vara svårast utifrån de skillnader som framkommer i den första delen av utvärderingen. Slutligen används de maktbegrepp som Foucault anger i sin diskursanalys på de två första delarna av arbetet. Foucault hävdar att skolan är en av de institutioner som agerar för att bevara och försvara en stats diskurs mot utomstående makter. Enlig Foucault uttrycks detta i två maktkonfigurationer; ‘marginalisering’ och ‘normalisering’. Resultatet av studien visar att det finns tecken på att båda maktmedel i implementering av IB på de fyra aktuella skolorna och att motståndet mot IB går att förstå enligt denna modell.

Academically failing schools are under scrutiny from government education administrators, policymakers, and the general public, due to chronic inabilities to lower dropout rates and to educate students who can pass high-stakes graduation assessments. States’ efforts to adhere to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act have led to the development of accountability systems to determine adequate yearly progress (AYP) and to assign schools grades, as well as wholesale reassessment of current educational programs, which are often replaced with more rigorous curricula. Among curricular programs that have been sought as reform measures for academically failing schools is the International Baccalaureate Program (IBP). The IBP’s exacting curriculum has attracted many schools to adopt it as an alternative course of study for advanced students, as well as a rigorous option to build academic capacity among students who have failed to make AYP. This case study examined teachers’ perceptions of the effect the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) had on the culture of an academically underperforming high school in Valdosta, Georgia. Teacher volunteers from within the IBDP, in addition to teachers who taught standard classes, participated in a series of three semistructured interviews over 1.5 years, during which time the school made its initial application to the International Baccalaureate Organisation and subsequently began implementing the program with the school’s first cohort of students. Additionally, documents relating to the IB application process were examined, and observations of the IBDP teachers with students in their classrooms were conducted. Data analysis utilized the frameworks of educational criticism and narrative analysis. Teachers within the IBDP reported feelings of increased self-efficacy resulting from their work with both students and community stakeholders. Participant teachers in both IB courses and other programs described an overall improvement in the school’s culture.

D’après les données démographiques mondiales, la population est vieillissante et la complexité des problèmes de santé et la demande en soins de gériatrie ne cessent d’augmenter. Au Québec, on estime que 3 % des personnes âgées en perte d’autonomie vivent en centres d’hébergement de soins de longue durée (CHSLD). Les problèmes de santé complexes des résidents en soins de longue durée sont connus et en progression. En effet, 66 % des personnes hébergées sont atteintes de comorbidité, donc d’au moins trois problèmes de santé chronique. Il est donc urgent d’adapter les soins et les services offerts aux besoins spécifiques des résidents pour assurer une prestation de soins de qualité et sécuritaire. En 2018, le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) et l’Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) ont émis des recommandations aux CHSLD pour l’optimisation de la pratique des infirmières. Or, pour répondre aux besoins spécifiques des résidents en CHSLD, les infirmières doivent être en mesure de déployer pleinement leur étendue de pratique. Les études disponibles dans la littérature scientifique sur ce sujet, ont jusqu’à maintenant surtout exploré l’étendue de la pratique des infirmières en milieu hospitalier plutôt qu’en CHSLD. Les résultats de ces études révèlent que l’infirmière n’applique que partiellement les connaissances issues de sa formation et de son expérience, et ce, dans divers milieux de soins. À notre connaissance, aucune étude n’a mesuré la pratique des infirmières en CHSLD. La présente étude a donc pour objectif de décrire l’étendue de la pratique des infirmières œuvrant en CHSLD, à l’aide du questionnaire de l’étendue de la pratique (QÉPI), et d’analyser s’il existe une association avec le niveau de formation, soit collégial ou universitaire. Pour réaliser cette étude un devis corrélationnel descriptif a été retenu. Des infirmières (n = 93) d’un centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) du Québec ont participé à une enquête sous forme de questionnaire en ligne. Les résultats exposent une étendue effective de la pratique des infirmières œuvrant au CISSS de 4,58/6 (ÉT = 0,74), donc supérieure à celle d’autres études conduites avec le QÉPI au Québec. L’analyse des résultats n’a pas permis de conclure à une corrélation entre le niveau de formation collégial ou universitaire