This study explored metacognition of sixteen adult learners enrolled in an advanced level community college ESL writing course. The ESL participants reflected on three topics concerning thoughts and feelings about writing and themselves as writers: attitude towards writing (feelings and motivations), writing identity, and self-direction (self-evaluation and planning). Using a participatory research approach, data were collected from three semi-structured interviews and numerous written responses during one semester. Participants were from the Hispanic and Korean cultures with a majority Puerto Rican (75%) and female (81%). Overall, feelings towards writing were complex (both positive and negative) and changed throughout the semester. Positive feelings energized and appeared related to an individual awareness of progress rather than an outside measure of proficiency. Motivations for learning to write were also complex (including both external and internal orientations) and changed over the semester. External utilitarian motivations seemed to be primary initially. Internal motivations such as expression of feelings, joy in self-expression, and expansion of cognition surfaced as the semester progressed. Participants' descriptions of themselves as writers changed from incredulity, negativity, and denial to a relatively positive and distinct sense of writing identity. Self-direction changed from global (or very general) self-evaluations and planning to more specific and empowering self-evaluations and planning. Encouraging interviewing language and subsequent dialogue fostered self-direction. Both positive and negative global self-evaluations indicated powerlessness while increased specificity (either positive or negative) indicated potential for improvement through concrete planning. Suggestions for modifications to a traditional ESL writing class include acknowledgement of strengths, focus on progress in a noncompetitive workshop environment, and inclusion of metacognitive topics that acknowledge the affective or emotional component to learning to write. Student-participants reported benefits of the metacognitive approach: clarification, opportunity for verbal expression, time for thinking and understanding, awareness of progress through comparison of work, and increased awareness of the instructor (or researcher). The researcher also reported benefits of the metacognitive approach: a harmony of student-centered methods and goals, data for researchers and curriculum developers, "encouraging" and "enabling" of participants, and growth of self-awareness and autonomy of participants.

The purpose of this study was an exploration of the process(es) of Jewish American Identity Development in Conservative Jewish women. It sought to explore the development of Jewish identity among women of the Conservative sect. Since there were no known studies on the process of Jewish American identity development, this study was considered exploratory research in this area. Therefore, instead of specific hypothesis testing, the present study sought answers to a set of general research questions: How do women describe their Jewish experience? Do or did Jewish women try to hide their Jewishness? How do women resolve the fact that they are Jewish? What precipitated the decision to accept/reject their Jewishness? Are there any specific patterns and/or sequential stages of development that appear with regard to the Jewish identity development process for this sample? Methodology. A qualitative research method was used since this was an exploratory study aimed at generating a theory of the process of Jewish American identity development. As its methodological framework, the study utilized the work of Glaser and Strauss (1968) in The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Twelve Conservative (second or third generation Ashkenazim) Jewish women made up the sample. Results and Conclusions. Findings from this study did not reveal a sequential model of Jewish American identity development within this population. What did emerge was a picture of a continuum of responses related to racial identity development issues. Further analysis also seemed to indicate that exposure to diversity increased the likelihood of a different pattern of responses than if one remains closely and consistently associated and identified with members of one's own group. This pattern of response was typified by a higher degree of acceptance of people who are different, an awareness of the oppression of one's own group, a realization that one's oppression connects with the oppression of other groups and there appeared a certain level of political consciousness.

The primary goal of this dissertation is to examine the impact of Spanish as a Second Language instruction within a bilingual setting. The first chapter provides an overview of those issues which must be considered when developing and implementing a second language program. These issues are too often addressed in isolation by foreign language, English as a Second Language and bilingual educators. All three disciplines are concerned with language acquisition and literacy development. To date, not enough has been done to bring about collaboration among the three disciplines. The sharing of ideas and resources can only help to promote language development for all students. The second chapter reviews the literature in four specific areas: theories of second language acquisition, methodology and techniques used in the study of a second language, attitudes towards foreign language teaching and learning, and foreign language study within a bilingual setting. The exploration of these four areas provides information about theoretical frameworks on which many second language programs are based. It also emphasizes the value of integrating a second language into the overall education of youngsters. In addition, it provides one example of an educational schema which shows promise in promoting bilingualism for all children. The third chapter provides an analysis of the process followed in this study to arrive at some conclusions about the benefits of an SSL Program within a bilingual setting. The findings of the study are reported in chapter four. Results indicated that children participating in SSL made important gains in the acquisition of oral proficiency. Also, educators who were surveyed favored the approach that was used in the SSL Program because it considered the following characteristics: (1) The value of learning a second language; (2) Curriculum; (3) Methods and techniques; (4) Assessment; (5) Support for SSL instruction; (6) SSL instruction within a bilingual setting. Chapter V offers a summary of the study, the conclusions, the recommendations for applications of the findings and possible further research.

