Prompted by oculomotor theories of attention, the present experiments explore the role of saccade activation in the generation of two cueing effects: exogenous capture (Experiment 1) and inhibition of return (IOR; Experiment 2). Exogenous capture is shortlived and marked by faster responding toward recently stimulated locations, whereas the longer-lasting IOR manifests as slower responding toward those locations. Within each experiment, Group A performed in a dual-task in which on most trials a peripheral target had to be identified but infrequently a central arrow probe called for an eye movement instead, while for Group B the tasks were the same except saccade trials were frequent and target identification trials were infrequent. In Experiment 1, for group A uninformative cues captured attention as measured by faster digit identification at the cued location, an effect not accompanied by saccade activation. For group B, cues generated saccade activation without capturing attention. Thus saccade activation need not accompany exogenous covert capture, and covert capture need not accompany saccade activation. In Experiment 2, group A exhibited IOR which slowed digit identification, but did not affect saccadic responding, while Group B exhibited no IOR in either digit identification or eye movement trials. This finding provides converging evidence that IOR can be dichotomized into two forms; one which delays motor production itself (Evidenced amply elsewhere, e.g., Taylor & Klein, 2000) and another which delays responding by applying inhibition at a perceptual-motor interface which can operate in independence from its motoric cousin.

The purpose of this correlational and descriptive study was to examine the influence of an agricultural dual credit course curriculum on student self-efficacy of college readiness as students matriculate to post-secondary education. To evaluate the personal characteristics, postsecondary plans, program perceptions and college readiness self-efficacy, a quantitative survey and online instrument was used to gather data and analyze information on high school students enrolled in agricultural education in both dual credit and non-dual credit courses primarily in the Middle Tennessee Region. The target population (N = 543) for this study was defined as students at 16 schools where the dual credit course was offered with the Middle Tennessee State University, School of Agribusiness and Agriscience in the 2011-2012 academic year. A total of 245 students from 16 secondary agricultural programs in seven different school districts across Tennessee, primarily in the Middle Tennessee region, participated in the study for a response rate of approximately 45%. This study examined college readiness of student participation in an agricultural dual credit course and sought to determine the relationship between student participation in a dual credit course offering and college readiness self-efficacy as well as student perceptions of the course offering. Course self-efficacy was higher among dual credit participants versus non-dual credit participants. Social self-efficacy was also higher for dual credit participants. Females had higher Course self-efficacy, and there was a positive relationship between GPA and each construct of the college readiness self-efficacy inventory. Participant perceptions of the agricultural dual credit program were also high. This study indicates that dual credit participants can confidently approach post-secondary options, and that they are more likely to be successful in college due to level of self-efficacy as they matriculate into college. Recommendations from the study include: Using the MTSU dual credit model in future dual credit course developments and collaborations; using findings as a basis for training future agricultural education teachers on how to improve CRSE; and additional and longitudinal studies to track dual credit students’ success in college.