et l’étendue effective des infirmières œuvrant en CHSLD. Cette étude est la première à avoir décrit et analysé l’étendue effective de la pratique des infirmières à l’aide du QÉPI en CHSLD. D’autres études seront donc nécessaires pour en savoir davantage sur l’étendue de la pratique dans ce milieu. / According to world demographics, the population is aging and the complexity of health problems and the demand for geriatric care will continue to increase. In Quebec, it is estimated that 3% of elderly people with loss of autonomy are living in long-term care centres (CHSLDs). The complex health problems of long-term care residents are well known and are on the rise. In fact, 66% of the people housed are suffering from comorbidity, i.e., they have at least three chronic health problems. There is therefore an urgent need to adapt the care and services offered for the specific needs of residents in order to ensure safe and quality care. In 2018, the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Québec (MSSS) and the Order of Nurses of Quebec (OIIQ) issued recommendations to CHSLDs for the optimization of nursing practice. However, to meet the specific needs of CHSLD residents, nurses must be able to exercise their full scope of practice. To date, the studies available in the scientific literature on this subject have mainly explored the scope of nursing practice in hospitals rather than in CHSLDs. The results of these studies show that nurses only partially apply the knowledge gained from their education and experience in various care settings. To our knowledge, no study has measured the practice of nurses in CHSLDs. The purpose of this study is therefore to describe the scope of practice of nurses working in CHSLDs, using the scope of practice questionnaire (QÉPI), and to analyze whether there is an association with their level of education, either collegial or university. A descriptive correlational design was used for this study. Nurses (n = 93) from an integrated health and social services center (CISSS) in Quebec participated in the survey in the form of an online questionnaire. The results show an effective scope of practice of nurses working at the CISSS of 4,58/6 (SD = 0,74), which is greater than the results of other studies conducted with the QÉPI in hospital settings in Quebec. Analysis of the results did not allow us to conclude that there was a correlation between the level of collegial or university education and the effective scope of practice of nurses working in CHSLDs. This study is the first to have described and analyzed the effective scope of nursing practice in this setting using the QÉPI. Further studies will therefore be necessary in order to learn more about the scope of practice in a long term care environment.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

Community colleges are an increasingly important component of the higher education systems in the United States. Community college as a pathway toward a better educated workforce has been emphasized at a national and state level. Virginia’s policy makers set a goal of producing 100,000 new baccalaureate degrees in the Commonwealth by 2025. Critical to meeting this goal is Virginia’s Community College System. In 2005, Virginia passed the Higher Education Restructuring Act which granted students graduating from Virginia’s community colleges with an associate’s guaranteed admission into any state-funded, four-year institution. Building on this earlier policy, Virginia passed The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011. This act expanded the role of the community college and placed a greater emphasis on articulation policies and baccalaureate attainment. The effectiveness of articulation policies on community college transfer and baccalaureate attainment has been debated in the academic literature. Some have suggested to measure policy effectiveness, academic outcomes and not transfer rates, must be compared before and after policy implementation. To gauge the effectiveness of Virginia’s guaranteed admission policy, this study examined archival student data for native and transfer students who achieved a junior standing at a single four-year state-funded institution. Furthermore, transfer student baccalaureate attainment rates and time to degree baccalaureate completion were compared before and after policy implementation. The study results showed native students graduated in greater percentages and have lower mean time to baccalaureate completion than transfer students; high school and college GPA are predictors of baccalaureate attainment for transfer and native students; transfer student baccalaureate attainment rates and mean time to baccalaureate completions were lower following policy implementation, or simply, fewer bachelor’s degrees were awarded but those completing a baccalaureate did so in less time after policy implementation. The findings of this study suggest transfer students with baccalaureate aspiration are negatively impacted for attending community college prior to transfer and Virginia’s articulation policy at the study institution had little impact on academic outcomes for transfer students following policy implementation. These single institutional results may suggest modification to Virginia’s articulation policy is necessary to improve academic outcomes for community college transfer students.