This study was designed to explore through two surveys and interviews the question of confidence levels of practicing professional nurses in giving quality care to ethnically diverse client populations. One questionnaire to nursing faculty in 170 colleges and universities across the United States was concerned with the transcultural educational preparation of students, and the second questionnaire to 40 community health agency and inpatient (hospital) facility nurses pertained to their present level of confidence. The comments on situations encountered by practicing professional nurses and how they handled the situation were sought. These nurses also discussed how transcultural education would have helped them to either prevent or solve the problems. Faculty were surveyed regarding the inclusion of transcultural nursing concepts in their nursing curricula, their transcultural education background, and the ethnic background of their student and client populations. The practicing professional nurses were surveyed as to their personal and professional backgrounds and their knowledge of and perceived confidence levels in giving holistic nursing care to three different ethnic groups--Asians, Blacks, Southeast Asians and Spanish-speaking people. Three variables were assessed; namely, family organization, health care beliefs and lifestyles. Results indicated that in the surveys of the colleges and universities 96.3% of the nursing programs included some general transcultural nursing concepts in their courses and 31,5% offered them in theory, seminar and clinical components of the program. Only 26% of those who responded offered specific courses or certification classes. In order to assist students in developing cultural awareness 74.1% of the colleges and universities offer clinical experiences with ethnically diverse populations. The second part of the survey (Self-efficacy) illustrated a definite lack of confidence in giving holistic nursing care to Asian/Southeast Asian clients. Although there appears to be no significant relationship between the three major ethnic minorities and the inclusion of transcultural nursing concepts or the number of years since graduation, there are definite levels of significance between the variables of family organization, health care beliefs, and lifestyles and background information as to the type of nursing program, length and place of employment, and past clinical experiences with ethnic minorities.

Extreme professional nurse shortage exerts stress upon the conventional recruitment and retention efforts of administrators in health care institutions, causing administrators to seek alternative solutions, including the recruitment and hiring of foreign nurses. The productivity of the foreign nurse alternative, as evidenced by pass rates on registered nurse licensure examination and by retention of the recruited nurses at sponsoring institutions is low, raising questions about factors that contribute to lack of success and promulgate improvement of foreign nurse recruitment and orientation initiatives. This study describes and analyzes an attempt to assimilate Filipino nurses at a medical center in western Massachusetts of just under 1000 client beds during an 18% professional nurse position vacancy crisis, occurring in the mid 1980's. The initiative, involving the recruitment and socialization of a group of 37 graduate nurses from the Philippines to fill staff nurse position vacancies on a variety of clinical service units, is summarized in a case description. This study identifies significant factors to be considered by administrators who have responsibility for the planning and implementation of similar initiatives. The literature review relates cultural information in two areas necessary to understand the transcultural socialization of a Filipino nurse, the pre professional socialization and the professional socialization contexts. The literature review of the professional socialization area discusses important contextual factors in Filipino nurse employment, nursing practice and nursing education. The Wolf-Welsh Linkage Methodology and the Wolf Knowledge Diffusion/Utilization Inventory provided the framework for the study. The seven interrelated parts of the Methodology provided the basis for data collection and ex post facto analysis of the case data. Data sources included the researcher's own participant observations, available medical center documents, and interviewed persons. Periodicals and external reports supplemented these data. The analysis clarified key characteristics of the Filipino nurse socialization and related linkage activities that might have contributed to greater success in the medical center case. Nineteen recommendations for successful linkage in future foreign nurse initiatives comprise the concluding chapter of the study.

