Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2459. Adviser: Daniel J. Walsh. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-227) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: A, page: 4089. Adviser: Liora Bresler. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 238-248) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 8, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

<p> The purpose of this study was to discover the readiness levels for a cohort of students entering kindergarten for the first time and find the factors that influence school readiness by using a valid and reliable readiness assessment tool to impact policy. The readiness levels were the dependent variables in the study. The independent variables were the factors that potentially impact the children&rsquo;s readiness such as: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic levels, and prekindergarten experience. A three-week summer readiness intervention created the opportunity to randomly match the attendees to non-participants to study effectiveness of the program. Quantitative data analysis discovered significant differences in school readiness for children in this sample among groups when comparing the independent variables of gender, prekindergarten attendance, socio-economic levels, and a three-week summer intervention. The readiness differences occurred in almost every domain and for overall readiness. Prekindergarten experience did raise readiness levels. Females in the sample entered schools significantly more skilled than males. Both, the children from paid and reduced text program exhibited higher levels of the essential skills upon entering school than the children receiving free texts. A summer three-week readiness intervention raised readiness skills significantly in overall readiness; Approaches to Learning; Cognitive, General Knowledge; Language Development; Early Literacy; and Social, Emotional domains. One implication from the results was that even a three-week readiness program had an impact; therefore interventions can make a difference in preparing children for school. However, as found in prior research socioeconomic level is highly correlated to school readiness.</p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation study is to describe, explain, and analyze teachers&rsquo;, supervisors&rsquo;, and educational administrators&rsquo; perspectives, or self-reported opinions, regarding their current practices and policies of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Saudi Arabia (SA), and the challenges and the benefits of adopting the Reggio Emilia approach (REA) into early childhood institutions in SA. ECE faces many challenges in SA, such as: the traditional role of the teachers, a standard curriculum that is planned in advance, lack of collaboration with families, centralized education management, and the image of the child as passive learner (Metwaly, 2007). With these in mind, I argued that implementing the REA in Saudi kindergartens in a way that suits the social, culture, and religious context may help overcome some of the challenges that are confronting ECE in SA today. </p><p> Three theoretical frameworks guided this study: social constructivist theory, the community of collaboration perspective, and the theoretical foundation of ECE in SA. The social constructivist theory and community of collaboration perspective offered a comprehensive understanding of the RE philosophy and its core principles by explaining how children learn and the critical importance of community collaboration. In addition, examining the theoretical foundations of ECE in SA guided my understanding of current Saudi ECE practices and policies. </p><p> This study used in-depth interviews to explore and analyze ECE teachers&rsquo;, supervisors&rsquo;, and educational provincial administrators&rsquo; perspectives in Riyadh about the potential benefits and challenges of implementing the REA into the Saudi ECE context. Audiotapes and transcriptions from individual interviews with participants were used as data sources, along with documents and analytic memos. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative analysis approach; this can provide opportunities to explore the participants&rsquo; opinions about the likelihood of implementing the REA, what it would take to adopt it if possible, and how it could be modified to fit the social, cultural, and religious context in SA. </p><p>

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.B.A)--Boston University

This research project has focused on exploring the relationship between people and cattle, and other animals, in Early Neolithic southern Britain. Cattle remains have been proven to be deposited at a range of sites dating to this period, from the early transitional stage of the period to the more established phase of long barrow and causewayed enclosure construction. Detailed re-assessment of published faunal reports from six sites dating to the earliest Neolithic has indicated that cattle comprise a major component of assemblages from the beginning of the period and that, with the exception of one site, the lack of significant amounts of other animals has highlighted just how large the disparity is between the deposition of cattle remains and those of other animals. Detailed re-assessment of thirty earthen and stone chambered long barrow reports was also undertaken and the depositional practices at these two types of site compared with each other and the earliest Neolithic sites. Although there are clear and obvious differences in the depositional practices at these sites, due largely to the purpose for which they were used, this study has demonstrated that the animals that comprise these assemblages show a continuity throughout this period. The faunal assemblages from three causewayed enclosures were assessed. In these contexts cattle comprised an even greater proportion of the assemblage than at the other sites and when combined with the other domestic species, pig and sheep/goat, formed almost the entirety of the assemblage. Cattle appear to be intricately involved with the lives of people at this time, possibly because their natural characteristics align well with the lifeways of people during this period.

