The purpose of this study was to analyze factors that may contribute to student perceptions of courses using Open Educational Resources (OER). Specifically, the 6 independent variables tested were the course discipline, age, gender, course delivery mode, enrollment status, and number of credit hours taken. The dependent variables were measured as mean scores of 6 OER perception dimensions: motivation to learn, quality of learning experience, value of OER, cognitive learning, affective learning, and course quality. A 27-item online survey was administered to gather data from students enrolled in a course that used OER in the fall semester, 2014. There was a 23% response rate with 80 completed surveys. Independent-samples t tests were used to determine if significant differences existed between 5 of the 6 independent variables (the number of credit hours taken was tested using a different method) and each OER perception dimension mean. A Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine whether there were significant relationships among the 6 dependent OER perception dimension means and the number of credit hours taken. The level of significance used was < .05. The findings of the independent-samples t tests revealed that there were no significant differences between the independent variables and the 6 OER perception dimension means. The motivation to learn perception mean was highest at 3.97 on a 5-point Likert-type scale; the value of OER had the lowest perception dimension mean of 3.37. The Pearson product-moment correlation determined that there was a significant weak negative relationship between the number of credit hours taken and the level of perceived cognitive learning dimension. All other correlations were found to have no significant relationships. It can be concluded from the findings of the study that students are highly motivated to learn. From the perception rating of 3.37 for the value of OER, it can be concluded that student perceptions of the value of OER are slightly positive. It can also be concluded that as the number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled increases they have a lower perception of their level of cognitive learning.

This thesis addresses one of the major challenges facing education systems in developing countries: that of how to include all children, particularly those from relatively disadvantaged communities. It looks, in particular, at the example in Nepal of children from the Dalit communities, a group known to be disadvantaged and often marginalized within the formal education system. In particular, the study attempts to investigate the barriers that prevent the educational access, participation and progress of these students at the secondary level. This theme was investigated using an ethnographic approach, which examined people's life experiences and culture in natural settings (within schools and in their communities) using data collected through a series of interviews, and observations. It also involved an analysis of the relevant literature and policy documents. What was found is that the reasons for children from the Dalit community being disadvantaged are many and complex. Broadly, they can be summarized as being, first of all, about the difficulties of implementing national policies, particularly in terms of making resources available and providing effective monitoring, even though these policies are very positive about the inclusion of these children. Secondly, it is about the expectations and attitudes amongst the various Dalit communities as to what they want for their children and young people, which are to do with tradition and culture, life styles and economic circumstances. Thirdly, these two sets of factors together put pressure on the schools, which have to find a way of dealing with the challenge of diversity and various expectations. In this way, this research provides some new understanding of the issues that bear on the education of Dalit children. The knowledge gained through this research has practical implications for stakeholders: policy makers, teachers, and Dalit community members and social workers. It is argued that this would help to foster the improvement of policy initiatives and their effective implementation. It could also help to bring changes in the existing attitudes of teachers and Dalit communities that may have a positive impact on Dalit children's integration into education. Most importantly, it has brought a new way of looking at these issues that can be used to inform public debate. The study illustrates the use of a methodology that might usefully be adopted by researchers carrying out research around similar themes in other developing countries. It might also be the case that the barriers that have been identified in Nepal would represent useful starting points for such research.

