A singularity is said to be weakly-exceptional if it has a unique purely log terminal blow up. In dimension 2, V. Shokurov proved that weakly exceptional quotient singularities are exactly those of types Dn, E6, E7, E8. This thesis classifies the weakly exceptional quotient singularities in dimensions 3, 4 and 5, and proves that in any prime dimension, all but finitely many irreducible groups give rise to weakly exceptional singularities. It goes on to provide an algorithm that produces such a classification in any given prime dimension.

This study seeks to recover the various ways that the commonplace of the precocious child might have been understood in antiquity by utilizing rhetorical education and related texts as a basic framework for understanding communication strategies in ancient literature. Commonplace characterizations contributed to verisimilar depictions. The commonplace of precocity typically functioned to assist the audience in evaluating a person through an emphatic characterization. It is therefore often relevant to the purposes and themes of a given work. The depiction of Jesus as precociously insightful (Lk 2.46-47) is apropos to Luke's purpose of characterizing Jesus as uniquely attuned to the divine will. In the Gospel, only Jesus fully understands the extent of his own role in the divine plan. It is only when the one with insight—that is, Jesus—enlightens his disciples climactically in the final chapter of the Gospel that things change (Lk 24.45). Thereafter, those involved in the new Judaean school are presented as the sole possessors of insight into scripture and the outworking of God's plan in the world. Authors sometimes relied on thematically significant characterizations that were external to their work when constructing the commonplace of precocity. While admittedly the attribute of “understanding” is widespread among significant figures of the Septuagint (including messianic figures, e.g., Isa 11.2), I recommend Isa 52.13-53.12 as a possible context for Luke's characterization of Jesus as having precocious understanding for two primary reasons. Firstly, “understanding” is one of a few positive attributes used to describe the servant (LXX Isa 52.13; 53.11). Secondly, often uniquely among the Synoptists, Luke depicts Jesus in terms drawn from Isaiah (e.g., Acts 8.26-40). If the image of the exalted Isaianic servant was influential to Luke in his depiction of Jesus, it may have inspired the attribution of this notable characteristic in Lk 2.4.

Despite the large number of special education eligibility determinations in which school psychologists are involved, and the great deal of integration and interpretation of information that these decisions require, few investigations of the cognitive strategies that school psychologists utilize in assessing placement candidates have been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the susceptibility of school psychologists to placement decision bias. Specifically, the influence of referral information on school psychologists' subsequent evaluation and classification of a special education candidate was tested. Forty currently practicing school psychologists evaluated a bogus psychological report allegedly written about a child referred for either Gifted or Learning Disabilities (LD) placement consideration. Although all assessment data were identical, the school psychologists receiving a Gifted referral were more likely to classify the child as Gifted, and those receiving an LD referral were more likely to classify the child as LD. Additionally, the school psychologists recalled and weighted the importance of assessment data in a referral-consistent manner.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The principal aim of this study is to contribute to the debate on effective teaching and learning by investigating the role of dispositions in differentiating between 12 teachers nominated by their school principals as being ‘exceptional teachers’. The thesis is premised on the importance of human dispositions for high quality teaching and learning. A conceptual framework is developed as a guide to structure the investigation that is set in the context of classroom teaching in primary and secondary schools selected from an opportunity sample of independent schools in New South Wales, Australia. The study proposes that it is possible to examine and gain insight into the nexus between pedagogic and dispositional variables when considering what it means to be an ‘exceptional teacher’. From an extensive review of the literature a conceptual model, the Dispositional Cluster Model (DCM), is developed from five complementary fields of research literature, namely: effective teachers and effective teaching, giftedness and talent, intelligence, creativity, and dispositions. The case study involves the application of four instruments that are used to examine pedagogic variables, and teacher values and beliefs. In addition, the Interview Analysis Framework (IAF) has been designed to analyse case study interviews. NVivo analysis has also been applied to the interviews. The results from the case study provide a rich array of data for differentiating between the case study teachers. The major outcome of this research was the development of the IAF as an instrument that proved to be a useful and credible tool for analysing the case study interviews. It is proposed that the IAF and the DCM have strong potential for implementation in the areas of teacher education, teachers’ professional development, and teacher evaluation. The IAF may prove to be a useful device for school principals to use for analysing teacher interviews, providing teacher support, and for assessing teachers.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Chicago, Department of Education. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Hyperactivity is a common presenting symptom among children seen in psychiatric clinics, and refers to an excessive level of activity which is sufficiently sustained to become a serious source of complaint. Until recently interest in the hyperactive child was confined to the psychiatric literature. As a result, most of the information currently available deals with questions of diagnosis and treatment. The psychological functioning of the hyperactive child has received little attention, although some information on it has been presented in the form of incidental findings. In order to meet this need for objective, controlled data, a research project, in which the writer participated, was designed to study the behaviour of hyperactive children in a variety of test situations. The specific concern of the experiment reported in the present thesis was the behaviour of hyperactive children in a controlled learning situation, using a concept formation task.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The principal aim of this study is to contribute to the debate on effective teaching and learning by investigating the role of dispositions in differentiating between 12 teachers nominated by their school principals as being ‘exceptional teachers’. The thesis is premised on the importance of human dispositions for high quality teaching and learning. A conceptual framework is developed as a guide to structure the investigation that is set in the context of classroom teaching in primary and secondary schools selected from an opportunity sample of independent schools in New South Wales, Australia. The study proposes that it is possible to examine and gain insight into the nexus between pedagogic and dispositional variables when considering what it means to be an ‘exceptional teacher’. From an extensive review of the literature a conceptual model, the Dispositional Cluster Model (DCM), is developed from five complementary fields of research literature, namely: effective teachers and effective teaching, giftedness and talent, intelligence, creativity, and dispositions. The case study involves the application of four instruments that are used to examine pedagogic variables, and teacher values and beliefs. In addition, the Interview Analysis Framework (IAF) has been designed to analyse case study interviews. NVivo analysis has also been applied to the interviews. The results from the case study provide a rich array of data for differentiating between the case study teachers. The major outcome of this research was the development of the IAF as an instrument that proved to be a useful and credible tool for analysing the case study interviews. It is proposed that the IAF and the DCM have strong potential for implementation in the areas of teacher education, teachers’ professional development, and teacher evaluation. The IAF may prove to be a useful device for school principals to use for analysing teacher interviews, providing teacher support, and for assessing teachers.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Chicago, Department of Education. / Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1917.