Thesis (M.D.S.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-152) Also available in print.

Fiscal federalism is meant to benefit from both the advantages of centralization and decentralization in public revenues and expenditures, the optimal allocation of competencies between levels of governement depending on the nature of revenues, public goods or services. For historical, political or practical reasons, this optimal allocation is not always attainable. Therefore, fiscal federalism may raise new issues in efficiency or equity, in the form of spill-over effects, harmful fiscal competition or fiscal imbalance. To tend to the optimum, it is necessary to evaluate the extent of inefficiencies or inequities and to design corrective mechanisms in order to minimize them. This thesis adopts such an approach in four different situations. First, we measure empirically and dynamically the presence of fiscal competition between Belgian municipalities. The analysis reveals the existence of fiscal competition, but with a rather slow pace of adjustment of taxe rates over time. This pace depends on the mobility of tax bases and on the similarity of neighboring municipalities with respect to some socio-economic characteristics. Second, we evaluate the effects of the Belgian fiscal equalization mechanism on equity. This analysis shows the existence of a poverty trap at the level of regions and proposes a range of solutions, inspired by equalization mechanisms applied in other federal States. Third, we analyse the case of multiple States emitting multiple pollutants where a trade-off exists between producing goods and minimizing pollution. We propose a form of inter-State transfers such that all States adopt a behaviour leading to the collective optimum. To be sustainable, the collective optimum must be individually rational. We show that this condition is respected with the proposed transfer formula. Fourth, we examine the case of harmful fiscal competition between two countries differing in size, the small country being seen as a fiscal heaven. In order to reach the collective optimum, fiscal cooperation is needed. To convince the tax heaven to cooperate, a specific formula of transfers between the large and the small country is proposed, such that both countries are better off. / Le fédéralisme fiscal a pour objectif de bénéficier à la fois des avantages de la centralisation et des avantages de la décentralisation des revenus et dépenses publiques. La répartition optimale des compétences entre différents niveaux de pouvoir est déterminée par la nature des revenus, dépenses et biens et services publics. Pour des raisons historiques, politiques ou pratiques, cette répartition optimale n'est pas toujours accessible. En conséquence, les avantages du fédéralisme fiscal peuvent s'accompagner de problèmes d'efficacité ou d'équité sous la forme d'effets de débordement, de concurrence fiscale dommageable ou de déséquilibre fiscal. Pour tendre vers l'optimum, il convient dès lors d'évaluer l'ampleur des inefficacités et inéquités et de concevoir des mécanismes correctifs pour les atténuer. Cette thèse applique cette démarche à quatre situations particulières. Premièrement, nous mesurons la présence de concurrence fiscale entre les communes belges, de façon empirique et dynamique. L'analyse met en lumière l'existence d'une concurrence fiscale certaine, mais avec une vitesse d'ajustement des taux de taxation relativement faible dans le temps. Cette vitesse d'ajustement dépend de la mobilité des bases imposables et de la similitude des communes voisines en termes de caractéristiques socio-économiques. Deuxièmement, nous évaluons les effets redistributifs et incitatifs du mécanisme belge de péréquation financière. Cette analyse démontre la présence d'un effet de « piège à pauvreté » au niveau des Régions et propose une série de solutions pour y remédier, en s'inspirant de mécanismes étrangers. Troisièmement, nous analysons le cas de multiples Etats émettant de multiples polluants, dans un contexte où un arbitrage doit être effectué entre la production de biens et la minimisation de la pollution. Nous proposons une forme de transferts à appliquer entre Etats de sorte que tous les Etats sont amenés à adopter un comportement menant à l'optimum collectif. Pour être soutenable, l'optimum collectif doit être individuellement rationnel. Nous démontrons que la formule proposée respecte cette condition. Quatrièmement, nous examinons le cas d'une concurrence fiscale dommageable entre deux pays différents en taille, où le petit pays peut être considéré comme un paradis fiscal. Afin d'atteindre l'optimum collectif, une coopération fiscale est nécessaire. Afin de convaincre le paradis fiscal de coopérer, une forme spécifique de transferts entre le grand et le petit pays est proposée, de sorte que tous deux préfèrent coopérer.