The purpose of this study was to examine factors supporting college mathematics success. First, effect of a brief high school orientation to mathematical technologies used for college placement testing was examined. Secondly, the voice of participants in this orientation was heard. Finally, bootstrapped orientation data were presented to teachers and instructors of introductory statistics courses as a scaffold to their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) as these teachers and instructors strive to actively engage students to achieve college mathematics success. Many entering college students are placed into developmental mathematics classes based on scores from college placement assessments that allow extremely limited use of calculating technology and have various time constraints. Students in a rural central Texas 3A high school that were enrolled in Algebra II course were given pre- and post- tests in Arithmetic and Algebra. Each 20-minute test contained 15 mathematical content questions and one qualitative question. The post-test was given approximately a week after the pre-test. During the week, students were provided time to explore review material using only pencil and paper for the arithmetic review, and a four-function calculator on the algebra review questions. Effects of the orientation were analyzed using mean scores, confidence intervals, effect size, and GLM for whole-group and sub-groups. A paired samples t-test was calculated. These effects were discussed. A case study involving participants of the orientation was conducted. Twelve participants were interviewed after each had entered college. Five themes emerged from these interviews: (1) Knowledge of College Mathematics, (2) Technology and Mathematics, (3) Mathematics Tests/Assessments, (4) Teaching and Learning Mathematics, and (5) Mathematical Experiences, Hopes and Dreams. Each theme is discussed. Using Microsoft Excel, bootstrapping is presented to instructors of first year introductory statistics courses in support of student success as instructors’ technological pedagogical content knowledge is developed. A course project demonstrating and developing application of computational technology by bootstrapping confidence intervals at the 95 % level using Microsoft Excel is presented. Data from the orientation were further analyzed in the bootstrapping project. Confidence intervals were empirically calculated from bootstrapped resamples of the mean. The number of resamples used was 250 at each of three levels: Over-sampling, at-sampling, and under-sampling. Graphs of bootstrapped confidence intervals, using the Rule of Eye 4, showed statistically significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores for all pairs of data sets.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of a transition room between kindergarten and first grade upon later academic achievement. An examination of the peer relationship between transition room students and their classmates constituted an auxiliary purpose. The longitudinal portion of the study investigated achievement test scores of transition room students and their classmates over a six year period. Peer relationships between transition room students and their classmates in grades one through six were studied in autumn, 1973.There were two basic hypotheses: (a) there would be no significant differences in academic achievement between transition room students and their classmates in grades one through six; (b) there would be no significant differences in social standing between transition room students and their classmates in grades one through six.Students had been assigned to the transition room on the bases of Metropolitan Readiness Tests scores and kindergarten teachers' evaluations. The purpose of the transition room was to give children who were predicted to have little chance for success in the first grade an opportunity to develop in an enriched environment for another year prior to advancement. It was postulated that the extra year would enable transition room students to achieve more successfully when compared with their classmates who would be a year younger.The total population of the longitudinal study consisted of 287 pupils in the Ossian school. Sixty-six pupils constituted the composite transition group over the years studied, while the remaining 211 were their non-transition room classmates. One transition room student and twenty-seven of the non-transition room group were retained subsequent to entry into the first grade. This left sixty-five in the transition group and 184 in the group of classmates for comparison of achievement test scores. The total transition room group was two months younger, averaged ten points lower in intelligence quotients and twenty-one points lower on the Metropolitan Readiness Test than did their classmates at the end of kindergarten.For purposes of sociometric rating, a total of 350 students were surveyed--eighty-three in the transition group and 267 classmates.Three instruments were used to collect data pertinent to the hypotheses. The Stanford Achievement Test and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills were used to measure academic achievement. An informal instrument administered by the classroom teacher was used to measure social rating.Statistical procedures employed were an analysis of variance to test significance of differences between mean grade equivalents on achievement tests and a chi-square analysis to assess peer group rating. Results showed a significant difference in achievement in favor of the non-transition room classmates; no significant difference in peer rating in grades one, two, four, five and six, and a significant difference in peer rating in favor of the non-transition room classmates in grade three.It was concluded that the transition room did not enable students to achieve as a group on the same academic level with their younger classmates. However, the transition room reduced the actual number of retentions at subsequent grade levels and enabled students to achieve continuous academic progress as a group at or above grade norms suggested in standardized test manuals without negative effects upon peer group acceptance.

Priešmokyklinio ugdymo paskirtis – padėti vaikui pasirengti sėkmingai mokytis pagal pradinio ugdymo programą. Tačiau ne visi priešmokyklinio amžiaus vaikai į pirmą klasę ateina subrendę mokyklinei veiklai. Lietuvoje dar maža tyrimų, atskleidžiančių brandumo mokyklai ir vaiko mokyklinių pasiekimų sąsajas, kurie leistų išskirti intelektinės ir socialinės emocinės brandos gebėjimus, geriausiai numatančius būsimos mokyklinės veiklos sėkmę. Todėl šio tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti vaiko brandumo mokyklai sąsajas su akademiniais pasiekimais pirmoje klasėje. Tyrimas buvo vykdomas trimis etapais. Pirmajame etape dalyvavo 46 priešmokyklinio amžiaus lopšelio –darželio bei mokyklos – darželio vaikai, kuriems 2007 kalendoriniais metais suėjo 7 metai. Tyrimas vyko 2007 m. balandžio – gegužės mėnesiais. Vaikų brandumo mokyklai įvertinimo metodika (2005) buvo įvertinti vaikų kognityvinė, socialinė ir emocinė branda mokyklai. 2007 m. gruodžio ir 2008 m. balandžio mėnesiais buvo vertinami pirmajame etape dalyvavusių vaikų skaitymo, rašymo ir matematinių žinių pasiekimai. Skaitymo, rašymo ir matematinių žinių pasiekimai buvo vertinami užduočių baterijomis, sudarytomis remiantis Bendrojo pradinio ugdymo programomis ir išsilavinimo standartais. Gauti rezultatai atskleidė priešmokyklinio amžiaus vaikų pakankamą socialinę emocinę bei dalies vaikų nepakankamą intelektualinę mokyklinę brandą. Nustatyta, kad mokyklinės brandos rodikliai yra susiję su vėlesniais akademiniais pasiekimais: 1) rastas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Purpose of preschool education is to assist a child to get ready for successful studies according to the programme of primary education. However, not all children of preschool age come to the first grade being mature for the academic activity. In Lithuania, very few surveys have been conducted revealing the links of readiness for school and child‘s academic achievement that would allow characterising abilities of intellectual and social emotional readiness, predetermining the future academic success in the best way. Therefore, objective of this survey is to establish the links of child‘s readiness for school with his academic achievement in the first grade. The survey has been conducted in three stages: in the first stage, 46 children of preschool age from a creche –kindergarten and a school-kindergarten who in calendar year 2007 became 7 took part in the survey. The survey was conducted in April – May of 2007. Referring to the methodology for evaluation of children‘s readiness for school (2005), children‘s cognitive, social and emotional readiness for school was assessed. In December of 2007 and April of 2008, reading, writing and mathematical knowledge achievement of children who participated in the first stage were assessed. Reading, writing and mathematical knowledge achievement was assessed with the series of tasks formed referring to programmes of general primary education and education standards. The results obtained revealed sufficient social emotional readiness of... [to full text]

