<p> The growing trend for housing individuals who are developmentally disabled has been focused on community based housing; giving them an opportunity to live a less restricted lifestyle. With this shift of care, families who take on caregiving roles deal with insurmountable issues because of limited support and lack of services. Caregivers are faced with challenges such as impulsive behaviors, daily caregiving duties, and concerns about the future. These in turn take a toll on their physical and mental health. The purpose of this project was to develop a curriculum for current and future family caregivers; with the aim of helping them to empower themselves and care recipients, to ultimately reduce barriers of communication within families, to address caregiving concerns, and to provide peer support throughout the curriculum. This curriculum includes three modules that educate caregivers about planning for the future, legal concerns, and community resources.</p>

This thesis is about a journey that begins as an investigation into "good citizenship", develops into an analysis of the meaning of "good", and then evolves into an exploration of issuesc oncernedw ith the nature of "good research". In essence,t he thesis can be split into two interlinked parts. Both "halves" serve a dual purpose in that they represent findings and data in the journey. The first "half' explores the theme of "good citizenship" within the context of the cross-curricular themes. It adds to our understanding of these issues by demystifying the ideological tensions existing within and between guidance documentation suggested by the National Curriculum Council to deliver the "whole curriculum" for English and Welsh schools after the 1988 Education Reform Act. These findings later serve as data in providing a context from which to reinterpret and advance our understanding of "good research". The epiphany in this journey occured when the meaning of "good" in "GOOD citizenship" was placed under scrutiny. In discovering that "good" has a multifarious meaning, which is not reducible to a single definition, the substantive focus of the thesis changed. This change is reflected in the upper and lower case lettering displayed within the title. By deemphasising the importance of "good" in "good RESEARCH", a paradigmatic shift in thinking is symbolized. The second "half' of this thesis investigates the nature of "good research" and makes two contributions to our knowledge of interpretive research. Using three perspectives of a single set of data as a working apparatus, the philosophy of Gadamerian (1979) hermeneutics is explored and taken beyond our current understanding. Part of this exploration involves applying the criteria of authenticity and coherence to the research. However, in discovering the inadequacy of these predetermined guidelines, the idea of situationally derived criteria is developed. Finally, it is suggested that the criteria for judging the quality of research can never be determined in advance of meaning coming into being. Instead, such criteria are contextually bound and can only be seen as post-hoc rational guidelines.

<p> The aim of the study is to examine high school mathematics teachers' lesson plan development and implementation practices used in the border region of Mexico and USA. The study also attempts to determine how a transition from Mexico (Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua) to the U.S. (El Paso, TX) impacts high school mathematics teacher&rsquo;s lesson plan development practices incorporating the Borderland Pedagogy. The Borderland Pedagogy theoretical framework (Cline &amp; Necochea, 2006; Romo &amp; Chavez 2006; Fiume, 2005) was developed to explore educational experiences of teachers situated within border regions. The framework highlights key characteristics of Borderland Pedagogy that influence lesson plan development and implementation practices. The framework was used to design multiple case studies research to examine and understand teaching practices on both sides of the border in general, and pedagogical experiences of transitioning teachers in particular. Elbaz-Luwish (2007) and Sabar (2004) defined teacher transition as an adaptation of a teacher to a new language, culture, and new educational system. Scholars (Shimizu, 2008; Diazgranados et al., 2008; Lit and Lit, 2009) suggest that lesson plans are designed according to teachers&rsquo; experiences, knowledge about the subject matter, and beliefs about teaching, and learning. The study is built on understanding that teaching on the border impose unique requirements on lesson plan development practices reflecting flexibility, cultural and linguistic diversity. The research sample included two Mexican teachers, two US teachers, and one transitioning teacher. The design of the study is operationalized based on the following data sources: (1) teacher-developed lesson plans, (2) classroom observations, and (3) structured interviews. Data was analyzed using frequency-based initial and focus coding scheme. The key observation in lesson plan development among participating Mexican and US teachers revealed complexity and uniqueness of borderland teachers&rsquo; practices in recognizing, addressing, and implementing national/ state standards and curriculum (Secretar&iacute;a de Educaci&oacute;n P&uacute;blica, Texas Education Agency). Results of the study suggest that the Borderland Pedagogy could serve not only as a framework but also as an instrument to document and interpret transformative pedagogical practices of teachers teaching on the border.</p>

