Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

A influência de avaliações em larga escala no currículo é bem conhecida e discutida amplamente. Contudo, a influência de avaliações vestibulares no mesmo tem sido deixada de lado, bem como a discussão sobre sua influência nos próprios exames governamentais. O presente texto tenta abrir este caminho, analisando a alteração nos tipos de questões elaboradas pelo vestibular, no sentido de arcar com uma responsabilidade social que lhe foi imposta. É feita uma análise do nível cognitivo exigido pelas questões - com base na taxonomia de Bloom (1983) e nas classes de exigência cognitiva de Zoller (2002), entre outras características - bem como outros detalhes relevantes, como interdisciplinaridade, área da química abordada, habilidades e competências envolvidas e o índice de discriminação, ao longo de onze anos (2003 - 2013). Os resultados demonstram uma crescente preocupação com o modo como se mede as capacidades dos alunos avaliados por tais exames. A partir de então, discute-se brevemente sobre o uso dos exames vestibulares como base para a construção do currículo, bem como o modo com que os exames são tratados pelo meio leigo e suas consequências / The influence of large scale assessment on the curriculum is well known and widely discussed. However, a influence of pre-entrance tests on it has been put aside, as well as the discussion about is influence on governmental assessment. The present work tries to clear that pass, analysing if there is any significant change on the types of questions made by these pre-entrance exams, in a perspective of living up to the social responsibility that was imposed on them. It is made an analysis around the cognitive level required by the questions - based on Bloom\'s taxonomy (1983) and in Zollers cognitive skills requirements (2002) - amongst other relevant details, such as interdisciplinarity, chemistry field addressed, skills and competences involved and the discrimination rate, over the period of eleven years (2003 - 2013). The results show a growing worry towards the way the student\'s capability is being measured by these exams. From that, it\'s briefly discussed the use of such exams as base to building the curriculum, as well as how the exams are treated by the non-academics and its consequences.

A influência de avaliações em larga escala no currículo é bem conhecida e discutida amplamente. Contudo, a influência de avaliações vestibulares no mesmo tem sido deixada de lado, bem como a discussão sobre sua influência nos próprios exames governamentais. O presente texto tenta abrir este caminho, analisando a alteração nos tipos de questões elaboradas pelo vestibular, no sentido de arcar com uma responsabilidade social que lhe foi imposta. É feita uma análise do nível cognitivo exigido pelas questões - com base na taxonomia de Bloom (1983) e nas classes de exigência cognitiva de Zoller (2002), entre outras características - bem como outros detalhes relevantes, como interdisciplinaridade, área da química abordada, habilidades e competências envolvidas e o índice de discriminação, ao longo de onze anos (2003 - 2013). Os resultados demonstram uma crescente preocupação com o modo como se mede as capacidades dos alunos avaliados por tais exames. A partir de então, discute-se brevemente sobre o uso dos exames vestibulares como base para a construção do currículo, bem como o modo com que os exames são tratados pelo meio leigo e suas consequências / The influence of large scale assessment on the curriculum is well known and widely discussed. However, a influence of pre-entrance tests on it has been put aside, as well as the discussion about is influence on governmental assessment. The present work tries to clear that pass, analysing if there is any significant change on the types of questions made by these pre-entrance exams, in a perspective of living up to the social responsibility that was imposed on them. It is made an analysis around the cognitive level required by the questions - based on Bloom\'s taxonomy (1983) and in Zollers cognitive skills requirements (2002) - amongst other relevant details, such as interdisciplinarity, chemistry field addressed, skills and competences involved and the discrimination rate, over the period of eleven years (2003 - 2013). The results show a growing worry towards the way the student\'s capability is being measured by these exams. From that, it\'s briefly discussed the use of such exams as base to building the curriculum, as well as how the exams are treated by the non-academics and its consequences.

It is the purpose of this study to review in brief the changes that have taken place since the turn of the century in content of mathematical studies in the high school and to examine theoretically the significance of such changes.

Nursing administrators are exploring interventions to increase student retention rates in order to decrease college costs, improve faculty effort and time developing courses, decrease administrative resources, and to continue their accreditation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there was a correlation between the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) reading comprehension scores, American College Test (ACT) reading comprehension scores, Comprehensive Computer-Adaptive Testing (COMPASS) reading comprehension scores, and the cumulative college grade point average (GPA) of the first-year nursing student. The theoretical foundation for this study was Tinto's retention theory, which claims that students' past academic performance predicts retention. A correlation approach within a cross-sectional nonexperimental design was used by analyzing data from admission testing and the first-year cumulative GPA from 151 associate degree nursing students from a private college in the Southeast Missouri area. According to study results, there was no correlation between GPAs and reading comprehension scores. Additionally, ACT, TEAS, and COMPASS reading comprehension scores did not correlate with student retention rates. Administrators in the associate degree nursing program can use the results of this study to determine what interventions might determine the success of the first-year nursing student. Positive social change will result from a more diverse set of admission criteria for acceptance into the program and will assist the admissons committees to find the best candidates for the program.

