The goals of this study were to research the learning difficulties among a group of four pre-university introductory calculus students who were mainly international students studying English as a Second Language (M). The intention was to create a constructivist-style classroom environment in order to determine if it could improve students` knowledge about the use and management of multiple representations (that is, graphical, rum~ symbolic, pictorial, linguistic or diagrammatic approaches for problem representation), increase their classroom communication as a means to improving ability in the modelling of calculus word problems, and to develop, implement and evaluate a teaching package that encouraged the use of multiple representations as a means of improving conceptual understanding. The achievement of these goals was sought by means of the development, implementation and evaluation of a number of calculus extended tasks that encouraged the use of multiple representations. These activities facilitated the compilation of a menu of approaches to the solution of mathematical problems, while the longitudinal nature of the study allowed for the monitoring of student changes in their preferred approach. A traditional calculus curriculum was used for the study, but the instructional emphasis was based more on students' understanding of concepts in a classroom environment utilising a constructivist approach rather than on their memorising computational techniques. Reading, writing, and discussion were emphasised m small group settings to develop language skills and to foster an appreciation of the alternative solution strategies of individual students. / The study was conducted at an International College north of Perth in Western Australia, and the majority of students in the sample were from Non-English-Speaking-Backgrounds (NESB). A range of methods was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data in order to increase the credibility of the research. These methods included audio recordings of structured task-based interviews with each of the four students in the sample; teacher analysis of student worksheets; my classroom observations; the analysis of alternative student conceptions on assessment tasks obtained through post-test interviews, and my personal reflections. Quality controls were employed to ensure the credibility of the data collected. As classroom teacher and principal researcher, it was possible for me to treat each of the four students involved as an individual case study. Descriptive questionnaires were used in order to gain information regarding the course and the use of graphics calculators. The results are applicable to ESL introductory calculus students only, and the nature of the sample implies a number of study limitations detailed in Chapter Five. There was extensive evidence of the benefits of the use of a multi-representational mode and evidence also of the benefits of encouraging the use of a diversity of modes of classroom instruction. Outcomes of the study were qualified by the difficulties ESL students face in coordinating conflicting information and interpreting the language demands of problem presentation. It is expected that this study will assist m extending the knowledge and understanding of the learning difficulties faced by ESL students in the am of pre-university calculus. / Results of this study suggest that instructional material has an important influence on ESL students’ use and management of multiple representations. However, there are often limitations to the influence of the material due to student preferences, mathematical ability and firmly held beliefs as well as on the amount of detail presented in a problem Secondly, small group learning environments based on a constructivist approach were found to influence student ability to model calculus word problems in a positive manner, provided there is teacher support to overcome cognitive obstacles. Finally, it was established that an effective teaching package could be developed to assist ESL students in calculus learning. The teaching package's evaluation highlighted the need for matching language use in problem presentation with the current mathematical language register of each student.

The problem addressed in this project is the high attrition rate among English as Second Language (ESL) students in a local community college associate degree nursing program. If the retention problem is addressed, the increase in the number of ESL nursing student graduates could result in a more diverse nursing workforce, reflecting the diversity of the community. The purpose of this study was to examine student and faculty views regarding factors that contribute to the academic success and retention of ESL students. To that end, a qualitative case study approach was used, guided by the theoretical frameworks of Cummins's contextual interaction theory and Freire's and Mezirow's transformational learning theory. By using purposeful sampling, 8 ESL students and 5 faculty members were interviewed in both structured and unstructured interviews. The data were decoded using Nvivo computer software to establish themes and categories for analysis. The themes pointed to faculty lacking: (a) cultural awareness and sensitivity, (b) knowledge of the academic needs of ESL students, (c) knowledge of teaching strategies to accommodate the learning of ESL students, and (d) skills to prepare ESL students for what to expect. The findings led to creating a professional development workshop for faculty and led to recommending that the director and dean of the nursing program make it mandatory for faculty to continue their education on skills to improve academic success of ESL students. The findings suggest administrators should make cultural awareness competency compulsory. These efforts and faculty training may result in broader positive social change for ESL students and faculty, administrators, and the community, improving the number of graduating nurses to serve a diverse patient population.

The study focused on the student service related problems of culturally distinct groups of students attending a community college. The groups selected for the study were sixty international students and sixty English as a Second Language students. The researcher administered the Michigan International Student Problem Inventory, an instrument which has been widely used to indicate foreign students' problems. Combining the use of naturalistic research methodology, the researcher utilized an indepth interview to document the problems they were facing. Patterns and trends among the problems were analyzed and reported. The results indicated that many international students experienced concerns in the area of financial aid, had difficulties with some of the immigration regulations and work restrictions, and experienced forms of racial and social discrimination. The English as a Second Language students tended to experience most difficulties in the area of English language functioning but also experienced problems related to academic functioning and making friends. The student service areas most closely related to the international students' concerns were Financial Aids, Admissions, Placement, Counseling, and English Language Services. English as a Second Language students' problems were most closely related to the areas of English Language Services, Admissions, Counseling, and Academic Advisement. Recommendations generated by the study include the development of a new instrument to include topics generated by the students in the open-ended section of the questionnaire, a translation of the instrument into the major languages of the English as a Second Language population, and the need for future research on subgroups of the populations who indicated a greater number of problems than the others. Institutional recommendations are included which focus on how the college could address the problems which the students identified.