‘Families First’ is a home visiting program implemented across the province of Manitoba, Canada. Public health nurses complete a psychosocial assessment as part of their follow up with postpartum families. This assessment determines if families are offered this voluntary home visiting service. The assessment data is entered into a database maintained by the Healthy Child Manitoba Office (HCMO). The hypothesis for this quantitative study was that a positive relationship exists between participation in the Family First program and children’s school readiness. The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a tool developed and used across Manitoba by Kindergarten teachers to assess children’s school readiness. The Families First and EDI databases were linked, and multiple regression analysis models were applied. A marginal statistically significant positive relationship between the Family’s First program and school readiness was identified. Further research is necessary to understand and define the relationships.

This study provides a comprehensive perspective of the transition to school in the South East Asian Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. It is a cross-cultural, critical case study, grounded in qualitative research, which examines the school entrance policies, practices and procedures that are in place to assist children to make this significant transition in their lives. / Thesis (PhDEducation)--University of South Australia, 2002

Health promotion and public health research increasingly recognise that a range of community organisation and attitudinal factors are important to a community’s level of readiness, or capacity, to undertake effective prevention activity required to reduce population rates of adolescent substance abuse. Although the importance of tailoring community capacity building to readiness levels is acknowledged, little research has been done to date, to develop a systematic framework for measuring readiness in Australia. / Equally in Australia where national and state government drive public health drug policy and programme development, their interaction and support of community level interventions and efforts has not been widely examined. / This methodological study of 100 telephone interviews with 60 community practitioners (15 in each community) was conducted to identify and assess the specific attitudinal, systemic and resource characteristics of four regional communities in order to extend their capacity or readiness to address adolescent substance abuse within their community. The study provided the opportunity to assess the feasibility, reliability and validity and utility of two North American questionnaires that had been developed to provide quantitative measurement of community readiness. Additional questions were included to try and gauge to what extent state government engaged with, and responded to, the four regional communities in the planning and initiation of prevention activity. Examination of this domain would also contribute to the understanding of state and community engagement with community empowerment. / Each of the readiness questionnaires appeared comprehensible within the Australian context, requiring only minor modifications to wording and format to obtain reliable responses from community practitioners. Community readiness ratings for the four communities were consistent across the two instruments with each questionnaire assessing some overlapping and some distinct domains. / The comparison of results from the two community readiness survey instruments suggested some advantages for the TECPR instrument in its slightly higher face validity to key informants and its ability to significantly discriminate the total readiness scores for the four communities. Analysis revealed some associations between the two readiness assessment methods; supporting the view that they were assessing some common underlying dimensions but also that they each provided some unique information. Analysis of the additional questions related to community empowerment suggested that the two assessment methods each contributed unique information in predicting local perceptions of community empowerment. / It is concluded that each questionnaire has the potential to elicit detailed and reliable data concerning community-readiness, which can be quantitatively analysed; and is not unduly time-consuming or burdensome to the researcher or the respondents. One of the questionnaires holds particular merit for communities where research expertise in not available. Measurement of community readiness appears feasible in the Australian context opening opportunities for improved planning and evaluating of community development initiatives aimed at preventing adolescent substance abuse.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1990. / Bibliography: leaves 79-86.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Teacher Education, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on March 31, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-138). Also issued in print.