Η εργασία αυτή διερευνά τις απόψεις, τα κίνητρα και τα εμπόδια των εκπαιδευτικών της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης του νομού Αχαΐας σχετικά με το ζήτημα της παρεχόμενης επιμόρφωσής τους με τη βοήθεια της αξιοποίησης της εμπειρίας, που συνεπάγεται η επαγγελματική τους θέση. Ταυτόχρονα στόχο έχει να διαπιστωθούν από τη μελέτη των διαφόρων πτυχών του θέματος οι συγκεκριμένες αιτίες & τα συγκεκριμένα εμπόδια που σχετίζονται με την επιμόρφωση των εκπαιδευτικών & τα είδη, η χρονική τους διάρκεια & οι μορφές που είναι πιθανό να διαφανούν. Είναι γνωστό πως οι εκπαιδευτικοί της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης αναγνωρίζουν τη χρησιμότητα των επιμορφωτικών προγραμμάτων & τη μεγάλη σημασία που έχουν αυτά στην εκτέλεση του εκπαιδευτικού τους έργου, ανεξάρτητα από τις ποικίλες ενστάσεις που ίσως έχουν σχετικά με επιμέρους θέματα της θεσμοθετημένης επιμόρφωσης. Οι εκπαιδευτικοί της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης, που καλούνται να συμμετάσχουν στα προγράμματα επιμόρφωσης, ως ενήλικοι εκπαιδευόμενοι, όπως φαίνεται στη σχετική βιβλιογραφία, θεωρούν ότι κριτήριο συμμετοχής τους στα προγράμματα αυτά είναι η θεματολογία (γνωστικό αντικείμενο, προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς, οργάνωση / διοίκηση, ειδική αγωγή, νέες τεχνολογίες κλπ.), ο φορέας οργάνωσης, οι πρακτικές ανάγκες του σχολείου, τα προσωπικά τους ενδιαφέροντα & η χρονική διάρκεια. Ακόμα συναντούν σημαντικά εμπόδια και δυσκολίες μάθησης. Τα εμπόδια αυτά θα μπορούσαν να ταξινομηθούν σε τρεις κυρίως βασικές κατηγορίες: α) Τα εμπόδια που προκύπτουν από το σχεδιασμό, οργάνωση, υλοποίηση και αξιολόγηση των επιμορφωτικών προγραμμάτων. β) Τα εμπόδια που προκύπτουν από αστάθμητους παράγοντες και καταστάσεις. γ) Τα εσωτερικά εμπόδια, που προκύπτουν από την προσκόλληση των εκπαιδευτικών σε παλιές γνώσεις, πρακτικές, συμπεριφορές και σχέσεις και από ψυχολογικούς παράγοντες. Η χρησιμότητα της έρευνας προκύπτει από τη δυνατότητα μελλοντικής αξιοποίησης των συμπερασμάτων της στο σχεδιασμό και την οργάνωση πιο ρεαλιστικών εισαγωγικών επιμορφωτικών προγραμμάτων για τους εκπαιδευτικούς της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης. Οι δυνατότητες αξιοποίησης των συμπερασμάτων της έρευνας παρουσιάζονται στις προτάσεις, που αποτελούν το τελευταίο μέρος αυτής της εργασίας. / This work investigates the opinions, the motives and the obstacles of teachers of primary education of the prefecture Achaia with regard to the question of their provided training with the help of exploitation of experience, that involves their professional place. Simultaneously objective it has are realised by the study of various aspects of subject the particular causes and the particular obstacles that are related with the training of teachers and the types, their time duration and the forms that it is likely they emerge. It is known that the teachers of primary education recognize the usefulness of training programs and the big importance that have these in the implementation of their educational work, independent from the various objections that they perhaps have with regard to individual subjects of enacted training. The teachers of first degree education, that are called to participate in the programs of training, as adult educated, as she appears in the relative bibliography, consider that their criterion of attendance in this programs is the issues (cognitive object, problems of behavior, organisation/administration, special education, new technologies etc), the institution of organisation, the practical needs of school, personal their interesting and time duration. Still they meet important obstacles and difficulties of learning. This obstacles could be categorized in three mainly basic categories: a) the obstacles that result from the planning, organisation, concretisation and evaluation of training programs. b) the obstacles that result from imponderable factors and situations. g) the internal obstacles, that result from the adherence of teachers in old knowledge, practices, behaviors and [schaseis] and from psychological factors. The usefulness of research results from the possibility of future exploitation of her conclusions in the planning and the organisation of more realistic introductive training programs for the teachers of first degree education. The possibilities of exploitation of conclusions of research are presented in the proposals, that constitute the last part of this work.

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