Considering the proposals of LDB for the High School, this study proposes a reflection about the work with the subject matter of Brazilian Literature, specifically refering to the books indicated to the entrance selective processes of the Federal University of Santa Maria (PEIES and vestibular). The existence of entrance exams to access the College is a decisive factor in the definition of the contents that have been taught in High Schools because lots of students intend to take such exams. This research checks whether the entrance exams and other entrance selective processes like PEIES are barriers in the teaching of Brazilian Literature. It also searches for ways of working with the books indicated to the entrance exams without compromising other contents and goals of the subject matter. It was also observed whether teachers were willing to correlate the books used in Brazilian Literature with the current society s context, because we believe this can be a way to motivate students to think critically about the world around them. The beginning of chapter one consists of an analysis of fragments of an interview made with Brazilian Literature teachers who work with third grade of High School in Santa Maria city. The goal is to identify how they deal with the work with the subject and with literary books. Two public schools, one private and one technical school associated to UFSM were chosen to be part of this research. A questionnaire was also used to check the way students relate themselves with studies of Brazilian Literature and with the books indicated to PEIES and UFSM college entrance exam. The second part of this research is made up by the analysis of two literary books called Terras do sem-fim and Contos gauchescos. The focus is on significant points of those books, which could be taken as starting points for an approach between the literary book and the student s reality. The interpretation study proposed in the paper is presented in contrast to the interview made with teachers about their work with those literary books. In the third chapter some points covered through out the research are revisited in order to get a qualification of the Brazilian Literature teaching in High School. Only with a constant revaluation of the teaching practices it will be possible to achieve improvements in the formation of readers and of people who like literary works / Levando em conta as propostas da LDB para o Ensino Médio, este estudo propõe uma reflexão acerca do trabalho com a disciplina de Literatura Brasileira, especialmente no que se refere às obras indicadas para os processos seletivos da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (PEIES e Vestibular). A existência dos exames vestibulares para ingresso ao Ensino Superior é um fator decisivo na elaboração dos conteúdos programáticos das escolas, visto que muitos estudantes pretendem realizar as provas. Buscou-se nessa pesquisa verificar se os vestibulares e demais processos seletivos como o PEIES constituem-se como barreiras no ensino de Literatura Brasileira, ou se existem formas de trabalhar com textos indicados pela universidade sem que outros conteúdos e objetivos da disciplina sejam prejudicados. Procurou-se também observar a existência da preocupação em relacionar as obras estudadas com o contexto atual da sociedade por parte dos professores, por acreditar-se que esta pode ser uma maneira de instigar os estudantes a pensarem criticamente sobre o mundo que os cerca. A primeira parte do capítulo inicial consiste na análise de fragmentos de entrevistas realizadas com professoras de Literatura Brasileira que trabalham com o terceiro ano do Ensino Médio na cidade de Santa Maria. O objetivo é constatar a percepção das mesmas em relação ao trabalho com a disciplina e com as obras literárias. Foram escolhidas para a realização da pesquisa duas escolas da rede pública de Ensino, uma da rede particular e uma escola técnica vinculada à UFSM. Buscou-se também verificar a maneira pela qual os alunos se relacionam com a disciplina de Literatura Brasileira e com as obras indicadas para o PEIES e o vestibular através de um questionário. A segunda etapa desse trabalho constitui-se de uma análise das obras Terras do sem-fim e Contos gauchescos, destacando-se questões significativas dentro dos livros em questão que poderiam ser tomadas como pontos de partida para uma aproximação entre o texto literário e a realidade do aluno. O trabalho de interpretação proposto é apresentado em contraste com o relato de professores acerca de seu trabalho com as referidas obras. No terceiro capítulo, são retomadas algumas questões abordadas ao longo da pesquisa com o intuito de buscar uma qualificação do ensino de Literatura Brasileira no Ensino Médio. Somente com uma constante reavaliação das práticas educativas será possível obter melhorias na formação de leitores críticos e apreciadores da obra literária