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:57:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elisangela Rodrigues Boeira.pdf: 1360973 bytes, checksum: 403b326e2b9f769ff3d14254e9efbd1c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-07 / This is a qualitative study, descriptive and exploratory, documentary analysis type developed in order to analyze the methodological trends and education measures for the prevention and control of infections for patient safety in undergraduate courses in Nursing. Six higher education institutions that offer undergraduate course in Nursing in classroom mode participated. The data were collected from the six Political Pedagogical Project (PPP) and 273 discipline plans of the six courses, and allowed the overview of the curriculum and teaching methodologies adopted. In five courses, the curriculum matrices are organized by subject, and a course adopts integrated curriculum with units and themes. Despite efforts of undergraduate courses for the adoption of innovative and advanced methods of teaching, some points of the teaching-learning process require changes. The assessment of learning was predominantly punctual in most undergraduate courses, contradicting the adoption of critical-reflexive methods specified in PPP. In addition, inconsistencies were found in some discipline plans because the objectives and the menus had no connection between them. It was observed discipline plans identical to previous semesters and to the other courses offered in the educational institutions. Another finding refers to the large number of subjects taught by the same teacher, who in one of the courses, a teacher teaches up to nine subjects. It is assumed that the high number of courses taught by each teacher, results in insufficient time for planning the teaching process that includes all measures of standard precaution, necessary for learning and competent professional practice. The results for Patient Safety show that because it is a recent issue, this issue is addressed in a few disciplines of undergraduate programs in nursing. The contents such as communication, interpersonal relationships, teamwork, understanding the organizational complexity and the teaching of prevention and control of infections, should be strengthened, transversely during graduation so that the nursing student develops skills needed for safe care. The teaching of the measures of prevention and control of infection does not appear explicitly in the PPP, only some of which discipline plans. The using and the handling of Personal Protective Equipment was a measure that appeared more frequently (46,2%), followed by hand hygiene (38,5%), cleaning and disinfecting equipment and surfaces (30,8%), disposal of sharps (20,5%). The measure less addressed in the courses was the processing of health products (15,4%). The adoption of criticalreflective methodologies for the teaching of prevention and infection control measures requires encouragement of HEI (Higher Education Institution) for teaching qualification, curriculum revision, review of PPP and discipline plans and student effort, considering that any nursing activity involves patient safety. / Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, descritivo exploratório, do tipo análise documental desenvolvido com o objetivo de caracterizar as tendências metodológicas e o ensino das medidas de prevenção e controle de infecções para a segurança do paciente em cursos de graduação em enfermagem. Participaram seis Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) que oferecem Curso de Graduação em Enfermagem na modalidade presencial. Os dados foram coletados dos seis Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos (PPC) e de 273 planos de disciplina e permitiram a visualização geral da estrutura curricular e das metodologias de ensino adotadas. Em cinco cursos, as matrizes curriculares estão organizadas por disciplinas, e um curso adota matriz curricular integrada, com unidades e eixos temáticos. Apesar de esforços dos cursos de graduação para a adoção de metodologias inovadoras e avançadas de ensino, alguns pontos do processo de ensino-aprendizagem necessitam de mudanças. A avaliação da aprendizagem foi predominantemente pontual na maioria dos cursos de graduação, contradizendo a adoção de métodos crítico-reflexivos constantes nos PPC. Além disso, foram encontradas incoerências em alguns planos de disciplina, pois os objetivos e as ementas não apresentavam conexão entre eles. Observou-se planos de disciplina idênticos aos de semestres anteriores e aos de outros cursos oferecidos nas