El presente estudio analiza la dinámica de la comunicación desarrollada en el ámbito de la clase de español e inglés como idioma extranjero en un proyecto de intercambio por telecolaboración organizado entre la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst, en Estados Unidos, y la Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, de Madrid, España, durante el semestre de otoño del 2004. Propone un enfoque pedagógico para la tele-colaboración basado en un aprendizaje colaborador y reflexivo, y en el diálogo interactivo, y pretende ilustrar cómo el uso efectivo de diferentes herramientas comunicativas de tecnología en línea combinadas y complementarias puede contribuir al acercamiento intercultural de los estudiantes a través de la comunicación o interacción mediada por ordenador ( Computer-mediated Communication, CMC; Computer-mediated Interaction, CMI), poniendo de manifiesto mediante la dinámica de la comunicación desarrollada diferencias culturales que pueden ser aprovechadas pedagógicamente para fomentar el descubrimiento cultural, la comprensión de las perspectivas y comportamientos de los participantes nativos de una lengua, y finalmente, el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa intercultural, lográndose la ampliación del discurso del aprendiz hacia un discurso intercultural compartido. Entre los objetivos del estudio se incluyen también documentar qué diferencias culturales se pueden observar reflejadas en el lenguaje a través de la tele-colaboración, qué factores pueden contribuir al buen funcionamiento de un proyecto de estas características, y analizar los aspectos que juegan un papel relevante en la adquisición cultural a través de la tele-colaboración, para poder contribuir a la mejora de futuros proyectos lingüístico-culturales en el aula de idiomas. Las conclusiones del proyecto indican que el programa de tele-colaboración desarrollado, utilizando diferentes herramientas comunicativas en línea de manera pedagógicamente eficiente, ha contribuido efectivamente al acercamiento intercultural, aprovechando las diferencias culturales como fuente positiva de descubrimiento a través del desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa intercultural y la comprensión de las diferencias como comportamientos y explicaciones alternativos o válidos en contextos culturales diferentes. Las conclusiones del estudio también incluyen sugerencias para solucionar los problemas planteados y mejorar la efectividad de proyectos similares de tele-colaboración en el futuro.

With the release of Workforce 2000: Work and workers for the twenty-first century (Johnson & Packer, 1987) which projected increased cultural diversity in the workforce; more and more organizations and organizational consultants have become interested in methods to insure that all people are respected and their talents are fully utilized in organizations. Organizational change strategies are being employed to this end. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe how a group of practitioners conceptualize the nature of their diversity work and describe the change strategies they use. Diversity work in this study is a generic term used to describe the variety of approaches commonly labeled managing diversity, valuing diversity, multicultural organization development, etc. Approaches which include as their goals, respect for all people, the removal of advantages and disadvantages in the workplace based on social group identity, and the re-creation of organizations to reflect diverse perspectives. Through a qualitative case study approach using in-depth interviews the perspectives of four practitioners are explored and shared. The practitioners were chosen through a review of the literature so as to represent approaches that have been documented in writing, and to include people with differing perspectives on the use of individual and systems focused strategies. The four participants are Asherah Cinnamon, Judith Katz, Roosevelt Thomas, and Barbara Walker. Through the interview process three areas were explored with the participants: the practitioners' personal and professional background; their philosophies of change; and their approaches to diversity work. Results of the study indicate that each of the four cases was unique in and of itself. Through each description the theory and assumptions behind the work are made more explicit. At the same time common threads are revealed that provide connections among the approaches. While each practitioner has specific goals, focus, language, and ways of thinking about the work which are articulated through the case descriptions; themes which emerge from the cross-case analysis shed light on the overall practice and also have implications for the future of this work.

International students have attended American colleges since colonial times. Although international students attend all types of colleges and universities, most studies and reports which have examined their presence on American campuses have been directed at four-year institutions. This is not surprising in that 86% of all international students in the United States, (based on 1990/91 data), were enrolled in four-year institutions. 57,720 international students were enrolled in two-year institutions by 1990/91. While such research is helpful in providing key data and information regarding international students at some of the largest and most prestigious U.S. institutions, comparatively little research has been directed at international students in two-year colleges. The purpose of this study has been to conduct a qualitative examination of international students in three public two-year colleges in New England. Using a case-study approach, four questions were investigated: Why do international students choose a public two-year college? What are their experiences? What are the experiences of faculty and administrators who work with them? What policy questions are important for these institutions? Field research included twenty-one interviews with international students, twenty-two interviews with faculty, and eight interviews with administrators. Also, on-site observations were conducted and available institutional documents reviewed. The study revealed a group of highly motivated international students who, for the most part, were quite satisfied with their educational experiences in the two-year community colleges. The study also revealed that international students are prominent in the academic life of the institutions and faculty members were, on the whole, pleased with the performance and presence of international students. The greatest policy challenge to public two-year community colleges that enroll international students, is the challenge of fully embracing a wider philosophy and vision of the institution's role and contribution in international education. While the overall assessment of the two-year college experience from international students, faculty and administrators was a positive one, it is also clear that institutions could do more to improve the educational experience of international students and the faculty who work with them. Ten recommendations are offered including an examination of mission statements, development of on-going faculty and staff training programs, strengthening of international student orientation programs, development of more creative recruitment efforts, and strengthening of the institutional data base on international students.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership of the School of Education, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-01, Section: A, page: 0041. Adviser: Ronald E. Barnes. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 24, 2008).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Marilyn Johnston-Parsons. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-186) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.