Orientador: Denise Bertoli Braga, Marcia Azevedo de Abreu / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-24T10:27:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ferreira_CarmenCibele_M.pdf: 34924363 bytes, checksum: 43ac0a991d05a7a7828fffcb6b5eb364 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1998 / Resumo: O presente trabalho reflete sobre o ensino de leitura literária no 2° grau a partir da análise do desempenho dos candidatos do Vestibular Unicamp em algumas questões da prova de Literaturas de Língua Portuguesa no período de 1987 a 1993. As questões analisadas correspondem às obras São Bernardo, de Graciliano Ramos, Senhora, de José de Alencar e Contos Novos, de Mário de Andrade. O estudo também procurou averiguar se os materiais paradidáticos, de alguma forma, poderiam auxiliar os candidatos a responder as questões da prova. Ao verificar o desempenho desses candidatos, constatamos a existência de problemas de leitura não só em relação ao texto da obra literária mas também em relação ao enunciado da questão. Notamos ainda, que os vestibulandos com dificuldade para a leitura indicam alguns problemas básicos de letramento, como insuficiência de vocabulário e falta de habilidade para redigir uma resposta clara e concisa. Destaca-se ainda, no nível do conhecimento geral, uma grande falta de informação sobre fatos histórico-sociais a qual poderia contribuir, caso ele os soubesse, para um melhor desempenho do candidato tanto na posição de leitor da obra literária, quanto na condição de candidato a uma vaga da universidade / Abstract: The present study discusses the teaching of literary reading at the secondary school level based an analysis of the performance of students who answered questions on Brasilian Literature which were part of the Unicamp entrance exams (vestibular) from 1987 to 1993. Three literary titles were contemplated in this study: São Bernardo by Graciliano Ramos; Senhora by José de Alencar; and Contos Novos by Mário de Andrade. Additionally, it was investigated whether certain specific commereial didatic materials could in any way help the students to answer the exam questions. The analysis indicated the existence of reading problems not only in relation to the text of the literary work but also in relationship to phrasing of the questions itself. Furthermore, it was shown that students with reading difficulty also present basic literacy problems, such as insufficient vocabulary knowledge and some basic writing difficulties which lead to unclear answers. In relation to the general knowledge level of the students, a great lack of information about socio-historieal facts was noticed. Such socio-historical knowledge could certainly contribute to a better reading of the literary text as well as to the improvement of student performance on the examination / Mestrado / Ensino-Aprendizagem de Lingua Materna / Mestre em Linguística Aplicada

The evolving nature of education emphasizes the importance of fostering 21st-century skills. To align with the requirements of the contemporary era, Uzbekistan introduced its new competency based National Curriculum, highlighting the development of 21st century skills. Despite the National Curriculum's emphasis on contemporary skills, a gap persists due to the exam-focused education system in Uzbekistan, with university entrance exams largely dictating classroom practices. This qualitative study, through students’ lenses and experiences, aims to explore how preparation for these exams, particularly in English, aligns with the goals of National Curriculum. Washback, defined as the influence of tests on teaching and learning, has been utilized as the study’s conceptual framework. Reflexive thematic analysis has been employed as the method for data analysis. The participants include first-year public university students in Uzbekistan. The findings revealed a multifaceted, complex and context-specific nature of washback. Key observations include a negative washback effect of high stakes public university entrance exams, leading to the prioritization of exam subjects at the expense of holistic education, a misalignment between English instruction and the curriculum, high-stakes entrance exam induced stress, and broader educational context factors, such as lack of teacher qualification and competence, low teacher salary, contributing to poor quality education. The study also highlights the crucial role of private tutoring in preparing for higher education and the emergence of unethical practices in schools. While the exams fostered certain 21st-century skills in students, an overemphasis on rote memorization limits deeper cognitive competencies. Positive washback is observed in lyceum education and among students preparing for the IELTS exam - an alternative pathway to fulfill the English language requirement for public HE, advocating for measurement-driven instruction and comprehensive language skill development. The study concludes that positive changes in Uzbekistan’s public university admission system could be achieved through a more holistic assessment of students’ skills and competencies and measurement-driven approach to education. The study recommends incorporating students' school performance as an admission criterion, offering a more comprehensive assessment of their abilities and knowledge.