instituições de ensino. Outro achado refere-se ao número elevado de disciplinas ministradas pelos docentes que são responsáveis por disciplinas que abordam prevenção e controle de infecções. Em um dos cursos, um docente ministra até nove disciplinas. Presume-se que a elevada quantidade de disciplinas ministradas por um docente, culmina em tempo insuficiente, para o planejamento do processo de ensino que inclua todas as medidas de precaução padrão, necessárias para a aprendizagem e prática profissional competente. Os resultados referentes à Segurança do Paciente demonstraram que, essa temática é abordada em poucas disciplinas dos cursos de graduação em enfermagem. Os conteúdos como a comunicação, o relacionamento interpessoal, o trabalho em equipe, a compreensão da complexidade organizacional e o ensino das medidas de prevenção e controle de infecções devem ser reforçados, de forma transversal durante a graduação, para que o estudante de enfermagem desenvolva competências necessárias para a assistência segura. O ensino das medidas de prevenção e controle de infecções não aparece de forma explícita nos PPC, apenas em alguns planos de disciplina. O uso e manuseio de Equipamentos de Proteção Individual foi a medida que apareceu com maior frequência (46,2%), seguida de Higiene das Mãos (38,5%), limpeza e desinfecção de equipamentos e superfícies (30,8%), descarte de perfurocortantes (20,5%). A medida menos abordada nos cursos foi o processamento de produtos para a saúde (15,4%). A adoção de metodologias crítico-reflexivas para o ensino das medidas de prevenção e controle de infecções requer incentivo das IES para a qualificação docente, com revisão dos PPC e planos de disciplina e, esforço dos estudantes, considerando que toda e qualquer atividade de enfermagem envolve a segurança do paciente.

Neste estudo, aborda-se o ensino da temática da violência na graduação em enfermagem. O objetivo geral da tese consistiu em investigar como a temática da violência é abordada em Cursos de Bacharelado em Enfermagem das Instituições de Ensino Superior, situadas em Porto Alegre, e analisar as racionalidades subjacentes em documentos e práticas. O estudo qualitativo englobou todos os cursos de bacharelado em enfermagem, situados em Porto Alegre, que concluíram turmas, perfazendo quatro cursos. As ferramentas para a geração de dados incluíram pesquisa documental, por meio das diretrizes curriculares nacionais, dos projetos pedagógicos, de matrizes curriculares, de planos de ensino das disciplinas que abordam a violência e de entrevistas com os docentes que abordam a temática da violência na graduação em enfermagem. Os resultados demonstraram a abordagem da violência no currículo formal real, com concentração nas disciplinas voltadas para a saúde da criança, em situações nas quais a violência é discutida a partir da percepção de necessidade do docente e no currículo oculto, por meio da demanda pela vivência de situações de violência nos cenários de prática. Foi possível identificar um distanciamento entre as normativas fundantes da saúde como direito, constantes nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais e que inspiram os Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos, e o real na implementação dos Currículos. A execução dos projetos é permeada pela racionalidade biomédica, pelo padrão empírico de conhecimento de enfermagem e com a concepção de saúde, entendida como ausência de doenças, o que, constata-se, não sustenta a complexidade de abordagens multicausais como aquelas necessárias a teorizar e gerar enfrentamentos à violência. Outra constatação é de que as competências e as habilidades, previstas para a formação, são transcritas das Diretrizes Curriculares para os Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos, e não se configuram em operacionalização nos Planos de Ensino. Nas ementas das disciplinas, que abordam a violência, ainda persiste o foco na doença, exceção às disciplinas de direitos humanos e às voltadas à saúde da criança, que têm por base políticas públicas. Neste contexto, novos olhares na abordagem da violência acontecem, por meio das atividades de extensão, programas e projetos, e pela inserção do tema nos grupos de pesquisa, nos quais é possível vivenciar a atuação da equipe multidisciplinar, além dos estágios obrigatórios em cenários de prática em diferentes instituições que não se limitam à saúde e que atuam considerando a saúde enquanto direito. / This study approaches the theme of teaching of violence within the nursing graduation studies. The general objective of the thesis consisted of an investigation about how the theme of violence is approached in Nursing Graduation Courses of Higher Teaching Institutions located in Porto Alegre as well as of an analysis of rationalities that are subjacent in documents and practices. The qualitative study comprised all of the graduation courses on nursing located in Porto Alegre that completed and formed classes totaling four courses. The tools for the collecting