A survey of early-type stars at intermediate galactic latitudes was carried out in the southern hemisphere winters of 1970 and 1971. The observing programme was limited to negative declinations and covered a range in right ascension of approximately 12h to 20h. At the Royal Observatory, Cape Town, in 1970, UBV photoelectric measurements were made of 56 stars for which no UBV data existed and 20 stars which had been observed on one or two previous occasions, the intention being to obtain four separate measures of each star. In 19711 the Bochum University telescope at the E.S.O. site in Chile was used for H/3 photoelectric photometry of over 200 intermediate and high latitude stars. Shortly afterwards, spectra for radial velocity determination and MK classification were obtained with the two-prism spectrograph and 74" reflector of Radcliffe Observatory, Pretoria. Work was concentrated upon some 60 stars not previously observed with spectroscopic equipment and selected on the basis of blue colour or possible high luminosity from photometric considerations. A few southern standard stars and stars from earlier Radcliffe programmes were re-observed as control or overlap stars. Chapters II - IV describe the observational procedures and reduction methods. Tables in chapter V contain results from the 1970-71 programmes plus UBV and spectroscopic data for intermediate and high latitude stars from various other sources. The remaining chapters are concerned with analysis and discussion of the observations. Chapter VI summarises some optical and radio determinations of the spiral structure of the Galaxy and compares the spatial distribution of the programme stars with these results. The possibility that early-type stars may be formed well away from the galactic plane is considered by comparison of kinematic and evolutionary lifetimes of some stars at appreciable distances from the plane. In chapter VII, intermediate and high latitude stars are shown to participate in the differential rotation of the Galaxy and detailed analysis of the space motions of a number of high velocity stars leads to the conclusion that some may .have sufficient energy to escape from the galactic system. The radial velocities of interstellar Ca II lines are shown in chapter VIII to be as expected for material in the solar neighbourhood involved in differential galactic rotation. An apparent deviation from circular motion reported by observers investigating H II regions is also present in the Ca II gas. Constants in the cosecant equation of interstellar reddening are re-determined and show an apparently significant difference between northern and southern galactic hemispheres. Appendix I describes attempts to simulate the effect of filters in order to explain the curvature in the transformations from instrumental to standard photometric systems. Appendix II gives details of the method used to compute stellar space velocities from proper motions and radial velocities and includes a short Fortran IV programme which implements the operations described.

<p> Grandparents play an important yet varied role in grandchild care-giving, from being the primary caregiver of their grandchildren, to sharing living space and child rearing with their children and grandchildren, to providing informal childcare for grandchildren while their parents/guardians are at work. Grandparents also play a variety of roles in family constellations, including tradition keepers, storytellers, and family gatherers. One unexplored question in the research literature is how grandparents providing care negotiate nature with their grandchildren. Using the theoretical concepts of Funds of Knowledge, <i>nepantla</i>, and Common Worlds anthis study documents and analyzes how grandparents and grandchildren use space, sensory experience and story to negotiate nature experiences. Six groups of grandparents and grandchildren with a history of lifelong nature involvement are co-researchers in this study. The first data collection method was the Mosaic approach, which includes participant observation of care-giving routines, child-led tours of geography important to their care receiving, and child-taken photographs. The second method was walking interviews with grandparents, which were mapped using geographic information systems to produce a spatial transcript. The final method was to create documentation books and a slide show in the style of the Municipal Infant-Toddler Schools of Reggio Emilia that were shared in a large group gathering of all participants. Data analysis was undertaken using a critical constructivist lens, part of a larger crystallization approach. </p><p> Key words: grandparents, nature, grandchildren, children's geographies, geo- narratives, Funds of Knowledge, <i>nepantla</i>, Common Worlds </p><p>