Após a promulgação da Lei 9394/96, a forma de ingresso ao Ensino Superior tornou-se mais flexível, com a possibilidade de outros processos seletivos além dos vestibulares tradicionais. O vestibular seriado surge com uma destas alternativas e o primeiro a ser implantado foi o da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) em 1995. Alguns dos objetivos desse tipo de avaliação são a democratização do acesso dos alunos de escolas públicas ao ensino superior e diminuição da pressão exercida nos vestibulandos. Essa forma de avaliação tem gerado muitas discussões, inclusive em artigos e dissertações com conclusões antagônicas. Os resultados do presente estudo permitem dizer que a avaliação seriada figura como opção viável de seleção de ingresso ao ensino superior, mas há ajustes necessários tanto na esfera das políticas públicas educacionais, para que, os objetivos propostos por esse tipo de avaliação não fique apenas nos editais de seus programas. / Yearly Entrance Exams are an alternative proposal and advocate a systematic student assessment at the end of each year of high school in Brazil. The only manner that universities could implement new student-selection processes was by promulgation of Law 9,394/96. The first program to be implemented was on Santa Maria University, in 1995. This kind of evaluation proposes to provide to public school students a bigger opportunity to go to college and reduce the test-stress of a one-day evaluation process. There aren\'t many papers about the theme and they bring us contradictories positions. Our results show us that despite teacher have consider the yearly tiered entrance exams as a possibility, this program must have to be adjusted, including changing educational public politics, thus the proposal goals of this alternative evaluations don\'t be restrict to the application form.

Ao término da Educação Básica, espera-se que um indivíduo esteja habilitado a redigir adequadamente em qualquer situação, que saiba interagir com a palavra para a produção escrita nos diversos gêneros textuais em circulação. Embora tais expectativas se realizem em alguns casos, em geral, a realidade vivenciada é diversa: mesmo após completarem os ensinos Fundamental e Médio, muitos sujeitos elaboram textos repletos de desvios, marcas que expõem as muitas dificuldades com a produção escrita, as quais revelam uma língua cindida entre um saber-dizer e um dever-dizer. Questionamentos sobre o que leva a essa cisão motivaram esta pesquisa. Considerando-se a perspectiva sócio-histórica, os conceitos bakhtinianos de gênero, dialogismo e polifonia, bem como preceitos da Lingüísitca Textual, o trabalho consistiu na análise de elementos composicionais da redação dissertativa de vestibular, gênero que desafia estudantes interessados em ingressar no Ensino Superior. Mais especificamente, foram analisados: (a) a norma lingüística, (b) os índices de pessoalidade e (c) a macroarticulação em uma amostra de 374 redações (1% do total) produzidas por candidatos inscritos no Vestibular-2007 promovido pela FUVEST (Fundação Universitária para o Vestibular) São Paulo, Brasil. Foram analisadas, também, algumas relações entre o perfil sócio-histórico dos candidatos e os perfis de escrita verificados nos textos. Depreendeu-se, das observações realizadas, que a excessiva preocupação com o outro, com o molde e com a demonstração do saber-fazer interfere no movimento de exteriorização do discurso: em vez de tentar levar ao texto seu universo e sua idéia, o estudante se propõe à tarefa de levar, para o papel, mundo e idéias presumidos do interlocutor e da interlocução, vivencia um confronto - e não uma negociação - entre um saber-dizer que se esvaece diante de um dever-dizer e cinde a língua. As observações realizadas revelaram, ainda uma escolarização que, no âmbito de sua atuação, parece não promover satisfatoriamente condições para o desenvolvimento de estratégias para o diálogo entre os saberes, parece não promover satisfatoriamente a possibilidade de escrever com autonomia. / After concluding high school, students are expected to be able to write proficiently in any situation. They are supposed to interact with words in order to produce texts in the diverse genres currently circulating. Although some of these expectations are sometimes met, in general, the reality is different. Even after having fulfilled the academic requirements of high school, many students produce texts with several deviations, which signal difficulties with writing. This also reveals a schism between knowing-how-to-say-it and should-say. Questioning the reasons for this schism was the starting point for research. Based on sociohistorical patterns, bakhtinian concepts for genres of discourse, dialogism, and polyphony, as well as the Textual Linguistics precepts, this work consisted in analyzing the elements found in the Writing Essays from students participating in Standardized College Entrance Exams for the public universities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This is a genre of text which challenges students who want to enter into a college career. Specifically, the topics analyzed were: (a) proficiency in standard Portuguese , (b) personal input and (c) macroarticulation in a sample of 374 essays (1% of the total) from the entrance exam that was ministered through FUVEST (Foundation for College Entrance Exams), São Paulo, Brazil, from the year 2007. The analysis included also the relationship between the candidates socio-historic profile and the writing patterns found in their work. Through this analysis I could detect an exaggerated concern with the other one, with following a model, and with a concern in demonstrating the knowing-how-to-say-it. These concerns interfere with the movement of the discourse exteriorization: instead of putting in the text their own world view and their own ideas, students try to present a perspective that agrees with a presumed readers world view and ideas foreign to themselves: a confrontation and not an exchange between the knowhow- to-say-it and the should-say that schisms the language. My observations revealed also a schooling process that does not seem to promote satisfactory conditions to develop strategies that foster the dialogue among the diverse facets of knowledge, and does not promote the individuals self-reliance in their own writing.