data included research on documents of the national curriculum guidelines, pedagogic projects, curriculum matrices and teaching plans of the disciplines that cover the issue of violence, as well as interviews with teachers who discuss this theme in the nursing graduation. Findings demonstrated the violence approach in the actual formal curriculum with concentration in the disciplines addressing the child´s health and in situations where violence is discussed in the perception of the teacher´s need as well as in the hidden curriculum by means of the demand due to the experience of violence situations in the practice settings. It was possible to identify a gap between the normative ruling foundations of health as a right, presented in the National Curriculum Guidelines that inspire the Pedagogic Projects of the Courses and the actual ones applied in the implementation of the Curricula. The execution of the projects is permeated by the biomedical rationality and the empiric standard of nursing knowledge besides the health conception, understood as absence of diseases, what is perceived as unable to sustain the complexity of multiple and varied approaches like those needed to theorize and to generate confrontations to violence. Another finding evidences that the competences and abilities foreseen for the nursing education are transcribed from the Curriculum Guidelines for the Pedagogic Projects of the Courses but are not outlined for their operation in the Teaching Plans. In the synopses of the disciplines that approach violence still persist the focus on disease with exception of the disciplines on human rights and those addressed to the child´s health that are founded on public policies Within this context, new glances on the violence approach occur by means of extension activities, programs and projects and by inserting the theme in research groups where it is possible to experience the performance of the multidisciplinary team besides the mandatory internship practice scenarios in different institutions that are not limited to health but that develop their activities by considering health as a right. / Este estudio aborda el tema de la enseñanza de la violencia dentro de los estudios de graduación de enfermería. El objetivo general de la tesis consistió en investigar como la temática de la violencia es abordada en Cursos de Licenciatura en Enfermería de las Instituciones de Enseñanza Superior, ubicadas en Porto Alegre, y analizar las racionalidades subyacentes en documentos y prácticas. El estudio cualitativo abarcó todos los cursos de graduación en enfermería ubicados en Porto Alegre que concluyeron y formaron grupos, totalizando cuatro cursos. Las herramientas para la generación de datos incluyeron investigación en documentos de las directrices curriculares nacionales y de proyectos pedagógicos, matrices curriculares, planes de enseñanza de las disciplinas que abordan la violencia bien como a través de entrevistas con los docentes que abordan la temática de la violencia en la graduación en enfermería. Los resultados demostraron el abordaje de la violencia en el currículo formal real, con concentración en las disciplinas dedicadas a la salud del niño y en situaciones donde la violencia es discutida desde la percepción de necesidad del docente bien como en el currículo oculto, por medio de la demanda por la vivencia de situaciones de violencia en los escenarios de práctica. Fue posible identificar un distanciamiento entre las normativas fundantes de la salud como derecho, previstas en las Directrices Curriculares Nacionales y que inspiran los Proyectos Pedagógicos de los Cursos, y lo real en la implementación de los Currículos. La ejecución de los proyectos es impregnada por la racionalidad biomédica, por el estándar empírico de conocimiento de enfermería con la concepción de salud, entendida como ausencia de enfermedades, lo que, según se constata, no sustenta la complejidad de abordajes de múltiples causas como aquellas necesarias para teorizar y generar enfrentamientos a la violencia. Otra constatación es que las competencias y habilidades previstas para la formación son transcritas de las Directrices Curriculares para los Proyectos Pedagógicos de los Cursos pero no se las encuentra configuradas en la operación de los Planes de Enseñanza. En las sinopsis de las disciplinas, que abordan la violencia, todavía persiste el foco en la enfermedad, a excepción de las disciplinas de derechos humanos y de aquellas volcadas a la salud del niño, que toman las políticas públicas como base. En este contexto, ocurren nuevas miradas en el abordaje de la violencia por medio de las actividades de extensión, programas y proyectos, así como por la inserción del tema en los grupos de pesquisa, en los cuales es posible experimentar la actuación del equipo multidisciplinario, además de las prácticas obligatorias en escenarios de práctica de diferentes instituciones que no se limitan a la salud pero que actúan considerando la salud como derecho.