Engineering curricula for high schools has and will become increasingly important as STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) education matures and grows across the country. Active learning and hands-on pedagogies are critical to the development of these curricula, connecting students to the integrated topics using all senses and a commitment to self-learning. One approach to curriculum development for the Engineering, applied Science, and applied Mathematics in STEM is design-based learning (DBL). For this report, a particular methodology, known as Reverse Engineering and Redesign, is explored for DBL. The Reverse Engineering and Redesign process is used to redesign the current University of Texas’ UTeachEngineering reverse engineering curriculum. The UTeachEngineering curriculum is compared to the Engineering the Future, Ford PAS, The Infinity Project, and Project Lead the Way to determine the TEKS covered by each curriculum. The redesign focused on adding various writing and reflection exercises throughout the curriculum, and adding specification sheets and rubrics to all the student deliverables. The writing exercises are essential to allow the students to fully explore, comprehend, and appreciate the material. Specification sheets and rubrics are essential for the students to understand what is expected of them to attain mastery of the reverse engineering and redesign curriculum. / text

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This study was an investigation of the effects of a Family Mathematics Workshop on African American students' mathematics achievement and parent-child interaction with mathematics homework. A one way analysis of variance and the SPSS for MS Windows release 6.1 were used to test the null hypothesis. The study is based on Epstein's theory of overlapping spheres which proposes that when the school and family unite in a partnership for children, their overlapping spheres of influence foster a positive attitude about mathematics at home that helps children learn mathematics at school. The researcher found no significant difference between the posttest scores of the controlled and experimental groups. Further, there was no significant difference found in parent/child interaction of the experimental group with mathematics homework before and after the workshop. However, positive responses indicated an increase in the number of times per week parents played mathematics games with their children; the degree of parents' understanding of the lessons and assignments presented in their children's present mathematics textbook; and the degree of confidence parents' have in their ability to help their children with mathematics homework. The conclusions drawn from the findings are that parental involvement in the educational process indicates positive impacts on students' achievement. This five session four-hour Family Mathematics study may have been too short to assess the impact of the Family Mathematics approach on these variables. A long term study is needed to assess the impact of the program on students' achievement. This study was also limited by having a sample size of only 20 fifth grade students in both the experimental and control groups.

<p> Employers, parents, legislators and researchers have expressed concerns that students are graduating from college at low rates, take too long to graduate, and do not possess the proper knowledge or skills to be successful at work or wherever life may take them. Many claim that the curriculum at colleges and universities no longer meets the needs of the students, employers, graduate programs, and society at large. One of the many potential solutions is reforming the undergraduate curriculum.</p><p> This research examines the factors that motivated two institutions to reform their curricula in efforts to improve student success. Both of the institutions are relatively small liberal arts educational organizations, one public and the other private. Each institution has differing missions and goals and is at a different point in its development. The study attempts to describe what was important enough to motivate them to change their curricula and why it mattered.</p><p> This research investigates the reforms of the two institutions in a case study manner, drawing upon published information and personal interviews to analyze what took place. The inquiry centered upon six basic questions. 1. What was the impetus for changing the curriculum? 2. What was the process used in changing the curriculum? 3. What changes were made to the curriculum? 4. What student outcomes were achieved? 5. How did the curriculum reform impact the institution? 6. What lessons were learned through the reform process? </p><p> Reforming a curriculum is a long, complex process, requiring input and consensus from many stakeholders, especially faculty. The manner in which each organization gained faculty endorsement for the reform is analyzed. Actual changes made to the curricula are documented. The research explores student outcomes and the impact that the reform had on the faculty and institutions. Then the researcher attempts to obtain indications that the improvements made by the institutions are achieving the intended goals. Learning is a complex phenomenon to assess, and every organization is challenged to find a way to assess learning effectively.</p><p> The research reports on what took place, what was learned, and what other potential curriculum reformers can expect if they, too, embark upon reform. The study shows that faculty and strong faculty leaders (often cited in the literature as causes of ineffectual curricula) are crucial to the reform process and without adequate assessment, the true results of a reform cannot be known. Much remains to be learned about the extent to which curriculum reform can improve higher education and in fact be a cure of societal maladies. Opportunities for improvement abound. The researcher attempts to identify similarities and differences, seeking fundamental conclusions. In this manner the study proposes to be used as a resource for other educational organizations interested in either improving or completely revamping their curricula.</p>