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The goal of this study is to examine teacher feedback, learner uptake, and feedback perceptions in an adult Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) context. A 200-level Chinese reading course was observed for data collection. Participants included 13 students and one teacher. Thirteen class sessions (10 hours) were video-taped. A short survey, given at the end of each of the last six class sessions, was designed to elicit the teacher’s and the students’ perceptions of feedback frequency. The participants were not informed of the focus of this research at the beginning of data collection. Video-recorded data was fully transcribed and coded using Panova and Lyster’s (2002) feedback categorization. The teacher’s response to the survey was compared to that of the students’ regarding perceptions of feedback frequency. The results showed that the teacher provided feedback to 68.1% of all students’ errors. On average there was one feedback move every 2.4 minutes. All feedback types in Panova and Lyster’s model were present, and there were a few new moves, namely “asking a direct question,” “directing question to other students,” and “using L1-English.” A total of 245 teacher feedback moves occurred during the observation. Recasts accounted for 56.7% of all feedback moves, followed by metalinguistic feedback which accounted for 10.6%. Elicitation moves achieved the highest uptake rate (94.1%). Next, explicit correction and metalinguistic feedback had 88.9% and 53.8% uptake rate respectively. Concerning perceptions of feedback, the teacher was more accurate in perceiving four types of feedback while the students were accurate about three. It was concluded that recast was the predominant type of feedback in this study. Other explicit types of feedback were more successful in leading to learner uptake. The teacher and the students were generally not accurate in perceiving the frequency of each feedback type, due to the challenge of remembering the feedback move after the lesson had finished. The pedagogical implication is that teachers should consider a wide range of feedback techniques, especially more explicit types, to better engage students in a reading class. / Graduate

This study looks at the effectiveness of direct and indirect written corrective feedback (WCF) when using them with 26 intermediate ESL learners’ writings. The study also investigates whether giving the learners the type of feedback they preferred or less preferred would influence their actual performance. WCF, a pedagogy that is often used when helping learners improve their written accuracy, has captured researchers’ attention in recent decades. Truscott (1996) claimed that WCF is ineffective and suggested teachers should abandon it. Therefore, in the early studies, researchers concentrated on examining the effectiveness of WCF, in order to justify the value of using WCF. In recent studies, researchers have proved that WCF is effective in certain contexts, and they have also investigated the value of using different types of WCF, and the value of using it over time. Moreover, in order to help learners to improve in written accuracy, recent studies in the field have also investigated whether WCF is more effective when used on a certain type of linguistic form/structure. With respect to different types of WCF, researchers in recent decades have also paid some attention to learner preference in WCF. However, the relationship between learner preference and the value of using the type of feedback learners prefer has not yet been investigated. In essence, the relationship between learner preference and their actual performance when using the type of feedback they preferred was examined in this study. The study also aimed to look at the effectiveness of WCF over time, and to investigate whether direct feedback or indirect feedback helped learners better. Furthermore, the study also aimed to investigate whether there was a certain type of linguistic form that WCF works best with. A quantitative approach was used in this study in order to show the results more clearly, and to provide statistical evidence on each finding. The study involved questionnaires, and three writing tests: pre-test, immediate post-test, and a delayed post-test. Before the learners did the pre-test, they were asked to complete a questionnaire to select their preferred type of feedback (direct feedback or indirect feedback). Based on their preferences on feedback, they were put into different groups. Group one received direct feedback; group two received indirect feedback; group three received the feedback they preferred (indirect feedback); group four received no linguistic feedback, but general commentaries on their writing were given. The participants (twenty-six students who enrolled in a general English program at AUT University) had completed the questionnaire and the three writing tests. Findings from the study revealed that, most of the learners preferred receiving direct feedback. When examining learner performance between those who received the type of feedback they preferred and those who did not, the former did not outperform than others. However, factors like different levels of scaffolding assistance may have affected the results. Other findings from the study revealed that WCF was effective overtime, especially when using it on errors of present simple tense. The study also found that indirect feedback was more effective than direct feedback. A possible factor that appeared to influence learners’ performance was identified as learners’ motivation in learning. The results of the study contribute to an understanding of the type of feedback that is most suitable for learners at intermediate level, and on which type of linguistic form WCF can work best with. Practical suggestions for pedagogy and further research are also made.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-148) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S. )--University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on July 30, 2008). Research advisor: Edward F. Harris, Ph.D. Document formatted into pages (xi, 174 p. : ill.). Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-112).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Southern California, 1998. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Southern California, 1997. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.