<p>The present study examines the effects of immersion education on the English of two groups of advanced Swedish learners at upper secondary school. In immersion education, or CLIL, subject content is taught through a second language as a means of enhancing target language competence. In this study, language proficiency was measured in terms of the ratio of low frequency vocabulary (LFV) and the ratio of motivated tense shift (MTSh) in the learners’ free written production in English. An additional aim was to see whether the results were related to the students’ motivation as reported in a questionnaire.</p><p>This longitudinal study was based on three sets of narratives, written by 86 students, half of them enrolled at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) where English is the medium of instruction, and the other half at national programmes (NP), where English is studied as a foreign language. At the outset, the IB and NP groups had similar results on a general diagnostic test, which was the basis for the formation of three subgroups: I, II and III, with above average, average and below average scores respectively. Mean LFV and MTSh ratios as well as different kinds of motivation were compared, both overall and in the subgroups.</p><p>The IB students overall, and those in subgroup III in particular, showed the best results. As to the overall results, the IB students used significantly higher mean ratios of LFV and MTSh than the NP students in the final set of compositions. There were also a number of motivational factors that were stronger in the IB students.</p><p>As to the subgroups, the most interesting results were found in subgroups I and III. While the IB students in subgroup I had high mean ratios already in the first composition, and retained them over time, their use of MTSh tended to grow subtler. The NP students had lower mean results initially, and while their mean MTSh ratio increased and ended up on a level similar to that of the IB students, their mean LFV ratio remained low.</p><p>In subgroup III the results of the IB and NP students diverged over time. While the IB students progressed as reflected in their mean LFV and MTSh ratios, the NP students tended to regress. The difference in mean LFV ratios was statistically significant. The IB students were also better motivated than their NP peers. In all, this study suggests that immersion education has positive target language effects, especially on less proficient but motivated students.</p>

The present study examines the effects of immersion education on the English of two groups of advanced Swedish learners at upper secondary school. In immersion education, or CLIL, subject content is taught through a second language as a means of enhancing target language competence. In this study, language proficiency was measured in terms of the ratio of low frequency vocabulary (LFV) and the ratio of motivated tense shift (MTSh) in the learners’ free written production in English. An additional aim was to see whether the results were related to the students’ motivation as reported in a questionnaire. This longitudinal study was based on three sets of narratives, written by 86 students, half of them enrolled at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) where English is the medium of instruction, and the other half at national programmes (NP), where English is studied as a foreign language. At the outset, the IB and NP groups had similar results on a general diagnostic test, which was the basis for the formation of three subgroups: I, II and III, with above average, average and below average scores respectively. Mean LFV and MTSh ratios as well as different kinds of motivation were compared, both overall and in the subgroups. The IB students overall, and those in subgroup III in particular, showed the best results. As to the overall results, the IB students used significantly higher mean ratios of LFV and MTSh than the NP students in the final set of compositions. There were also a number of motivational factors that were stronger in the IB students. As to the subgroups, the most interesting results were found in subgroups I and III. While the IB students in subgroup I had high mean ratios already in the first composition, and retained them over time, their use of MTSh tended to grow subtler. The NP students had lower mean results initially, and while their mean MTSh ratio increased and ended up on a level similar to that of the IB students, their mean LFV ratio remained low. In subgroup III the results of the IB and NP students diverged over time. While the IB students progressed as reflected in their mean LFV and MTSh ratios, the NP students tended to regress. The difference in mean LFV ratios was statistically significant. The IB students were also better motivated than their NP peers. In all, this study suggests that immersion education has positive target language effects, especially on less proficient but motivated students.