This multiple case study examined one start-up and one conversion charter school in California. Eighty hours of classroom observations and thirteen teacher interviews were the basis for this descriptive comparative study. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) Do classrooms and school structures in these two charter schools appear different than traditional public schools; (2) Have teachers' methodologies changed since coming to teach at the charter school; (3) What are the similarities and differences between these two charter schools; and (4) Has teachers' autonomy changed since coming to a charter school? This study found that in comparison to teachers' previous position, (1) Teachers had not changed how they taught; and (2) Most teachers had the same amount of classroom autonomy. Additionally: (3) Teachers felt their primary motivation for innovating within their classroom was themselves, their time, and their energy; (4) Teachers did not think teaching in a charter school affected their innovativeness; (5) Teachers did not mention autonomy as a factor influencing their classroom innovativeness; (6) Teachers believed they had more autonomy regarding hiring and budgeting decisions; (7) There were no significant differences in the innovativeness between the teachers of the start-up or conversion schools; the conversion school had the most and the least innovative teachers; (8) The start-up charter school was slightly more innovative overall than the conversion charter school; (9) The two charter schools had more in common than they had differences; (10) New consensus-based, teacher-led decision-making at both schools intensified the micro-politics and burdens placed upon teachers' time, impacting their classroom performance. Unique to the start-up: (11) New operational paradigms required teachers to take on additional support services resulting in less planning time, teachers' feeling overwhelmed, and concern with keeping staff; (12) Parents and students influenced teachers to change back to less innovative practices; and (13) A small campus, faculty, and number of students appeared to create a family-like atmosphere. Based on the findings of this study, two underpinnings of the charter school movement, creating innovative classrooms and increasing teacher autonomy behind the classroom doors were problematic at these charter schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine a first grade teacher's personal theory about curriculum, and explore the ways in which this theory manifested itself about the content and the curriculum enactment process in a classroom context. Special attention was paid to analyze Sarah's (the teacher) classroom curriculum components in order to develop a theoretical model to describe Sarah's enactment theory of the curriculum in her context as a whole language teacher. The primary mode for conducting this study was classroom observations and in-depth teacher interviews. Formal curriculum standards, lesson plans, and reflective journals were used as supplementary resources for the primary data in this study. The analysis of the data suggested that this teacher had a well-developed theory about the content of her classroom curriculum that she used to set up the stage for enacting the curriculum at the classroom level. The curriculum enactment was carried out in the forms of stories, songs, group work activities, and direct teaching as structured events. In addition, Sarah used her rhythmic knowledge to process the curriculum as different segments across the classroom day. Moreover, Sarah enacted the curriculum through organizing students in different forms of communities to establish a culture for learning. The three major implications of this study are: that prospective teachers need to understand curriculum enactment as structured events, to use rhythms to help students make sense of their classroom time and predict the flow of classroom activities, and to establish a culture of learning in which students work as partners in the enacting process of classroom curriculum. Further research is needed to study the cognitive and social impacts of classroom tasks, conduct studies about curriculum enactment in different learning settings, or examine the impact of teachers' daily agenda on curriculum enactment in their context.